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Rosemont maker of Pyrex, CorningWare acquired

Rosemont-based WKI Holding Co., which provides Pyrex, Corelle, CorningWare and other brands of cookware and kitchen products, said Monday it will be acquired by New York-based Cornell Capital LLC.

Terms of the deal were not released and the sale is expected to close during the second quarter, which ends in June.

WKI, also known as World Kitchen, has 3,000 employees worldwide, including 170 at its headquarters in Rosemont.

There are no plans to reduce head count as a result of the acquisition, said WKI spokesman Patrick Ryan.

"Ultimately, we are confident that our partnership with Cornell Capital will create greater opportunities for our employees," Ryan said.

Such branded kitchen cookware, gadgets and dinner plates have been used by families for generations and some lines have become collectible. Besides Pyrex, World Kitchen also makes and distributes Snapware, Chicago Cutlery, Revere, Visions, Ekco and Baker's Secret brand of cookware and kitchen accessories.

Cornell Capital also will invest in the development of new products, Ryan said.

While there are no plans to change existing product lines, the company is looking at other acquisitions, he said. Cornell Capital was founded in 2013 by Henry Cornell, the former vice chairman of Goldman Sachs' merchant banking division, to invest in companies in the consumer, energy, financial and industrial sectors.

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Rosemont-based WKI Holding Co., which provides CorningWare cookware and other brands of kitchen products, said Monday it was acquired by New York-based Cornell Capital LLC. DAILY HERALD FILE PHOTO
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