Governor Hochul Announces Re-Opening of Lockport Cabinet Factory Through Acquisition by Candlelight Curated Inc.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the newly formed Candlelight Curated Inc. has officially acquired the operating assets of the former Candlelight Cabinetry facility in Lockport. The facility, located at 24 Michigan Street, went into foreclosure following sudden financial distress under its previous management, which led to a complete manufacturing shutdown and whole staff layoffs. A joint partnership between three local investors - Aaron Santarosa, Peter Demakos and Jon Ebel - and Quebec-based manufacturer Cuisine Idéale will invest $11 million to modernize the site, immediately restoring 100 skilled manufacturing jobs that were lost during a sudden shutdown in January 2026.

"This is outstanding news for Lockport and the entire Western New York workforce," Governor Hochul said. "The re-opening of a shuttered business is a major victory, especially when it puts 100 talented people back to work while actively upgrading regional manufacturing infrastructure. This targeted investment helps secure the future of custom cabinet making in Lockport and advances the overall economic momentum of the region."

The historic plant previously employed roughly 170 people before ongoing operational and lender disputes forced operations to halt, stranding unfulfilled vendor orders. Candlelight Curated Inc. acquired the factory's operating assets via a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) foreclosure sale and is mobilizing an immediate restart. The new ownership group's $11 million capital deployment strategy will target structural renovations and the integration of precision manufacturing machinery. These expanded capabilities are designed to blend traditional custom craftsmanship with automated industrial efficiencies to capture new market opportunities across the East Coast.

Candlelight Curated Inc. CEO Peter Demakos said, "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."

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. These credits will offset substantial deferred capital maintenance and vital equipment overhauls.

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Governor Hochul's strategic support is successfully re-opening a critical Lockport facility and returning 100 highly skilled manufacturing workers to a stable payroll. ESD remains deeply committed to fostering an economic climate where advanced manufacturers can scale, and we look forward to watching this facility thrive under the vision of Candlelight Curated's new leadership."

State Senator Robert Ortt said, "By investing in Candlelight Cabinetry and our local workforce, we are positively impacting those directly employed, in addition to their families and the local community. I am grateful that we have a group of investors who recognize the importance of this business in our community and who have committed first and foremost to doing right by the workers. This group saved a well-established company and dozens of jobs, and moved quickly to do so - keeping reliable, good-paying jobs here in Niagara County."

Niagara County Legislator Rick Abbott said, "This is tremendous news that resulted from state and county officials working hand in hand with the private sector to bring in a new ownership group and I specifically want to thank our Economic Development Commissioner Andrea Klyczek and the team at the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency for their hard work. The great workforce at Candlelight Cabinetry has had to deal with a lot of uncertainty, but now they move forward knowing they have a secure future with this new group in place."

About Empire State Development

Empire State Development is New York's chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state's 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state's world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.