Juniper Restores, Relocates to 100-Year-Old Connecticut Factory

| Southington, CT - February 17, 2022 | Juniper, the acclaimed lighting design and manufacturing studio, has completed the restoration of a historic mill building in central Connecticut as its new headquarters. The 20,000-square-foot facility quadruples the space that Juniper had occupied in its previous Brooklyn location, and it will house the company’s management, manufacturing, design, and distribution operations. The move not only represents a milestone in Juniper’s fast, yet highly deliberate growth but also contributes vitally to the ongoing revitalization of American manufacturing.

Juniper’s values of innovation and craftsmanship informed its conservation and modernization of the structure, which originally opened in 1926 as a tool factory. Juniper CEO Shant Madjarian had commissioned the project’s concept and schematic designs from the visionary designer Marc Thorpe at Marc Thorpe Design. In fully updating the building’s systems, local builders replaced more than 40 deteriorated timber beams and floodproofed the building against the adjacent Quinnipiac River.  

Madjarian notes that the reuse of an industrial-era building aligns with the material efficiency in Juniper’s own products, which the company refers to as purposeful reduction. The Southington, Connecticut headquarters is outfitted with select lighting installations of its iconic THIN, Axis, and Metropolis systems to celebrate the dialogue between the historic building and contemporary design. 

In its former Brooklyn headquarters, Madjarian says, rising rents and space constraints forced the company to rely on third-party suppliers, while zoning restrictions prevented Juniper from overseeing the products’ finishing stages directly. “Juniper grew very quickly, which we believe is a testament to our product vision and commitment to quality. It became evident that we needed a larger facility, so we could bring our capabilities in house for complete control over production.” 

The search for a new headquarters extended as far as New York’s Adirondacks region and Rhode Island. Madjarian and his colleagues were drawn to the tool factory’s architectural character, which is distinguished by deeply inset bays, brick corbelling, and a delicately layered cornice fabricated from granite gneiss quarried nearby. Connecticut’s economic history also resonated deeply with the Juniper team: in Southington itself, local milling, button manufacturing, and brass casting significantly predate 1793, a year that is often cited as the start of American industrialization. Madjarian expanded the Juniper workforce by 136 percent as part of the company’s move, and entry-level wage exceeds Connecticut’s base pay by approximately 25 percent which includes generous benefits packages. 

In response to the offshoring of industrial jobs, Connecticut has actively engaged in economic revitalization efforts since the early 2000s. Juniper’s relocation to Southington prompted town officials to extend tax abatements to multiple sites that have manufacturing potential. Connecticut also tapped the statewide Manufacturing Innovation Fund to support any state-of-the-art equipment needs. The facility includes a full CNC machine shop, heated paint booth, submersion finishing equipment, polishing room, welding and fabrication center, and a testing and innovation lab.  

Juniper’s investment, as well as its revived headquarters building, have been embraced by community members. Upon visiting the Southington facility, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont praised Juniper for its advanced vision. The company has also forged a meaningful partnership with the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA.

About Juniper
Juniper is an American design and manufacturing studio dedicated to producing thoughtful, refined, and meticulously crafted luxury lighting solutions. With a newly built NYC showroom and factory in Connecticut, each piece is developed and produced locally, from start to finish. Inspired by a philosophy of purposeful reduction, Juniper products reflect a commitment to craftsmanship and organic simplicity. At the core of their work is the belief that form and function are inextricable, and that the beauty of distinctive design relies on innovation and detailing just below the surface.