Washington — Calumet Photographic, the 14-store digital imaging chain, is rebranding the three Washington, D.C.-area Penn Camera locations it acquired last year.
The retailer is renaming the stores Calumet and will similarly rebrand the PennPrints website.
Calumet purchased the locations in February 2012 after Penn filed for bankruptcy. Chicago-based Calumet said it has worked diligently to continue the legacy of the 60-year-old Beltway business, including retaining the imaging operation and appointing founding-family member Brian Zweig as regional sales manager.
Calumet has similarly appointed former Ritz Camera staffers to store and headquarters posts after acquiring several Ritz locations in a bankruptcy sale.
“Through the acquisition of the Metro D.C. Penn Camera stores, Calumet has not only been able to extend its footprint in the area, but also its knowledge base by adding imaging destinations to its service offerings,” said Calumet president/CEO Brian Carroll. “These three stores have become some of our top locations in the Calumet family, and we are excited that local customers consider us their photography destination of choice.”
“It’s been exciting to introduce the Calumet brand to my hometown,” added Zweig, the last remaining family member in the industry. “The Penn Camera company, much like the Calumet organization, recognizes the importance of not only selling the right product mix, but equally important, staffing the stores with photography experts … That is what distinguishes Calumet from a mass merchandiser.”
Calumet also operates 17 locations in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
