February 13, 2023
Weekend Fire Damages Luxxbox’s U.S. Headquarters
Fire Chief cites likely "total loss". Company pivots and asserts "business as usual."
Sonoma’s The Press Democrat reported that a building that caught fire shortly after business hours on Friday is likely a “total loss” given structural damage caused by the intensity of the burn, Schell-Vista Fire Chief Ray Mulas said Sunday morning. He added that fire investigators have ruled out arson as a cause. The the 15,000-square foot Sonoma Valley warehouse is the North American headquarters for architectural lighting company, Luxxbox.
Luxxbox, is an Australian-based company that is best known in the U.S. for its acoustical luminaires. Company co-founder and Director of Marketing, Kara Chiconi, informed inside.lighting that "There is no question the fire is devastating but as more information comes to light we've been surprised by how much is salvageable to allow us to continue manufacturing. We are fortunate to be a dual-site manufacturer so it means no downtime for our production, which is good news for our team of local employees."
Chiconi went on to explain:
"Fortunately the factory affected isn't our only space in Sonoma so we will be continuing to make products in the US. For the few processes that we can't undertake, our full manufacturing facility in Australia will provide support as it always has."
In November, Chiconi told Australian newspaper, The Courier-Mail, that the US market makes up 80 percent of the company’s revenue, which necessitated the opening of the new factory in Sonoma, California. “It is basically a mirror of our Brisbane factory to help sustain our growth in the US,” she said.
Luxxbox asserts “Business as Usual”
Given the recent setback, Luxxbox is communicating to its network of U.S. and Canada manufacturers’ representatives to keep them updated on company status and capabilities. Chiconi asserts, “Due to our dual-sites we can cover production so we don't envisage any disruption to current or future orders. The fire may seem like a major setback but really other than moving pieces behind the scenes it's business as usual for reps and customers.”
