California Closets
California Closets is a manufacturer of custom closets and storage solutions for homes.[3][4][5] 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. FirstService Brands is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation.
Type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Retail, Manufacturing |
Founded | Woodland Hills, California (1978) |
Founder | Neil Balter |
Headquarters | Richmond, California, United States |
Number of locations | 155 [1] |
Key people | Bill Barton (President & CEO)[2] |
Products | Organization Products, Storage Solutions, Custom Closets |
Parent | FirstService |
Website | www.californiaclosets.com |
History
California Closets was founded in 1978 by Neil Balter. Balter started the business after putting shelves in a friend's closet.[6] The company redesigns closets with new racks, shelves, drawers and baskets of various sizes and shapes. The parts are assembled at a factory and installed in a few hours.[7]
The franchise business grew as Balter was featured on Good Morning America, Today, Geraldo Rivera and the Oprah Winfrey show.[6]
In 1990, the company was purchased by Williams-Sonoma, Inc.. In 1994, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. sold California Closets.[8]
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. [9]
References
- https://www.californiaclosets.com/locations/
- https://www.fsvbrands.com/our_story/bio_william_barton.html
- Huen, Eustacia. "10 Hottest Products For A Luxury Green Home". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
- "California Closets will invest $5.7M in West Michigan with 61 new jobs". MLive.com. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
- "Marketing sales closet maker launches vr experience". www.builderonline.com. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
- Enna, David (November 18, 1989). "Closet Millionaire Earns Riches In Custom Storage". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
- 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.
- 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.
- Goodman, Jennifer (2017-10-24). "Closet Maker Launches VR Experience". Builder. Retrieved 2020-05-11.