Artone celebrates 50th anniversary | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo: Michael Zabrodsky Artone is located at 1089 Allen St. in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN – Reaching 50 years of existence says a lot about a company.

Artone will hold an open day at its Allen Street headquarters on Friday, from 3pm to 7pm, to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary.

If one entered the second-floor office, they would be greeted by four plaques referring to Artone’s beliefs.

– On time

– In line with budget

– No modifications

– Communication

“We live by this” President Michael Calimeri spoke on the fourth principle. “Communication is really key.”

Michael Calimeri said that regardless of whether a project is going smoothly or not, the company remains in constant contact with the client at every stage of the project.

Executive Vice President Sebastian Calimeri agreed.

“Ultimately, we want to make the client’s vision a reality – turn their vision into reality” Sebastian Calimeri, Michael’s brother.

The company was founded in 1954 when Rosario Calimeri emigrated from Sicily to Jamestown, according to the company’s website, artonemfg.com. A Sicilian furniture apprentice and carpenter by trade, Rosario worked for furniture manufacturers such as Maddox Table and Chase Interiors before deciding to go it alone. Rosario and his wife, Antonietta, spent countless sleepless nights trying to figure out how they could start their own business and give their children a good start. With four children at the time, determination was at an all-time high and an idea was born. The couple started their own company, making music boxes for the music industry, in the basement of Calimeri’s home, according to the website.

Rosario teamed up with his cousin Joseph Trusso and together they created “Artone” a name combining parts of the names of their wives, Arlene and Antonietta. “Common” came from Arlene and “Tone” came from Antonietta (often called “Tony” by Rosario). Although this partnership was brief, the Artone name has survived to this day. The company was founded in January 1971 and registered in January 1974, the year the company recognizes and celebrates, according to its website.

As Michael Calimeri said, Artone’s main area of ​​activity is offering a wide range of hotel supplies (wardrobes, bedside tables, TV stands, bed headboards) and providing services for the hotel industry and recreation centers.

“When we build a hotel, whether it is a renovation or a new construction, every hotel will need upholstered furniture” Added by Michael Calimeri.

Once Artone receives a request for proposal (RFP) from a customer, specifications, costs and materials are reviewed, the quote goes back to the customer and if the customer approves, the order goes back to Artone. Once the order is received, Michael Calimeri said, the order goes into production, which can take 10 to 12 weeks.

“Throughout the period that we create (a product), we assign a dedicated project manager – one person that the customer talks to” said Michael Calimeri.

Sebastian Calimeri said that production times may be longer or shorter, depending on customer decisions.

Artone’s hospitality offering consists of branded packages, boutique hotels, casinos and resorts that form its own Signature Collection, which the company will expand in 2025.

Artone’s current clients include: Wyndham Corporation (Microtel, Wyndham Garden, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Days Inn), Hilton (Tapestry, Hampton Inn, Doubletree), Marriott Incorporated (TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, StudioRes), Disney Resorts (Animal Kingdom Lodge, Coronado Springs), Universal Studios Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls and the latest projects Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort, which are scheduled for completion in 2025.

Local projects include the Doubletree by Hilton located in downtown Jamestown, the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel located in Celoron, the Seneca Allegany located in Salamanca and the Seneca Niagara Casino located in Niagara Falls.

Artone has outgrown its building at 107 Institute St. and moved to 1809 Allen St., a 250,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with more than 100 employees. The company has hired many employees over its 50 years, and Michael Calimeri said reaching the 50th anniversary milestone is very satisfying.

“Supporting families (too) is really key” said Michael Calimeri. “As we look ahead to the next 50 years, we certainly want to leave behind a shared legacy that can continue.”

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