When most people think of West Virginia the first thing that comes to mind are mountains, coal, white-water rafting, or mountain biking. What most people don’t think of is glass. However, in West Virginia there is a deep heritage of glass manufacturing.

The Paul Wissmach Glass Company is just one of many West Virginia glass manufacturers. Located in Paden City, West Virginia, Paul Wissmach Glass Company makes art glass, used primarily for architectural stained glass and for use by artists. The company has provided good paying jobs for workers in the Wetzel and Tyler County area since 1904.

“We’re one of the last men standing,” said Jason Wilburn, owner of Paul Wissmach Glass Company. “The town was known for glass manufacturing. There were multiple glass factories in town and we’re the last one. We’re keeping that industrial heritage alive in our community.”

When Wilburn took over the company about 3 years ago, the factory needed upgrades. That was when he became aware of the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program, which provides funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.

In 2023, Paul Wissmach Glass was awarded a $500,000 REAP grant to help purchase and install energy-efficient manufacturing equipment. In total, the upgrades cost $1.3 million and were projected to save the company almost $250,000 per year in energy costs. This allowed Wilburn to reinvest back into the business.

“The REAP grant did a lot for us,” said Wilburn. “We were always planning to do some upgrades when we took over the business, but we definitely wouldn’t have been able to do as much. The funding gave us the financial security to maintain our staffing and we actually gave raises.”

The upgrades included a new flue exhaust system, which helps cut down on the gas used to heat the furnaces, and a new automated burner system to help the furnace get to temperature faster which also saves gas.

“We have furnaces that operate at 2300 degree,” said Wilburn. “The more control we have over that environment the less gas we have to use. These investments really enable us to make more product with the same number of hours in a day and the same amount of gas which enables us to expand our business.”

That expansion has happened in the form of hiring additional workers and expanding into new product lines. Wilburn said the company is now making glass for glass blowers, which is something that they’d never done before.

“We’ve made glass here at this facility, this way, for 120 years and we always say 100 more,” said Wilburn. “We need to think about the future of our company and future of the community and this grant has helped us to do that.”