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Businesses react to Fenton decision
By Sam Shawver,
Special to The News
WILLIAMSTOWN — Reverberations from the pending closure of
Williamstown’s Fenton Art Glass Co. will be felt throughout the
“This is not what we hoped to hear about Fenton,” said Mike Jacoby, executive
director of the Southeast Ohio Port Authority, after hearing of Thursday’s
announcement that the century-old factory would cease operations in the coming
months. “It’s tragic for the Fenton family and for the company’s workers, and
this will be a painful process for them.
“It will also affect the local economy on both sides of the river — labor
markets don’t recognize political boundaries,” he said.
Williamstown City Councilman Marty Seufer called the news “devastating.”
“My biggest question is what other reason does somebody who
doesn’t have a relative in (Williamstown) have to come to
Fenton’s international reputation draws attention and visitors to the region.
Each year, between 30,000 and 40,000 people take the company’s factory tour,
which was named by USA Today as one of the top 10 in the nation.
“Fenton is certainly one of our biggest attractions for the group tours
market,” said Kelly Blazosky, executive director of
the Marietta/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Bus and tour
companies almost always include Fenton in their packages.”
Blazosky said the bureau had talked early on with
Fenton representatives about continuing glassmaking on some level for tourists.
“Hopefully they can come up with something to offer as it would still provide
value for people to learn about the glassmaking process and history,” she said.
“And we would be happy to continue working with them.”
A decline in tourism will lead to a drop in hotel/motel tax revenue and hurt
other businesses, Seufer said.
Jim Stage, co-owner of the Williamstown Antique Mall, worked 18 years for the
Fenton company after returning from military service.
Now his store on
“It’s a shock,” Stage said of Thursday’s announcement. “I’ve been friends with
the Fenton family for years, and I know this is heartbreaking for them.
“We just held the annual glassware convention, and a lot of people were talking
about (the company’s recent financial problems), but they didn’t believe this
would really happen,” he said.
Stage said closure of the 102-year-old company would touch everyone in some
way, including his business.
“Our business is 70 to 75 percent antique glass, so this is going to hurt us
for sure,” he said.
“I’ve seen all the glass houses close down, but Fenton is the Cadillac of those
companies,” Stage said.
The news is also a blow to area hotels.
“The closure will most certainly affect to a certain degree what our guests can
do in
Auville said the hotel has always promoted Fenton to
its guests.
“Leisure travelers here at the hotel almost always take advantage of Fenton,”
she said. “The tours they had were very popular among our guests and will be
extremely missed.”
Terry Moore, manager of the
“Wow, hearing it just makes my stomach sink,”
Although
“It’s a key tourist destination. Everyone coming here is always interested in
Fenton. Everyone knows of Fenton,”