ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥

Blenko said the company, which just four years ago voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is expecting to increase its production this year. They've reorganized, and natural gas prices have been reasonably low compared to what they were a few years ago.

"We use an enormous amount of gas to heat the furnaces so when the price of gas goes up, that strongly influences our costs," he said. "It's not something we can cut back on because we need it to melt the glass."

Blenko said sales are highest around this time of year and Christmas, with Blenko faithfuls and new customers buying up the company's wide range of products including functional glassware, art glass, mouth blown sheet glass, dalle de verre and others.

The company just wrapped up its annual two-week warehouse sale on March 28, at which time it offered its products at discounted prices.

Blenko said plans are now underway for the limited edition - and very popular - West Virginia Day piece. Each year, the company creates and sells a special edition piece in honor of the state's birthday on June 20. The stock of vases annually corresponds to how many years old the state is. Last year, crowds stood in line for hours to get their hands on one of the 151 "Sunrise over Appalachia" pieces designed by Arlon Bayliss. The design for this year's piece has not been announced.

The company will round out the summer with its annual Festival of Glass in August, when Blenko said fans of the glassware can try their hand at creating a piece with the help of company employees.

"We let people come in and we offer a lot of classes for them to get a feel of some of the things we do," he said. "We let some people who want to do it do the actual blowing of the hot glass. They get some help, of course, from the workmen who are there, but they have a chance to actually handle it."

Blenko said he hears stories from people around the country who proudly make Blenko glass a part of their homes.

"What we're doing is not very much done by other people," he said of why the glass is so popular. "We use the tools which are simple hand tools that have been used in this art for many, many years. It's all American made. We don't import anything from out of the country. We start with simple raw materials ... If you have a vase or a bowl, it's a very carefully orchestrated piece of work, with each member of the shop meshing with what the other people do."

Blenko said 45 people are employed at the company in Milton, including those who make the pieces as well as those who work in the office and visitor center.

"All members of the shop have to work together to get the desired output," he said.

Blenko Glass Company is located at 9 Bill Blenko Drive in Milton. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours start in June.

More information about the company can be found at .