WAC Lighting acquires 150-year-old luxury crystal brand

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.—WAC Lighting has purchased the Schonbek brand from Swarovski Lighting Ltd. in an agreement that includes all of the operating assets related to the Schonbek brand, including a manufacturing plant in Plattsburgh, N.Y. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A manufacturer of LED architectural, task and decorative lighting, as well as smart ceiling fans, WAC Lighting will now own and operate a key U.S.-based factory that will expand its domestic manufacturing capabilities to include fabrication, finishing and assembly, it said. WAC already has three plants in the U.S. and a 800,000 square foot factory in China.

The Plattsburgh factory will focus on made-to-order and custom products for all of the brands in the portfolio, including Modern Forms, dweLED, WAC Lighting, LIMITED and AiSPiRE, the company said.  It will also play a strategic role in designing new products and developing new luxury finishes for all brands.

In addition, WAC expands its markets with the acquisition, as Schonbek has established distribution in Europe, Australia and the Middle East, where WAC does not yet have a presence.

Founded in 1870 by Adolph Schonbek, Schonbek has been owned by Swarovski since 2007.

“If not for the time Dirk [Wald, co-CEO of WAC] spent at Schonbek and then Swarovski, WAC would not have been approached to carry on the Schonbek tradition,” said Shelley Wald, co-CEO of WAC.  “But veterans of the lighting industry will likely see the union of WAC and Schonbek as a natural progression.”

Wald, who co-founded Modern Forms, dweLED, WAC Landscape, LIMITED, and AiSPiRE brands, added, “We are excited to acquire the Schonbek brand of luxury crystal lighting and collaborate with the talented people in Plattsburgh to continue this proud tradition.” The company will invest in the factory, and then is planning for a “killer” product launch, as well as the largest product introduction of Schonbek in its history this fall in New York and Montreal, he said.

“My family and I were thrilled to hear this news,” said Andrew Schonbek, who was president and CEO of Schonbek Lighting Worldwide until 2007. “Working with Dirk was a joy, as I witnessed first-hand his creative energy, passion for the product, impeccable design sense and understanding and advocacy of customers. I predict that these unique talents will soon find expression in a creative renaissance at Schonbek that will once again position it as a leading, cutting edge brand. There’s nobody I know of who’s better positioned than Dirk and WAC to carry forward the legacy that four generations of Schonbeks labored to build since 1870.”

The transaction is expected to close by June 30, the company said.