Kichler Lighting moving from longtime home in Independence, plans to lay off 85 workers
Interior lighting fixture company Kichler Lighting will move out of its longtime home in Independence to Solon, and in the process eliminate 85 jobs.
The 80-plus-year-old company plans to close its distribution center on East Pleasant Valley Road between April and June of next year, according to a spokeswoman. The layoffs will happen in phases, starting in the first quarter of 2022, she wrote in an email.
It was not immediately clear how many employees Kichler still had in Northeast Ohio or how large of a space it would occupy in Solon. Four hundred were in the area when the suburban Detroit-based Masco Corp. bought the company in 2018, out of 700 total employees.
Kichler said in a news release that many employees have worked remotely “with significant success” since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020. The new offices in Solon will include multiple spaces where employees can choose to work, plus a new showroom and areas for workers to quality test and certify products, the release said.
The company, which had operations in Independence for more than 30 years, said it was making the moves “to reposition its business for a dynamic future.”
Kichler Lighting, known formally as L.D. Kichler Co, provides lighting for homes and businesses, as well as ceiling fans and outdoor lighting. The changes come as the company plans to open a new distribution center managed by an outside company in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
News that Kichler was likely moving its operations out of Independence started circulating last week, when the Newmark real estate brokerage firm announced that it was marketing to potential new tenants the building, which has 500,000 square feet of warehouse space and nearly 100,000 square feet of office space. The building is owned by Independence Acquisition Co. of Arizona, led by brothers Dennis and Michael Breen.
Independence Mayor Gregory Kurtz said in a statement that he was disappointed about Kichler’s decision to move from Independence.
“The city will work aggressively with the building owner and broker to attract another high-caliber company to this prime location on East Pleasant Valley Road,” he said.
The 80-plus-year-old company plans to close its distribution center on East Pleasant Valley Road between April and June of next year, according to a spokeswoman. The layoffs will happen in phases, starting in the first quarter of 2022, she wrote in an email.
It was not immediately clear how many employees Kichler still had in Northeast Ohio or how large of a space it would occupy in Solon. Four hundred were in the area when the suburban Detroit-based Masco Corp. bought the company in 2018, out of 700 total employees.
Kichler said in a news release that many employees have worked remotely “with significant success” since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020. The new offices in Solon will include multiple spaces where employees can choose to work, plus a new showroom and areas for workers to quality test and certify products, the release said.
The company, which had operations in Independence for more than 30 years, said it was making the moves “to reposition its business for a dynamic future.”
Kichler Lighting, known formally as L.D. Kichler Co, provides lighting for homes and businesses, as well as ceiling fans and outdoor lighting. The changes come as the company plans to open a new distribution center managed by an outside company in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
News that Kichler was likely moving its operations out of Independence started circulating last week, when the Newmark real estate brokerage firm announced that it was marketing to potential new tenants the building, which has 500,000 square feet of warehouse space and nearly 100,000 square feet of office space. The building is owned by Independence Acquisition Co. of Arizona, led by brothers Dennis and Michael Breen.
Independence Mayor Gregory Kurtz said in a statement that he was disappointed about Kichler’s decision to move from Independence.
“The city will work aggressively with the building owner and broker to attract another high-caliber company to this prime location on East Pleasant Valley Road,” he said.
