From Brooklyn, to Beacon. How one manufacturer found success in a weekend escape
When Jeremy Pyles accidentally backed his company van into a brand-new Mercedes in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, he knew it was time for a change. Frustrated with the challenges of working and living in New York City―expensive rent, lack of available space, congested streets and a lifestyle constrained by urban confines―Jeremy began actively seeking new opportunities. After renting out a Hudson Valley home with his wife and young children as their “weekend escape,” he found Dutchess County.
Jeremy is the co-founder and CEO of Niche Modern, a luxury lighting company which handcrafts stunning glass fixtures at their headquarters in Beacon, NY. Founded in 2003 as a retail store in New York City’s East Village, the company spent its formative years hopping around the city, including a stint at a warehouse in Brooklyn. After realizing that Niche couldn’t scale up successfully due to Brooklyn’s pricey location and poor logistics infrastructure, Jeremy and company relocated to Dutchess County in 2006.
Celebrating their 15th anniversary— with 10 of those being in Dutchess County—Niche produces their signature modern
lighting in a 20,000 sq. ft. former bronze foundry in Beacon―a creative city where craft manufacturers are flourishing. Due to a growing number of employees, friends and neighbors also relocating from Brooklyn, Jeremy even jokes that Beacon is now nicknamed “NoBro”: the newest New York City neighborhood, just north of Brooklyn.
From chandeliers to pendants to table lamps, Niche Modern products are sold around the globe, with approximately 20 percent directly shipping to international markets. Niche’s work has been featured in top publications like The New York Times, ELLE Décor, Better Homes & Gardens and Dwell.
Regardless of success, the company is still authentically dedicated to the Dutchess community. With a passionate motto of “made, not manufactured,” Niche proudly states that 100 percent of their products are handmade in Beacon, New York.
For more information on expanding or relocating your business to Dutchess County, contact Philip Scarano III, Director of Business Attraction.