Since 1904, the town of Paden City has been home to one of the finest kilim colored glass operations in the world. That tradition lives on today with a husband-and-wife team, Jason Wilburn, CEO and President along with his wife, Annabelle Javier who is the COO. They explained that it is very much a hands-on operation for each of them.

A little over five years ago they decided they wanted to buy a manufacturing business that could be operated as a family enterprise. They did not go looking specially for a colored glass plant, but happened upon it, and decided this was the opportunity they were looking for.

The Paul Wissmach Glass Company has been in operation since the early 1900s. At that time in America there was a huge growth of churches being built in this country and around the world. The original owners found that Paden City offered the perfect site, nearby shipping, an abundance of raw material, good work force and natural gas. The community was a thriving industrial center with steel, iron, pottery and glass as key to the success of the area. The availability of quality sand and the abundance of natural gas made Paden City the ideal home for the new industry.

Jason and Annabelle live in Pittsburgh close to the arts and craft glass industries in that area. They enjoy the culture and the people who share their love of the industry.

Jason explained that the way glass is produced, is pretty much the same as it has always been. Sand, soda ash and a variety of metals and chemicals give the glass its vibrancy shades of translucent glass.

Thousands of churches and cathedrals around the world have colored glass windows depicting the many stories and scenes from the bible. Artisans cut the glass, and then form it into images, creating heavenly images of Biblical stories.

The glass is also used by many craft’s persons wishing to create art and decorative lamp shades.

Jason explained that the product line is not a big market in the world today, but that it is broadly spread over arts, and crafts along with specialty windows.

He explained that little has changed within the building since it was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt many years ago. With wanting to be stewards of their operations environmental challenges, Annabelle designed and worked to bring on line their new environmental control system, at a cost of one and a half million dollars. They have recently made environmental improvements that will keep the business operating for many more years. They have also made improvements in controls for the melt furnace’s burners.

At one time in the Ohio Valley, glass plants had a large footprint in the valley from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati. Today there are only four left in America and one in Mexico. Worldwide eight manufactures make up the worlds-color glass industry.

The Paden City Plant has employed as many as 50 people at one time a couple years ago. Today they employ 40. The plant runs glass rolling operations nine hours each day, five days a week. The melt furnaces run constantly and are tended by control operators around the clock. A newly charged furnace takes 24 hours for the sand and other material to melt and combine to create the proper color.

When asked what the most difficult color to make, Jason responded, cranberry pink. Its complex components are expensive, and the process requires constant attention. Any deviation in time, temperature or ingredients could turn out an off-color batch that the customer will not accept.

Jason and Annabell think of themselves as a small operation, but the truth is, they produce over one million square feet of glass a year. At two and a half pounds per foot, that means in the last five years they have produced nearly 2.5 million pounds of colored glass. Not a small feat for a self-described small operation. And just figure, multiply that for over one-hundred years. How much beauty has the company produced, and it all came from Paden City. That drive to be part of the world market has the added benefit of providing jobs to the area.

Jason and Annabelle took on the challenges operating an industry that goes back a full century. They love the culture and people who share their love for artisan glass. It gives them the opportunity to travel the world promoting their products. What was once a major industry in America, and around the world, has fallen to a handful of manufacturers. It is a good thing Paden City Glass industry is strong and has a future in its home town.

For a long time, each day’s sun rise has been shown in some places in the world, shown through color glass made in Paden City. The peace and joy it brings has no name, only the beauty of the moment created by Paul Wissmach Glass Company.