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March 21, 2008
Employment is up and production is humming at the former Glenshaw Glass Co. in Shaler.
The company, newly christened as Kelman Bottles LLC, has upped its output to 220 tons of glass per day at its plant along Route 8 to meet what owner William Kelman says is a "significant demand" for glass containers.
"Demand is coming from the food and beverage industries, which have seen a number of glass producers cease operations in recent years," Kelman said. "The glass companies remaining are benefitting from the reduced number of domestic suppliers."
Customers for Kelman bottles range from the largest breweries and wineries to local independent producers, the company said, including Iron City Brewing Co. in Lawrenceville.
Kelman resumed production in January 2007 at the now 113-year-old company that last was among the holdings of businessman John Ghaznavi.
In March 2007, about 45 people worked at the plant. Now, there are more than 100.
Kelman's management company paid $3.8 million to purchase the 500,000-square-foot plant and 25-acre property after Glenshaw Glass ran into financial problems.
It defaulted on loans after the plant was damaged when remnants of Hurricane Ivan forced Little Pine Creek over its banks in September 2004.
Kelman restarted operations with one furnace, but he plans to restore two others and create 120 jobs, he said.
The plant had employed more than 350 people when it was closed in 2004 by Ghaznavi, who is no longer involved in the glass industry but still has other business interests in the Pittsburgh area.
"Having acquired a shuttered glass plant, our initial focus was to bring in orders and get the plant making bottles again," Kelman said. "Our team has been successful in doing both."
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