Montréal Lighting & Hardware Acquires The Rug District

The renowned showroom in Québec has added new categories by acquiring and rebranding a respected ecomm business.  

The year 2026 is off to a great start for award-winning Montréal Lighting & Hardware. The company has added several categories to its product assortment with the recent acquisition of ecommerce brand The Rug District and has just transitioned to new leadership within the family business.

Montréal Lighting & Hardware was established in 2013 by the brother-and-sister team of Fred (Freddie) and Andrée Naimer, who grew up in the industry. At the end of December 2025, Fred retired from the company as president, and his son Daniel – who has held a variety of roles in the business over the past decade from sales manager to vp/operations – has taken the reins as president. Simultaneously, Fred’s nephew, Jonathan Shadowitz – who has served as the showroom’s director/business development for the past five years –  is now executive vice president. Both are now partners in the business.

Continuing the showroom’s storied reputation for forging a forward-thinking path – particularly in visual merchandising and category expansion – Naimer and Shadowitz have just announced this strategic acquisition this week.

A widely recognized name, The Rug District offers a wide selection of top rug brands segmented by room type, size, color and specialized categories such as washable and Made in America. Founded in 2008, The Rug District has evolved from its initial rug focus to become a complete resource for home décor products.

The acquisition gives Montréal Lighting & Hardware a larger product assortment for customers to choose from. “We’re growing our channels so we can offer more,” Shadowitz noted, adding, “We [now] have lighting, décor, cabinet hardware, towels and linens, plus an extensive collection of bath accessories.”

The opportunity to acquire The Rug District came up rather organically. Naimer and Shadowitz had been looking to enter more areas of home décor to grow their business and The Rug District’s ownership was looking to make a change. Incorporating area rugs and other products from The Rug District into lifestyle vignettes throughout Montréal Lighting & Hardware’s showroom is an additional benefit that boosts both businesses.

Aside from the visual merchandising crossover, the two companies will operate more or less independently. For example, there is no mention of The Rug District on Montréal Lighting & Hardware’s website and vice versa. The buying team for The Rug District will remain separate, as opposed to merging with the buying team for the lighting showroom.

The only difference that previous Rug District customers will notice is a fresh new look for the company’s branding and logo, and its website aesthetic has more consumer-friendly lifestyle settings, graphics, and improved ease of ordering.

The leadership transition at Montréal Lighting & Hardware has also been seamless for customers. In a LinkedIn post announcing his new position, Naimer stated, “I owe my deepest thanks to Fred and Andrée Naimer for teaching me everything I know. Their guidance and values continue to influence how I lead, and I look forward to their continued advice as I move ahead. Montreal Lighting & Hardware has a strong foundation [that was] built over the past 13 years. I look forward to growing that foundation alongside my partner, Jonathan Shadowitz, and our incredible team for many years to come. Together, we will continue to serve customers across Canada with the same care and standards that define our company.”