California Closets

Last updated
California Closets
Type Subsidiary
Industry Retail, Manufacturing
Founded Woodland Hills, California (1978)
FounderNeil Balter
Headquarters Richmond, California, United States
Number of locations
155 [1]
Key people
Charlie Chase (President & CEO)
ProductsOrganization Products, Storage Solutions[ buzzword ], Custom Closets
Parent FirstService   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Website www.californiaclosets.com

California Closets is a manufacturer of custom closets and storage for homes. [2] The company provides its products through its showrooms franchising business systems in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic. As of October 21, 1998, California Closet Company, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of FirstService Brands Inc..

Contents

History

California Closets was founded in 1978 by Neil Balter. Balter started the business after putting shelves in a friend's closet. [3] The company redesigns closets with new racks, shelves, drawers and baskets of various sizes and shapes. [4]

The franchise business grew as Balter was featured on various shows including Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show. [3]

In 1990, the company was purchased by Williams-Sonoma, Inc. In 1994, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. sold California Closets. [5]

In 1998 FirstService Corporation acquired California Closets as a subsidiary. Today, FirstService Corporation continues to acquire franchised operations within its California Closets franchise system.

In 2017, the company began to incorporate virtual reality (VR) technology for clients to envision design projects in their homes. [6]

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References

  1. "Locations | Closet Designers".
  2. Huen, Eustacia. "10 Hottest Products For A Luxury Green Home". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  3. 1 2 Enna, David (November 18, 1989). "Closet Millionaire Earns Riches In Custom Storage". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  4. APODACA, Patrice. "Closing the Closet : Management: Neil Balter, the reorganizing Wunderkind, has left Williams-Sonoma before his 5-year contract expired". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  5. APODACA, PATRICE (1992-05-12). "Closing the Closet : Management: Neil Balter, the reorganizing Wunderkind, has left Williams-Sonoma before his 5-year contract expired". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  6. Goodman, Jennifer (2017-10-24). "Closet Maker Launches VR Experience". Builder. Archived from the original on 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2020-05-11.