History
In 1937, Louis Karzen, the son of Russian immigrants who lived through the Great Depression and believed in The American Dream, founded the Atlas Piano Co. At first, he concentrated on buying and selling reconditioned used pianos. He sold these pianos to dealers as well as directly to consumers after tuning, restring and rebuilding them.In time, Karzen decided to expand his business and changed the name of the company to the Atlas Refinishing Service Company. He believed that a family-owned and operated business offering the finest in old world refinishing techniques for treasured heirlooms and valuable antique furniture at reasonable prices would appeal to Chicagoans. He also offered upholstery repair.
Louis Karzen caught the attention of major insurance companies who used the company’s services for their customers’ refinishing and restoration needs. Because he maintained the integrity of each piece of furniture through hand stripping and the hand application of each customized finish, his reputation grew.
His son, Alan, joined the business and ran it after his father retired. In 2004, he sold the business to pursue other interests. Unable to stay away from a business that is “in his blood,” he has opened Alan Karzen Restoration to renew your furniture and bring it back to life.
