American Christmas part of the MK Illumination family for 6 months
In October 2017, MK Illumination purchased one of North America’s premier holiday lighting and decoration companies, American Christmas. Having American Christmas as part of the MK Illumination family over the last 6 months has been incredibly positive, with new ideas, information and inspiration flowing in both directions, and today we want to share a bit about American Christmas’ history and, of course, some examples of their breath-taking holiday lighting and decoration from their portfolio.
Instantly recognisable
The company is renowned for its holiday decoration solutions, and each year it lights up office lobbies, hotels, flagship retailers and iconic properties across the United States and in cities around the world, including Saks 5th Avenue, the Solow building, the Radio City building, Madison Square Garden, the Rockerfeller Center, and the Cartier building on 5th Avenue in New York, amongst others.
The story behind American Christmas
In 1968 Marvin Schwam was an artist and an entrepreneur who ran a business providing artificial flowers and plants to commercial clients, building the business on the strength of his creative abilities. Shortly after starting, he began offering Christmas decorations to his clients and in 1968 American Christmas was born.
In 1988, Marvin sold the American Christmas brand to his son, Fred, who started as the company’s sole permanent employee with a team of 16 seasonal staff. Fred built the business into the instantly recognisable brand that it is today. American Christmas now has 70 full-time and 200 seasonable employees and is set to grow further in future years.
The future of American Christmas
In 2018, American Christmas celebrates its 50th year in business and will continue to “Make the Magic” in the United States for many years to come. Not only will the company continue to provide commercial holiday decorations, but as part of the MK Illumination family, American Christmas will both sell MK Illumination Products and offer MK Illumination Solutions across the country.
We’re excited about American Christmas, delighted that they’re 50 years old, and we’re looking forward to many successful years ahead.