Thursday, January 29, 2009

Kichler: Lighting Up Our Lives

By James Gilbert Pynn

The world loves a winner, but lacks the patience to watch practice. The climb to the top is arduous and the marketplace is fickle. So it is that I tip my hat to the indomitable Sam Minoff. In 1954, Mr. Minoff had the gumption to buy a little lighting company in Cleveland, Ohio. The owner of the company, Leonard Kichler, asked Minoff to promise him he would never change the name of his beloved store. Furthermore, Kichler asked his commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction be extended to the customers he worked to please since 1938. With a handshake, Mr. Minoff took on the burden of building a better light bulb. Or at least a better light fixture.

Founded on Kichlers three pillars of honesty, loyalty, and quality, Sam Minoff transformed Kichler Lighting into the world's foremost decorative lighting fixture company. Hard work saw Kichler Lighting earn four ARTS Lighting Manufacturer of the Year awards " a distinct honor in the halogen-warm world of lighting. Furthermore, Mr. Minoff was honored as a member of the Lighting Hall of Fame. Did you not know there was such a distinction? Sam Minoff knows. He is also the inaugural winner of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Minoff is dedicated to family and as such brought his sons, Barry and Roy, into the fold. The company is dedicated to customer care, product value and design excellence. To that end, consumer surveys have consistently put Kichler at the top of the list when it comes to reliability, quality and ease of installation. This customer confidence has turned Kichler into a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Every member of the design team is responsible for creating breathtaking but functional works of art. They are commissioned to travel the globe in search of the latest trends, styles, designs and colors. A Kichler must stand the test of taste and time. To ensure their customers have a panoply of options to choose from, the Minoff family is constantly updating and renovating their inventory, without ever sacrificing quality.

Sam Minoff, by having the courage to take a chance and the character to hold to his principles, has transformed the way we see our homes and ourselves. Kichler Lighting is dedicated to helping young designers (like myself) and do-it-yourselfers infuse their homes and offices with fixtures that will best express your taste, personal style and personality. Contemporary to traditional, casual to urban, Kichler can provide " Sam Minoff and his sons have made sure of that. Excelsior, Sam! - 16738

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