Levolor

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Levolor logo

Levolor is an American manufacturer of custom window blinds and shades,[1][2] as well as stock blinds and shades.

History[edit]

The company was founded in 1914 in Hoboken, New Jersey by Hans K. Lorentzen, (June 23, 1887 – January 17, 1974) a Danish immigrant who originally started out as a tool and die maker.[3] Considered the Henry Ford of the window blinds industry, Lorentzen introduced the concepts of standardization, vertical integration, metal manufacturing and assembly lines.[4] In 1993, Levolor was acquired by Newell (known today as Newell Brands).[5] In July 2016, Levolor was sold to Hunter Douglas, a Dutch custom window blind manufacturer, for US$260 million.[6]

Locations[edit]

Levolor is headquartered in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, and has operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China.[4] As of 2016, the company had approximately 2600 employees.[6] Levolor products are sold through a number of major retailers including Home Depot, Lowe's, JCPenney, and RONA, as well as independent dealers and stores.

In Popular Culture[edit]

The rock band Veruca Salt wrote a song titled 'Number One Blind' singing the company name in the chorus. The song is about window blinds keeping the sun away, making it difficult to know what time of day it is.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Behind the Blinds at Levolor, New York Times, Alison Leigh Cowan, 15 May 1988
  2. ^ BUSINESS PEOPLE; Levolor Gets New Head From an Air Courier, New York Times, 20 June 1988
  3. ^ Hans Lorentzen Dies at 86; Pioneer in Window Blinds New York Times 18 January 1974
  4. ^ a b "About Levolor". Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Our History - Newell Brands". Newell Brands. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b "HUNTER DOUGLAS TO ACQUIRE LEVOLOR FROM NEWELL RUBBERMAID". Hunter Douglas. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

External links[edit]