New outlet to sell regional glass items

A consortium of regional glassmakers and artisans plan to write another chapter in southwestern Pennsylvania's glass history this week by opening the new Jamestown Crystal Outlets in the former Lenox glass factory in Mt. Pleasant.

"This is the prototype. If it's successful, we'll look at opening more in Pennsylvania," said Bob Rifenburgh, president of Jeannette-based St. George Crystal, the only company that produces 24 percent lead crystal for the retail market in the United States.

The outlet initially will employ two full-time and six part-time workers.

Along with St. George Crystal, the Jamestown Crystal Outlet will feature products by several other western Pennsylvania artisans and companies — L.E. Smith Glass and O'Rourke Hand Cut Crystal, both of Mt. Pleasant; Rolf's Cut Crystal and Glassware of Latrobe; Youghiogheny Art Glass of Connellsville in Fayette County; and Early American Candle of Allison Park.

"We already had a draw with the Lenox Outlet, and now we're giving people more of a reason to go there. It will be one store selling products from regional retailers, and we envision other glassmakers joining in," said Larry J. Larese, executive director of Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp.

A grand opening of Jamestown Crystal Outlet, off Route 31 east in Mt. Pleasant, is scheduled for Nov. 8. The outlet occupies 7,700 square feet.

The new outlet also unites a pair of time-honored, prominent glassmakers — St. George Crystal and L.E. Smith Glass — under the same roof.

"This represents a cross-marketing agreement between us and St. George. I'm looking forward to this, because it's really both of us learning to work together," said Marty Noonan, president and managing director of L.E. Smith Glass, which employs about 140 people.

Noonan said L.E. Smith Glass will keep open its present retail outlet near its glass-making facility and has plans to open another outlet in December or January in Lancaster.

L.E. Smith's glassware is a significant component of collections offered by Williams & Sonoma and by Martha Stewart.

Rifenburgh said St. George Crystal, which employs 274, usually sells in bulk and packaged goods.

"This will be a huge sales departure for us," he said of the cross-marketing agreement.

The Lenox Crystal manufacturing plant ceased operations in January — a move that left 157 workers jobless. The Mt. Pleasant plant opened in 1970 as the first glass factory built in the United States dedicated to the production of hand-blown, lead-crystal stemware.

The Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland and Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. teamed to buy the shuttered plant this summer for $1.6 million in hopes of rehabilitating and marketing the 153,000-square-foot building to potential glass-making operations. The partnership continues to lease the facility as a multi-tenant operation.