Lancaster Glass closure difficult for those involved

Nancy Claypool choked back tears while she spoke about the upcoming closure of Lancaster Glass this Friday.

"It´s kinda like going to a funeral home every day or a cancer that´s growing. It´s been a slow death, a painful death," said Claypool, who celebrated her 37th anniversary with the company on May 18. "It´s very upsetting. You mourn it (the loss of a job) for a while, but it will take time to get over it."

Claypool, a data processing manager, began working at Lancaster Glass as a keypunch operator in 1970 before she graduated from high school. "People used to get out of school and get a job at Lancaster Glass and Anchor Hocking, and you have a job for life," Claypool explained.

Declining sales due to increased foreign competition have forced the company to close its doors after nearly a century, according to company president Dave Gallimore. "The closure has been very difficult and quite personal for many of our longtime employees, myself included," said Gallimore, who has been with Lancaster Glass for 20 years.
Fairfield County Job and Family Services has been providing assistance to displaced employees since the company first announced it would close in March. "Job and Family Services, under the direction of Mike Orlando, has done a wonderful job helping our employees through this difficult time," said Gallimore.

The agency held four informational sessions this spring to discuss unemployment benefits, job training and other resources available to workers. "The goal is to provide them with as much information as possible and give them the assistance needed to get back into the workforce as quickly as possible," said Dennis Evans, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

It also is hosting a job fair exclusively for Lancaster Glass employees and their families on July 13. "No two employees are going to need the same things," said Christy Nichols, a workforce development supervisor with Fairfield County Job and Family Services. "We encourage anyone who has been laid off, or who is looking for a job, or looking for a better job to come into WorkNet." That program recently extended its summer hours of operation to accommodate the company´s 141 employees.

Claypool appreciates those efforts, but reports that many of her friends are still looking for adequate employment. "They all can´t go to work for minimum wage and support their families," she said.

The average hourly wage at Lancaster Glass is about $12, according to data provided by Job and Family Services. "Lancaster is experiencing a commercial growth spurt ... but the experience that the Lancaster Glass workers have may not fit that growth," Mayor Dave Smith explained.

But Mike Pettit, director of economic development for the city, is confident they will overcome this setback. He expects many Lancaster Glass employees will find jobs with new and existing businesses, including at least one of the company´s former customers.

However, employees are not the only ones who will be adversely affected. "You can never replace, in the hearts and minds of the community, a company like Lancaster Glass," said Christopher Agnitsch, president of the Chamber of Commerce.

"I´m sure that any business that closes in downtown Lancaster has an impact on me because I get a lot daytime customers," said Chris Huddle, owner and manager of Huddle´s Tire & Auto Service Facility.

Merle Swain echoed that sentiment. He is the owner of Lancaster Hardware & Supply, which "has been associated with Lancaster Glass since the word go. I have pretty strong feelings because I´m so close."

Swain´s hardware store is located at 201 S. Columbus St., Lancaster Glass is located at 240 W. Main St. "I can´t go out and shop for more customers; I lost that income, and I lost that rapport," said Swain, of the business relationship that has spanned more than 50 years. He will also miss the employees who came in daily. "Those guys would come in filthy because they worked hard everyday to keep that company running ... If you knew these guys, they were really family guys, down-to-earth ... and serious about their work," Swain said. There are no immediate plans for the site. However there are some plans being discussed to donate items manufactured by Lancaster Glass to the Ohio Glass Museum, according to Margie Burket, development director for the Ohio Glass Museum.