Page 37 - Lighting Magazine September 2018

an additional building in Westport for the manu- facturing side of the business, keeping the rst location as a showroom to the public run by Joan, who became similarly thrilled with lighting.
Crystorama had grown so much that Kleinberg was traveling twice a year to Barcelona and Milan to bring over lighting xtures. “Expanding from the crystal category was di cult,” he says of the shi in consumer tastes over the decades. “You have to have a mind for what the customer is looking for and what they want,” he remarks. Fortunately, keeping pace with trends is something he and his family have excelled in.
InstIllIng Values
The Kleinberg children – Brian, Brad, and Nancy – grew up appreciating their parents’ diligent work ethic, much as Kleinberg had admired his own fa- ther’s gumption. “My father was a roofer, who also sold newspapers on the street on weekends. He always worked very hard, and when I would come along with him [on weekends], he’d buy me a hot chocolate.”
When each of the children were grown, they joined the family’s companies: Brad came to Crys- torama, followed by Nancy, while Brian opted for the showroom in Carl Place. Mirroring their par- ents’ hard work, each child has ourished in their chosen endeavor, contributing signi cantly to the bo om line.
“It was an adventure.
I bought [component parts] from all over and then hired an employee
to put the xtures – primarily crystal – together. I delivered those xtures in my Chevy all over Manha an, Brooklyn, and New Jersey.”
“They watched the way I worked, and how hard I worked,” Kleinberg notes. “They saw it was a seven-day-a-week job.” Kleinberg would also take each of his children, one on one, to Europe with him for buying trips so they could experience what was involved.
Re ecting on the company’s 60th year, “It has been beyond belief how the company has evolved,” Kleinberg states. “We are so proud of how they’ve grown the business.”
In time, Kleinberg gi ed the company to his chil- dren, but he still comes in to work ve days a week. “My wife and I like working. I still do some account- ing work for Crystorama and I enjoy calling up reps to congratulate them on their success and calling customers to thank them for their business.”
Their customers have become good friends of the Kleinberg family. “I love this industry and I love the people in it,” he comments. 
top: The Kleinberg family (from le to right): Brad, Joan, Abe, Nancy, and Brian.
left: Nancy cuts
the rst piece of
the birthday cake celebrating her father’s 90th birthday at the Crystorama showroom in January, where he was surrounded by customers, reps, and his peers at a festive party.
SepteMber 2018 | enLIGHTenment Magazine 35