W Schonbek LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of WAC, acquired the assets of Swarovski Lighting Ltd., including the Schonbek Worldwide Lighting brand, the factory in New York and all associated intellectual property. WAC was represented by Holland & Knight LLP in connection with this acquisition.
In the interest of building upon a historic presence in U.S. manufacturing, W Schonbek and WAC hired over 100-plus passionate employees in Plattsburgh, many of whom developed their craft over the last 30-40 years under the tutelage of two generations of Schonbeks. The future of Schonbek will continue its 150-year heritage, reflecting a respect for craftsmanship while elevating luxury design, and reclaim its leadership position in the crystal and custom lighting industry. There will be a period of significant investment in the new W plant in Plattsburgh to ensure it can execute this direction and is able to support products for the WAC, Modern Forms, dweLED, and AiSPiRE brands. At the end of this phase of transition, the largest introduction ever of new products under the SCHONBEK brand is expected to be unveiled within the next six months.
“It’s about the people who carried the torch and helped create the powerhouse brand we all know and love. Schonbek was always the industry leader not only in design but in how we treated our customers, how our customer service team was unmatched and the love affair with all partners: reps and customers alike,” says Jon McMahan, of KTR Associates who has represented Schonbek for 34 years. “The flame is still burning in our hearts from the days when Dirk Wald and Andrew Schonbek worked side by side. We are extremely excited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The passion and excitement for this brand goes beyond lighting.”