In response to a shutdown of the Candlelight Cabinetry manufacturing facility on Michigan Street, 3rd Ward Alderman Rowland O’Malley said he has reached out to the owner to see what can be done to get its employees back to work.
O’Malley said he arranged a Thursday lunch meeting with company co-owner Andrew Olsen and representatives of the Niagara County Legislature, Niagara County Industrial Development Agency and the offices of state Sen. Rob Ortt and U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney.
Olsen did not attend the meeting, however. Via text sent hours later, O’Malley said, Olsen stated he was “tied up in Rochester” and couldn’t get to Lockport in time.
O’Malley said he’s hopeful Olsen will keep local officials in the loop about Candlelight Cabinetry’s status — which, a week earlier, had been portrayed to him by the plant manager as a temporary closure with “seasonal layoffs” implemented. Between 120 and 150 employees are affected, he added.
Also, on Thursday, on his Senate Facebook page, Ortt posted a message to Candlelight Cabinetry employees: “The issues that workers have been facing regarding this business have come to our attention and our offices have been in touch with the Department of Labor. We encourage employees to reach out to our office for assistance with DOL inquiries or with any concerns you have through this process. The DOL has resources available, including Workforce Development, Worker Protection, Unemployment Insurance, and Fraud Inquiries.”
Word of layoffs and halted production at Candlelight Cabinetry began circulating in the community around Jan. 22. Complaints about employees not being paid for their time worked, or their benefits not being available, soon followed.
Earlier this week, the Union-Sun & Journal interviewed two employees who both said they had been “furloughed” indefinitely, one on Jan. 22 and the other, a manager, on Jan. 29.
The one who was furloughed first said that as of Feb. 2, his final week’s pay still had not shown up in his bank account, although it was due to be deposited on Jan. 29.
As of Wednesday, the state labor department had not received a notice of closure from Candlelight Cabinetry or any complaints from employees concerning owed pay or benefits, Public Information Specialist Okoye Davis told the US&J via email.
Olsen has not replied to several emails sent by the Union-Sun & Journal since Jan. 27 seeking information about the business’s current status and future.
Olsen and Candlelight Cabinetry OpCo LLC are being sued by at least six creditors, who together are seeking more than $6.5 million for loans taken in 2025, according to Buffalo Business First. The suits were filed between September and January, in Erie, Kings and Nassau counties.
Andrew and Samantha Olsen acquired Candlelight Cabinetry in 2023. Andrew Olsen is the managing partner of Cotton Bay Corp., a holding company that acquired Indiana-based Haas Cabinets and North Carolina-based ValenDrawers in 2024.
In Indiana, according to law.com, the original Haas Cabinet Co. filed suit against Haas Cabinet OpCo and Cotton Bay Building Products on Jan. 8, over nonpayment of a restructured $1.6 million debt.