Longtime lighting exec Leonard Schwartz dies | Home Accents Today

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — Longtime lighting govt Leonard Schwartz, who was employed by WAC Lighting for greater than three many years, has died.

Schwartz began his lighting profession as a manufacturing unit consultant for Lightolier within the late Nineteen Fifties. Quickly thereafter, he went to work as a salesman for Electrical Distributing Firm (EDCO) in San Antonio, Texas, the place he realized the enterprise and ultimately bought the corporate, in accordance with an obituary written by WAC.

On the similar time, he established Southwest Lighting to provide a few of his personal lighting merchandise for resale, WAC stated. He then offered EDCO and focused on manufacturing. Southwest Lighting was mixed with Eagle Lighting earlier than changing into American Lantern. When American Lantern was winding down operations, Schwartz shaped a rep enterprise, Leonard M. Schwartz and Associates.

Schwartz owned and operated his rep enterprise for a number of years earlier than promoting the corporate to pay attention full-time on his work for WAC, the place he was employed for greater than 30 years, serving as an govt vice chairman of gross sales and advertising and marketing, gross sales consultant and guide.

“Leonard was one of many most interesting males I ever met. A gentleman in each sense of the phrase, he was very beneficiant, type, and extremely profitable in his private {and professional} life,” stated WAC Lighting founder Tony Wang. “He was instrumental in serving to our household construct WAC into the business chief it has change into right this moment.”

“Leonard meant a lot to so many people,” stated Shelley Wald, co-CEO of WAC Lighting with Dirk Wald. “He all the time impressed folks and had an excellent present for seeing one of the best in everybody. By his instance, he helped folks aspire to be higher. We’ll sorely miss his affected person empathy, fierce friendship and generosity of spirit.”

Schwartz is survived by his daughters Beverly Weiser and Joann Raby. His son Hal Schwartz, and grandchildren Sam and Renee, proceed to characterize WAC and its affiliated manufacturers. Along with Sam and Renee, he’s additionally survived by seven different grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.