Christopher Radko
EducationColumbia University (BA)
Occupation(s)Designer, businessman
Known forFounding the eponymous Christmas ornaments brand

Christopher Radko is an American businessman and designer known for starting the eponymous Christmas ornaments business.[1][2] He is called the "Czar of the Christmas Present" by The New York Times and the "Ornament King'' by the Chicago Tribune.[1][3][4]

Biography

Radko grew up in Scarsdale, New York,[5] the son of two doctors.[6] He skipped his senior year of high school and started college at 16. He graduated from Columbia University in 1981.[7]

Out of college, Radko first worked as a mailroom clerk at ICM Partners.[1] In 1984, his family's 14-foot Christmas tree crashed to the ground, taking his family's heirloom of 2,000 exquisite, mouth-blown European glass ornaments with it.[1][8] Unable to find replacements of the ornaments, Radko started his own ornaments business and sourced the ornaments from Polish craftsmen that he met on a trip.[9] He sold $25,000 worth of ornaments during his first year by visiting door-to-door to Manhattan retailers on his lunch hour. His earliest customers included celebrities such as Katharine Hepburn, Woody Allen, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Whoopi Goldberg and Bruce Springsteen,[5] and he was invited to design mantel displays for the White House and to decorate the Vice President Al Gore's residence.[1] By 1997, Radko saw his company sales totaling $50 million.[1]

He sold his business to Rauch Industries in 2005.[10] In 2022, he won a legal challenge against Rauch Industries to use his name for his new line of original ornaments.[11] He originally signed a non-competition agreement with Rauch that expired as of August 15, 2021, but the company filed a motion to prohibit Radko from using his name in association with his new company.[11]

Radko is of Polish descent.[12] He lives in Westchester County, New York.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Burros, Marian (1997-12-11). "TREE TRIMMING WITH: Christopher Radko; The Czar Of Christmas Present". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  2. ^ Boulware, Jack (2000-05-05). San Francisco Bizarro: A Guide to Notorious Sites, Lusty Pursuits, and Downright Freakiness in the City by the Bay. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-20671-0.
  3. ^ "The Ornament King rises to a holiday table challenge". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  4. ^ Sullivan, Kathleen (2004-12-10). "Devoted collectors flock to Union Square to meet ornament king". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  5. ^ a b "The Ornament King". The Highlands Current. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  6. ^ Ames, Lynne (1995-12-24). "Ornament Designer Seized the Moment". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  7. ^ "Making Holidays Sparkle". www.college.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  8. ^ "Fun facts to know and tell: Why did Christopher Radko go into the Christmas-ornament biz?". Twin Cities. 2014-11-22. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  9. ^ Ward, Alyson (2004-12-24). "Christopher Radko brings back Shiny-Brite memories". Chron. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  10. ^ "Legacy Ornament Artist Returns to Gift Industry". Gifts & Decorative Accessories. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  11. ^ a b "Artist Christopher Radko Wins Legal Challenge Over Name". Gifts & Decorative Accessories. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  12. ^ Cook, Alison (2001-12-19). "Christopher Radko, the man who super-sized Christmas". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
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