RETAILOBSERVER.COM NOVEMBER 2017
16
PRIZER WORKS, OWNER OF BLUESTAR
®
& PRIZER HOODS
®
,
TO ACQUIRE PREMIUM KITCHEN HOOD VENTILATION
COMPANY ABBAKA
Prizer Works, owner of BlueStar
®
, manufacturer of high-performance appliances for the
home, and Prizer Hoods
®
, a line of professionally-inspired luxury kitchen hoods, announced it
has agreed to acquire ABBAKA, a leading manufacturer of handcrafted, custom range hoods.
Founded by Vibeke and Frank Paone, the Sonoma California-based ABBAKA has been
designing and manufacturing American-handmade luxury kitchen hoods since 1980 and is a
trusted industry leader.
"ABBAKA has been delivering innovative products to the luxury home ventilation market for
more than 30 years," said Eliza Sheffield, president, BlueStar
®
. "We welcome ABBAKA into
the Prizer family and look forward to working with Vibeke and Frank to leverage their expertise
in the market and drive increased growth."
The ABBAKA brand will remain intact, retaining its name and the leadership of its founders
during the transition, which will focus on driving national growth for the brand. "We are excited
to join forces with the team at Prizer. We expect that, under the Prizer umbrella, ABBAKA will
continue to flourish and meet the needs of our consumers, kitchen designers, and our retail
partners," said Vibeke Paone.
ABBAKA shares Prizer's commitment to handcrafted products, combining the most
technologically advanced U.S. built ventilation systems with cutting-edge hood design and
industry-renowned quiet operation. Each hood is hand-built by master craftsmen, and ABBAKA
is known for its complete custom design engineering, from concept to manufactured hood.
The ABBAKA Original, introduced in 1981, created the market for euro-style kitchen range
hoods and copper range hoods. ABBAKA has continued to lead with new designs and
finishes to adapt to ever changing trends and tastes. "Aesthetics and performance are of equal
value and importance. We believe that a hood should be more than an appliance, that it is an
integral part of the kitchen design," said Frank Paone.
For more than 130 years, Prizer has built a heritage of craftsmanship. In 2002, Prizer
introduced high-performance ranges to the residential market under the BlueStar
®
name as
well as a line of custom kitchen ventilation under the name Prizer Hoods in 2013. Today, the
Pennsylvania-based manufacturer specializes in handcrafted gas ranges, gas and induction
cooktops, electric and gas wall ovens, kitchen ventilation hoods, and premium built-in
refrigeration.
NOVEMBER
I N D U S T RY [ N E W S ]
