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MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd.
Company typePrivate
Founded1983; 41 years ago (1983)
Founder
HeadquartersAurora, New York, U.S.
Key people
John Ling, CEO
Products
OwnerAurora Brands, LLC
Number of employees
250+
Websitemackenzie-childs.com

MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. is a manufacturer of ceramics and home decor retailer based in Aurora, New York, the brainchild of Victoria MacKenzie-Childs and Richard MacKenzie-Childs, who founded the company in 1983.[1][2][3][4][5]

The company is recognized for its "Courtly Checks" black-and-white checkerboard pattern.[6]

History

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In 1983, the founders started a business making ceramic goods under the name Victoria and Richard MacKenzie Childs, Ltd.[7] After the registration lapsed, the company was registered as MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. in 1997.

In 2000, MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following financial difficulties including a $15.3 million debt to BSB Bank & Trust,[8] a 25 to 55 percent price increase, an expensive advertising campaign, and two long-term leases for unopened retail locations on Rodeo Drive and Madison Avenue.[9]

Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girl, purchased MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. from bankruptcy court for $5.5 million in 2001.[9][10] Since the founders of the company still owed a debt to BSB Bank & Trust, Rowland offered Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs $10 million contingent upon a non-compete agreement.[11] The founders refused to sign the agreement, filed for personal bankruptcy, and allegedly gave up all rights to the MacKenzie-Childs name.[12]

As part of a larger project led by the Aurora Foundation to revitalize and redevelop the town, Rowland's purchase ensured that the company would remain headquartered in Aurora.[13][14] The purchase of MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. was one of many multi-million dollar investments Rowland made in Aurora, where she attended Wells College in the 1960s.

Rowland began restructuring the home decor company to ensure its profitability. In 2005, the company laid off 20 of 240 employees and restructured the management team.[15] In 2007, Rowland announced her intention to find a buyer having "accomplished her turnaround goals with the company."[16]

In 2006, MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. sued founders Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs. The founders had started a new business using the mark "Victoria and Richard." The lawsuit cited trademark violation, as their last name and trademarks referencing it, had allegedly been sold off in the bankruptcy proceedings.[17][18] The founders countersued Rowland for attaching their name to designs they did not create.

In 2008, Rowland sold the company to Lee Feldman and Howard Cohen, partners at the Twin Lakes Capital equity firm based in Rochester and Manhattan.[19]

In 2014, Castanea Partners, a private equity firm, invested in Aurora Brands (the owner of MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd.)[20]

In 2018, MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. acquired Patience Brewster Inc.[21] The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Patience Brewster, an upstate New York book illustrator and ornament designer, joined the company's creative team. MacKenzie-Child, Ltd. and Brewster pursued the design and development of products for the Patience Brewster by MacKenzie-Childs collection.

Annual events

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MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. is well-known for its annual Barn Sale. The company headquarters were built on a dairy farm built in the late 1800s and renovated between 2001 and 2003.[22] The sale began in a single tent in 1996 and grew to thousands of customers at the Aurora-based campus every year.[23]

In 2017, the Barn Sale drew more than 26,000 shoppers to the company's 65-acre property in Aurora, making the event one of the premier draws for tourists in Cayuga County. Held over four days, the sale offers discounts off retail price.[24]

After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the MacKenzie-Childs Barn Sale moved online-only.[25] The Barn Sale resumed in-person shopping in July 2023.

References

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  1. ^ "Functional fantasies grab imagination Wichita shop promotes MacKenzie-Childs designers featured in Neiman Marcus holiday catalog". Wichita Eagle. October 12, 1996. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  2. ^ Thomas, Laura (May 12, 2004). "Hot Stuff". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  3. ^ Peterson, Deborah (September 3, 1992). "Whimsy: MacKenzie-Childs Gives Wings To Flights Of Fancy". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  4. ^ Barrera, Sandra (2009-07-20). "MacKenzie-Childs brings fun back to home decorating". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on 21 June 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  5. ^ "MacKenzie-Childs | MacKenzie-Childs | About Us". www.mackenzie-childs.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  6. ^ Taylor, Traci (2022-10-05). "Look Around The Stunning Former Mackenzie-Childs Estate On Cayuga Lake [GALLERY]". 98.1 The Hawk. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  7. ^ "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  8. ^ Bishop, Susan (April 19, 2004). "BACK IN BUSINESS; THE MACKENZIE-CHILDSES, OUT OF BANKRUPTCY, ARE RE-EMERGING WITH A NEW BRAND AND A NEW COMPANY". www.thefreelibrary.com. HFN (The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network). Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  9. ^ a b Zisko, Allison (June 4, 2001). "MACKENZIE-CHILDS STORE TO OPEN IN MANHATTAN". www.thefreelibrary.com. HFN (The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network). Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  10. ^ "Pleasant Rowland Buys McKenzie-Childs". Gifts & Decorative Accessories. 2001-06-04. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  11. ^ "MacKenzie-Childs trademark case decision due March 21". syracuse. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  12. ^ Bishop, Susan (April 19, 2004). "BACK IN BUSINESS; THE MACKENZIE-CHILDSES, OUT OF BANKRUPTCY, ARE RE-EMERGING WITH A NEW BRAND AND A NEW COMPANY". www.thefreelibrary.com. HFN (The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network). Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  13. ^ Rubiner, Betsy (2003-10-12). "TRAVEL ADVISORY; An Alumna Makes Over a College and Its Town". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  14. ^ Barry, Dan (2001-05-18). "Big Change Is Bearing Down On Small Town; College Gets Rich Graduate To Pump Some Money Into the Old Place". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  15. ^ "20 employees laid off at MacKenzie-Childs". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, NY. November 17, 2005. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  16. ^ The Citizen staff (2008-05-08). "Aurora company sold by Rowland". The Citizen. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  17. ^ Telesca, Michael (January 9, 2008). "Mackenzie-Childs, Ltd. v. Mackenzie-Childs, 06-CV-6107T | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  18. ^ Astor, Will (2006-03-03). "Company sues former owners over name use". Rochester Business Journal. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  19. ^ Debra J. Groom, The Post-Standard (2008-05-07). "MacKenzie-Childs sold to Rochester, Manhattan firm". syracuse. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  20. ^ "Castanea Partners Announces Investment in Aurora Brands | Castanea Partners". Castanea Partners. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  21. ^ "MacKenzie-Childs acquires Skaneateles' Patience Brewster Inc". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  22. ^ "Visit Us (MacKenzie-Childs)". www.mackenzie-childs.com. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  23. ^ Hernandez, Sunny (2023-07-07). "MacKenzie-Childs Barn Sale back in store after 3-year hiatus, dates announced". New York Upstate. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  24. ^ Wilcox, David. "We sell fun: The 2018 MacKenzie-Childs Barn Sale, by the numbers". Auburn Citizen. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  25. ^ Hernandez, Sunny (2022-07-06). "MacKenzie-Childs Barn Sale dates announced, remains virtual". New York Upstate. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
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