American Christmas by MK Illumination

Leaders in the holiday decorating industry since 1968.

American Christmas LLC is a subsidiary of MK Illumination and represents MK Illumination in the United States. Founded in 1968 as an artificial plant and flower shop, the company later became a Christmas decorating company. In 2017, American Christmas was sold to MK Illumination.

American Christmas designs, manufactures, installs, removes and stores Christmas decorations for buildings, lobbies, banks, stores, hotels, and airports. The company creates complex installations that require substantial planning. They drive their client’s holiday projects from concept to installation, offering turn-key services and exceptional communication that gives clients confidence in American Christmas’ ability to fully execute their Holiday programs to perfection.

American Christmas’ main office is located in Mount Vernon, NY, in a 110,000-square-foot facility, with a 20,000-square-foot satellite office in Jessup, MD. New locations are being added as the company continues to grow rapidly. Locally, American Christmas has 70 full-time employees, and MK has over 1,200 employees globally, with its largest offices in Austria, Germany, Turkey, China, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the U.S.A.

The focus of American Christmas is to design custom programs that create unique environments for clients. The team assigned to each project includes business development, account managers, designers, production staff, and project managers. The design and sales process can run anywhere from two weeks to 15 months, depending on the complexity of the design, time of year, and size of the client. The team supports projects in more than 20 states and more than 30 cities nationally, offering each location a wide range of customized products. In recent years, the company has installed decorations in more than 40 states and 15 countries.

Christmas displays at LaGuardia Airport Terminal B.

American Christmas’ impressive list of clients consistently turns to them as their holiday partners. Their work has been seen at LaGuardia Airport and virtually everywhere in midtown Manhattan, including Rockefeller Center’s iconic Channel Gardens Angels, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Saks 5th Avenue, Vornado Real Estate Trust, and Cartier. The company also works with mall management companies throughout the country, as well as Zoos and Amusement Parks.

Production is a unique and constantly evolving department where the entire design process is turned into a reality. Trees, wreaths, garlands, 2D and 3D lit pieces are manufactured and refurbished 12 months a year. Each new job is transformed from a rendering to an actual décor using a mix of greenery, picks, ornaments, novelties, and lights. Production is also responsible for all warehousing and logistics activities, such as shipping, receiving, and packaging products.

As the business expanded to include several new brands and projects, American Christmas opened its first retail store, Christmas in America. It also partnered with Mount Vernon Boys & Girls Club, Youth Community Outreach Program, and Northeast Stem Starter Academy, donating the proceeds from its “Holiday Lane’’ walk-through experience at its showroom, welcoming over 2,000 visitors in just a few weeks.

From the standpoint of the staff at American Christmas, witnessing the feeling of wonder and joy in the eyes and smiles of hundreds of people who pass through their office lobby-amazed at its overnight transformation; their work is not only a service, it is a labor of love.