Scalamandre Opens for Business at D&D Building in New York
February 25, 2004
NEW YORK РScalamandr̩, the pre-eminent luxury home furnishings house, opened its New York showroom in October at the D&D Building's new five-story annex.
Scalamandre CEO Mark Bitter said the company moved from its five-story Third Avenue townhouse since it could not accommodate Scalamandre's six-year fiscal growth spurt. He attributed the company's success to a sharp focus on product design and aggressive marketing.
Scalamandr̩ commissioned Gensler Architects Рthe firm that designed Burberry's flagship store here and the Times Square Toys 'R' Us Рto design the 10,000-square-foot, three-level showroom. Renowned New York interior designer Greg Jordan Рwho has created an upholstered furniture collection for Scalamandre Рdesigned the showroom's interior.
''Needless to say, we are very excited about the move,'' said Mark Bitter, Scalamandre CEO. ''The D&D Building is the hub of design in New York, if not the world, and we are delighted to return to the building.'' Scalamandré occupied the ground floor of the D&D Building thirty years ago.
The move to the D&D Building comes as Scalamandré approaches its 75th anniversary in 2004. In 1929 Italian immigrant Franco Scalamandré founded the firm with the purchase of a mill in Long Island City with a $5,000.00 down payment and a $95,000.00 mortgage. The mill has remained a design and manufacturing hub to this day.
The company grew quickly and steadily, specializing in the luxury interiors market and accruing such high-profile clients as William Randolph Hearst, Jacqueline Kennedy and Christopher Boshears, interior designer for John Travlota, Kelly Preston, Woody Harrelson and Kirstie Alley.
Scalamandre has also restored an array of glamorous interiors including The White House, the Metropolitan Opera House, The Hearst Castle, The Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Gracie Mansion and the United States Treasury Department.
Though rumors abound that the company has been shopping for a buyer, Scalamandre spokesperson Paulette Smyth insisted that the Bitter family – direct descendents of Franco Scalamandre – plans to retain the company.
"With the move to the D&D building, Scalamandré turns the page on a new chapter for our company," Bitter said. "With our incredible legacy, we look forward to another 75 years of carrying on the Scalamandré tradition."
Scalamandre CEO Mark Bitter said the company moved from its five-story Third Avenue townhouse since it could not accommodate Scalamandre's six-year fiscal growth spurt. He attributed the company's success to a sharp focus on product design and aggressive marketing.
Scalamandr̩ commissioned Gensler Architects Рthe firm that designed Burberry's flagship store here and the Times Square Toys 'R' Us Рto design the 10,000-square-foot, three-level showroom. Renowned New York interior designer Greg Jordan Рwho has created an upholstered furniture collection for Scalamandre Рdesigned the showroom's interior.
''Needless to say, we are very excited about the move,'' said Mark Bitter, Scalamandre CEO. ''The D&D Building is the hub of design in New York, if not the world, and we are delighted to return to the building.'' Scalamandré occupied the ground floor of the D&D Building thirty years ago.
The move to the D&D Building comes as Scalamandré approaches its 75th anniversary in 2004. In 1929 Italian immigrant Franco Scalamandré founded the firm with the purchase of a mill in Long Island City with a $5,000.00 down payment and a $95,000.00 mortgage. The mill has remained a design and manufacturing hub to this day.
The company grew quickly and steadily, specializing in the luxury interiors market and accruing such high-profile clients as William Randolph Hearst, Jacqueline Kennedy and Christopher Boshears, interior designer for John Travlota, Kelly Preston, Woody Harrelson and Kirstie Alley.
Scalamandre has also restored an array of glamorous interiors including The White House, the Metropolitan Opera House, The Hearst Castle, The Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Gracie Mansion and the United States Treasury Department.
Though rumors abound that the company has been shopping for a buyer, Scalamandre spokesperson Paulette Smyth insisted that the Bitter family – direct descendents of Franco Scalamandre – plans to retain the company.
"With the move to the D&D building, Scalamandré turns the page on a new chapter for our company," Bitter said. "With our incredible legacy, we look forward to another 75 years of carrying on the Scalamandré tradition."
