Bridgeville glass plant celebrates 95 years

GE Lighting Glass Plant's annual Christmas party was more than double the size of its staff this year.

The General Electric-owned lighting plant, located at 540 Mayer St., celebrated its 95th anniversary with about 175 current and former employees this month.

“It was great to be able to meet and re-link with some of the old timers,” said plant manager John Williams.

The factory opened in 1907 under the ownership of the J.B. Higbee Company before it was sold to GE in 1918. But by 1935, the Great Depression forced operations to shut down and production was shifted to Niles, Ohio.

Three years later, it reopened and now remains one of three such GE plants operating today, producing about 4 million pounds in glass annually.

“A little piece of Bridgeville gets into just about every light bulb GE makes,” Williams said.

The plant produces four different types of glass, helping to manufacture around 70 different types of glass products.

“It's something different every day. You're never doing the same thing,” said Jeff Scott, group leader for the machine and pipe shop, who has worked at the plant for 36 years.

The plant operates on continuous shifts 24 hours a day and 7 days a week with 62 part-time and four full-time salaried employees.

Union president Eric DeJohn has worked at the plant for 26 years with no plans on leaving anytime soon.

“We're here every day on both sides of the fence just like a family, he said. ”

Alex Felser is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-388-5810 or afelser@tribweb.com.