LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the newly formed Candlelight Curated Inc. has officially acquired the operating assets of the former Candlelight Cabinetry facility in Lockport.
Candlelight Curated Inc. is a joint partnership between three local investors — Aaron Santarosa, Peter Demakos and Jon Ebel — and they, along with Quebec-based manufacturer Cuisine Idéale, will invest $11 million to modernize the site and restore 100 skilled manufacturing jobs that were lost during a shutdown earlier this year.
The governor's office said the facility went into foreclosure following "sudden financial distress under its previous management," which caused the shutdown and layoffs.
Candlelight Curated Inc. acquired the operating assets via a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) foreclosure sale, and its $11 million investment will target structural renovations and the integration of precision manufacturing machinery, according to the governor's office.
Officials said to facilitate the acquisition and protection of regional employment, Empire State Development (ESD) has awarded Candlelight Curated up to $2 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits tied directly to the firm’s specific job creation commitments.
“We are incredibly grateful for New York State, the Niagara County IDA and Senator Ortt’s swift partnership, which allowed us to step in, secure this historic facility and protect Lockport's long-standing legacy of high-end cabinet manufacturing. Our primary goal is to get our skilled craftspeople back to the production floor as safely and quickly as possible. With a $11 million commitment toward structural renovations and machinery upgrades, we are positioning this plant to operate with greater efficiency, higher quality and broader custom design capabilities than ever before.”
The sudden shutdown of Candlelight Cabinetry is a story we have been following for months.
Several Candlelight employees told 7 News' Derek Heid that they had been without work since January 22 and that they still hadn't received their final paychecks or the year’s 401(k) benefits.
Numerous customers also told 7 News they’re out thousands of dollars on orders they paid the company for. They said their orders were not completed, nor were they refunded for their purchases.
Within an internal email sent to employees that 7 News received two months ago, Candlelight Cabinetry owner Andrew Olsen said, “We are currently working with two groups who both see what we do. One is another cabinet company that desires our geographic location and footprint, the other is a group of local business owners who want to see this great company restored.”
You can read the full message sent on March 11 here:
