Blenko Glass Company is almost 130 years old and is a true artisan glass company that demonstrates West Virginia ’ s rich history of inventors and craftspeople . Its products are made by hand using skills and techniques that have been perfected over years and sometimes decades .
Once Gaull ’ s winning design was selected , Blenko hosted WVUIE , Gaull and his family and provided a tour of its operations , which showcased glassblowers at work near the furnaces , its product molds used to form glass shapes and an interactive process that let Gaull stamp his blue crayfish suncatcher .
“ When WVUIE reached out to us to highlight manufacturing in our state , we jumped at the opportunity ,” says David Wertz , site operations director at Blenko Glass Company . “ At Blenko , building the next generation of skilled workers is critical to our future . Getting students excited not only for manufacturing but also our hand-crafted approach to it is instrumental in helping us raise awareness to the fact that you can not only have a bright future in West Virginia , you can make some amazing things while you ’ re at it .”
In addition to the collaboration with Blenko , the WVUIE collaborated with Kanawha Scales and Systems , located in Poca , WV , and filmed a virtual tour of its facility to highlight the various manufacturing opportunities available and the skills and training needed for employment .
“ More than 45,000 people viewed our Manufacturing Day activities through our various social media platforms ,” says Miller . “ We are looking forward to showcasing more
West Virginia manufacturing companies and co-hosting the Student Design Challenge with Blenko again this year .”
Now more than ever , the expansion of the manufacturing footprint in the U . S . is needed to ensure that supply chains are resilient and reliable . To grow the manufacturing industry , talented and driven West Virginians are needed to design , build and share the goods that will support the nation .
Through inspiration and education to our younger generations , the talent pipeline can be filled with West Virinia ’ s best and brightest . •
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