Halloween costume maker Rubies II to lay off 96 workers, move from Bay Shore
Rubies II filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors in April 2020. The costume business is laying off 96 workers this December. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Halloween costume manufacturer and distributor Rubies II LLC plans to close its Bay Shore facility and relocate operations, laying off 96 workers, according to state filings.
Rubies II, formerly Rubie’s Costume Co., said in a state WARN filing it would be relocating its business from 145 Candlewood Rd. to an undisclosed location. The facility is slated to close by Dec. 31, according to the state.
Officials with the costume company did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment on the move.
Rubies’ local manufacturing and distribution work has largely left Long Island for states like Wisconsin, South Carolina and Arizona in recent years. The company has historically had its corporate headquarters in Westbury and its sales headquarters in Melville.
The company, founded in 1951, started as a candy and novelty shop in Queens before moving into costume manufacturing in the late 1970s. Rubies secures license agreements from entertainment companies like Disney and Marvel to make costumes of popular characters from film and television.
In April 2020, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. At the time, the company said it was struggling financially due to a decline in customers, the impact of COVID-19, and the insolvency of some of its trading partners, according to court documents.
Months later, longtime owners, the Beige family, sold the business for roughly $133 million, brought on additional investors and changed the firm’s name to Rubies II.
Rubies II is a collaboration between Joel Weinshanker, chairman of the National Entertainment Collectibles Association Inc., a maker of toys and collectibles; investment advisory firm Atalaya; and the Beige family as minority stakeholders.
Separately, the state also published a filing showing that Smiling Logistics, of Shirley, an Amazon delivery service partner, closed its operations Sept. 13, laying off 74 workers.
Officials with Smiling did not respond to requests for comment.
Amazon, which operates the delivery station Smiling Logistics was based at, delivered packages for the global e-commerce giant on the Island until Sept. 12.
Amazon said it had already onboarded many of the impacted workers to other local delivery partners and would continue to connect laid off drivers with others.
WARN, the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, requires that companies with at least 50 full-time employees file a notice of a mass layoff or a closing 90 days in advance.
Halloween costume manufacturer and distributor Rubies II LLC plans to close its Bay Shore facility and relocate operations, laying off 96 workers, according to state filings.
Rubies II, formerly Rubie’s Costume Co., said in a state WARN filing it would be relocating its business from 145 Candlewood Rd. to an undisclosed location. The facility is slated to close by Dec. 31, according to the state.
Officials with the costume company did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment on the move.
Rubies’ local manufacturing and distribution work has largely left Long Island for states like Wisconsin, South Carolina and Arizona in recent years. The company has historically had its corporate headquarters in Westbury and its sales headquarters in Melville.
The company, founded in 1951, started as a candy and novelty shop in Queens before moving into costume manufacturing in the late 1970s. Rubies secures license agreements from entertainment companies like Disney and Marvel to make costumes of popular characters from film and television.
In April 2020, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. At the time, the company said it was struggling financially due to a decline in customers, the impact of COVID-19, and the insolvency of some of its trading partners, according to court documents.
Months later, longtime owners, the Beige family, sold the business for roughly $133 million, brought on additional investors and changed the firm’s name to Rubies II.
Rubies II is a collaboration between Joel Weinshanker, chairman of the National Entertainment Collectibles Association Inc., a maker of toys and collectibles; investment advisory firm Atalaya; and the Beige family as minority stakeholders.
Separately, the state also published a filing showing that Smiling Logistics, of Shirley, an Amazon delivery service partner, closed its operations Sept. 13, laying off 74 workers.
Officials with Smiling did not respond to requests for comment.
Amazon, which operates the delivery station Smiling Logistics was based at, delivered packages for the global e-commerce giant on the Island until Sept. 12.
Amazon said it had already onboarded many of the impacted workers to other local delivery partners and would continue to connect laid off drivers with others.
WARN, the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, requires that companies with at least 50 full-time employees file a notice of a mass layoff or a closing 90 days in advance.
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