[6] In 1983, the founders started a business making ceramic goods under the name Victoria and Richard MacKenzie Childs, Ltd.[7] After the registration lapsed, the company was registered as MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. in 1997.
In 2000, MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following financial difficulties including a $15.3 million debt to BSB Bank & Trust,[8] a 25 to 55 percent price increase, an expensive advertising campaign, and two long-term leases for unopened retail locations on Rodeo Drive and Madison Avenue.
[9][10] Since the founders of the company still owed a debt to BSB Bank & Trust, Rowland offered Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs $10 million contingent upon a non-compete agreement.
In 2008, Rowland sold the company to Lee Feldman and Howard Cohen, partners at the Twin Lakes Capital equity firm based in Rochester and Manhattan.
[23] In 2017, the Barn Sale drew more than 26,000 shoppers to the company's 65-acre property in Aurora, making the event one of the premier draws for tourists in Cayuga County.