Tanger Center announces donations from two prominent Greensboro families

The Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts has announced it has received more than $1 million in private donations from the Schiffman and Koury families.

The Schiffman’s $525,000 donation is dedicated to naming rights for the ‘Schiffman’s Ring of Light’ that will be suspended over the seating area of the Kaplan Theater. The ‘Schiffman’s Ring of Light’ structure will consist of 60 three-foot by 12-foot illuminated pieces that will provide a unique timed ‘countdown’ to the start of every Tanger Center performance.

“We’re very proud to sponsor the Schiffman’s Ring of Light,” said Lane Schiffman, vice president of Schiffman’s Jewelers. “Our family business has been an integral part of this community for over 125 years and we are thrilled to add our name to a venue that will be a tremendous asset for Greensboro and bring first-class live entertainment to our city.”

The Koury family’s $500,000 donation is earmarked to naming rights for the Tanger Center’s third-floor pre-functionary ballroom. The ballroom will host a variety of pre-show functions including receptions, artist lectures and other special events and is representative of the hospitality focus of the 66-year-old family-owned business.

“We are pleased to participate in this public-private partnership that will create a stimulus for the center city and provide diverse programing for the enjoyment of the community,” said Stephen D. Showfety, President of Koury Corporation.

The Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts is scheduled to open in March 2020 and will be a state-of-the-art facility with a seating capacity of over 3,000. Located in downtown Greensboro, the Tanger Center is projected to host approximately 150 events per year and will be managed by the staff of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

The Tanger Center will host a diverse variety of events including concerts, Guilford College’s Bryan Series, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and Greensboro Opera performances, comedy shows and all types of family entertainment including national touring Broadway shows and other live theatrical productions.

To date, the Tanger Center has received $43 million in private donations, making the $85.7M project the largest public-private partnership in Greensboro’s history.

“The generosity of the Schiffman and Koury families will help ensure the Tanger Center will be a state-of-the-art facility that will transform Greensboro,” said Walker Sanders, president of The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the organization leading the fundraising efforts. “The support from local private families, businesses and foundations for this project has been incredible and demonstrates that the Greensboro community has an incredible passion to support the performing arts.”

About Schiffman’s Jewelers

Founded in 1893 by Simon Schiffman, the history of Schiffman’s Jewelers is intertwined with the history of city of Greensboro itself. Schiffman’s represents some of the finest jewelry and watch brands in the world. Now run by the fourth-generation of the Schiffman Family, the company has been headquartered at 225 South Elm Street since 1923. Schiffman’s Jewelers are also located at Friendly Center in Greensboro and at Stratford Village Shopping Center in Winston-Salem.

About Koury Corporation

Local and family-owned since 1952 when founded by the late Joseph Koury, Koury Corporation has quietly and steadily transformed the landscape of Greensboro, North Carolina.  From its earliest days as a prolific homebuilder to the present, the company has pioneered many of the region’s most innovative and consequential projects.

For 45 years, Mr. Koury built the company’s reputation for quality and innovation as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The leadership he provided allowed the company to transition confidently upon his passing in 1998 into the hands of an experienced management team, one that continues to embrace the ideals that Mr. Koury espoused from day one: commitment to quality, superior customer service, integrity, long-term ownership and hands-on management.