2016 has been a year full of upheaval in the the glass industry, with the environmental concerns affecting Bullseye’s Portland, Oregon factory, and the unexpected closure of Spectrum glass.
Unfortunately, recently Uroboros Glass Company- also located in Portland- announced that they will be shutting down after almost 44 years in the business. While very sad, company owner Eric Lovell has said that the situation has become “unavoidable”, citing new environmental regulations, rising cost of materials and facilities, and his own impending retirement age as contributing factors in the decision.
Uroboros plans on discontinuing new production in early 2017, and will continue with the company’s closure in “an orderly fashion” over the next 9-12 months. It is possible that they may find a buyer for the company, but no solid plans are in the works as of yet.
On a happier note, Spectrum Glass announced that they have sold their product line to a California-based glass manufacturer, and are currently in the process of transferring ownership. They haven’t released any details regarding future product line yet, but they are working hard to make the transfer as quickly and smoothly as possible.
While Bullseye Glass has completed production line improvements and has resumed manufacturing most previously restricted colors, they still will not be able to produce chromium-bearing colors until early in the new year.