Page 58 - Lighting Magazine November 2019

UNDER
THE
RADAR
On Liberty’s factory floor on Long Island, quality craftsmanship and attention to detail are paramount to the company’s success and longevity.
56 enLIGHTenment magazine | november 2019
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past generations. “We got an offer we couldn’t refuse [to sell our building],” Zuckerwise jokes. Rather than retire and close the business, David and his brother, Peter, made the decision to enter a new company phase. They decided that David would take on full ownership as President and Pe- ter would step back to focus on handling the sales side. Simultaneously, they would move the office and factory – complete with CNC machines – to a convenient part of Long Island.
Finding skilled labor since the move hasn’t been a problem. After a large employer in the aerospace industry left Long Island, there was a lot of skilled
labor without jobs. “If I need a high-tech CNC programmer, finding one nearby is easy. It’s not something I lose sleep over,” Zuckerwise remarks.
Then again, Liberty Brass has never had difficul- ty filling positions. “Some of my employees have been with me for 20 years or more,” he relates, adding, “We have had multiple generations work- ing here as well.” In fact, Zuckerwise’s daughter is currently working in the Customer Service de- partment, becoming the fourth generation to join the family business.
“I think my grandfather would be pleased with how the company is today,” he comments. “When I joined my dad (Jack) in the business, there were so many things that we didn’t do...like nickel- plating, for example.” At David’s urging, his father agreed that expanding the company’s capabilities was important for keeping the company moving forward.
As it has been since the beginning when Zucker- wise’s grandfather, Max, established the business in the 1930s, lighting has always been the largest clientele. [Max Zuckerwise got his start in lighting, distributing a kit that enabled homeowners to convert their homes from gas lighting to electrical lighting in the late 1920s.]
Over the ensuing years, other categories such as military work, instrumentation, ornamental hardware and parts, novelty items, candle (hold- ers), elevators, construction nuts, and fasteners