News & Events

Mid-America News
Show Calendar
State Event Calendars

Regular Features

The Antique Detective
Antique Detective Q&A
Common Sense Antiques
Refurnished Thoughts
Traveling with Ken
Good Eye
Books for Collectors

Directories & Classifieds

The Finder: Unique Shops
Lodgings Directory
Museum Directory
  Aviation Museums
Wineries in the Heartland

Classifieds
Web Links

Archived Features

Antiquing in Colorado
Dealer Profile Archive
Editor's Notebook
Heirloom Recipes
Helpful Hints
   for Collectors
Is This An Antique?
Past Cover Features
Reflecting History

2005 Best Of Winners
Destinations 2006

Discover Mid-America — October 2007

Fenton’s end brings more sadness than surprise

by Bruce Rodgers

It’s not every day a 102-year-old American company closes its doors. But, let’s face it — there are not too many century-old mid-size manufacturing companies left in the country, particularly in the collectibles industry.

Frank and John Fenton founded the company in 1905 on an initial investment of $284. Family-run into the fourth generation, at its peak Fenton Art Glass Company had 400 employees. Its manufacturing facility attracted some 30,000 visitors a year to Williamstown, WV.

Having weathered world wars, national economic downturns, changes in decorating and collecting trends while adopting eBay and QVC marketing strategies, Fenton currently can’t get out from under accumulating debt despite reorganization in June.

“Sad” is the word that comes to mind for many glass collectors and Fenton dealers when thinking of the company’s demise, particularly in light of the family-oriented atmosphere Fenton cultivated for both employees and within its dealership network.

Still, the Aug. 9 announcement by Fenton that it would cease manufacturing operations by at year’s end or before didn’t come as a surprise to Fenton dealers and collectors contacted by Discover Mid-America.

“No, I was not surprised,” said Barbara Greeson, a Fenton Gold Showcase Dealer currently at the Bates City (MO) Antique Mall (and opening a second location at Heritage Antiques on Oct. 3). She began collecting Fenton in 1988 and estimates her current inventory is fifty percent Fenton including limited editions.

As the owner of Greeson’s Glass & Collectibles, she places some of the blame for the company’s problems on competition from China.

“People don’t understand the difference between American art glass and China glass,” Greeson said. “Some of it is good; a lot of it is grainy — it doesn’t have the nice crisp colors.”

Marla Fisher, owner of Angel Wings Flowers & Gifts in Cameron, MO, said she saw differences in quality in Fenton glass when she visited a Dallas showroom last January. To her, that signaled trouble at the company.

Fisher said she wasn’t really taken in by the modernist approach Fenton was turning toward. “Usually a huge change (like that) indicates a change at the company,” she said.

At Angel Wings, Fenton is a middle- to high-end item, Fisher said. “Fenton is easy (sell) because we’re a flower shop also.” Fisher has been a registered Fenton dealer since 2004.

Jim Smith has been a Fenton dealer only since July of this year He has a booth at Timeless Treasures in Claycomo, MO.

“I think because I’m nearsighted and farsighted, the iridescent just caught my eye,” said Smith. “But with Fenton, it was the beauty, the artistry, the different designs of it.”

Smith also liked that Fenton was associated with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), making regular donations from purchases of certain Fenton products.

“My heart goes out to the people in Williamstown,” said Smith. “Their families have work generations for this company.”

The Marietta Times, located in Marietta, OH, across the Ohio River from Williamstown, reported that laid off Fenton employees would be eligible for training and educational benefits from the Federal Trade Readjustment Act, a law designed to help American workers who have lost their job due to overseas competition.

The newspaper also reported that one of the largest costs to Fenton was the natural gas used to keep the company's furnaces going. Smith, who said he talked with a Fenton representative, was told the natural gas bill ran into “six digits” because the furnaces had to be constantly heated at 2,000-2,600 degrees 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Dorothy Eliot, who owns Whitehall Country Store in Topeka, KS with her husband Al, said she had heard that Fenton’s largest debt was to the local natural gas company.

Whitehall is Topeka’s "exclusive” Fenton showcase dealer. Dorothy Eliot said they are looking for a new line of glass to carry.”

“It’s obviously hard to replace Fenton, but we do have different avenues,” she said.

Fisher, from Angel Wings, said she hasn’t given it much thought in terms of replacing Fenton.

Greeson, who will carry some Fenton at her additional location at Heritage Antiques, while maintaining her Glass & Collectibles' presence at Bates City, has made up her mind. “I’m going with Mooser, located in Cambridge, Ohio and Boyd’s Crystal Art also in Cambridge,” she said.

Smith, in contacting other Fenton dealers, notes that there has been an increase in Fenton buying and selling as it’s anticipated Fenton prices — at least on some limited lines — will increase. He noted that his collection of Fenton books have been selling briskly.

“It’s going to effect it some,” said Greeson when asked what effect the Fenton factory closing would have on prices. “I have a lot of inventory and have a big order in, anticipating the value will go up.

“Good pieces and limited editions should increase in value, in fact, it’s happening already.”

Fenton, after making its announcement of stopping production, supposedly has been inundated with orders. (Fenton did not return calls from Discover Mid-America.) This has led to rumors among dealers ranging from the possibility of an employee buyout, to getting enough orders to pay down enough debt to keep a small operation going.

The Aug. 9 press release noted that the gift shop would remain open and that the company was “exploring ways to continue to offer visitors and tourists the glassmaking experience.”

“Everyone is really sad,” said Greeson. “They make wonderful glass.”

Bruce Rodgers can be contacted at publisher@discoverypub.com.