LAKEPORT — An East Coast company best known for decorating glassware celebrated its presence in Lakeport Wednesday, hosting a meet-and-greet at its new temporary sales office.
Virginia-based ARTon Glass, a division of Bay Etching & Imprinting, Inc., decided to branch westward by expanding into Lake County this summer.
“I”m not going to be surprised if the California operation is bigger than our Virginia operation in a few years,” principal stockholder Arthur Roberts said.
A few dozen people attended the event Wednesday afternoon commemorating the opening of the temporary sales office in the Bruno”s shopping center in Lakeport.
“I”m ecstatic,” Lake County Supervisor Anthony Farrington said. “I”m hoping that this plants the seed for future businesses in the agriculture or wine industries to look at Lake County.”
ARTon Glass decorates pre-made glassware, ceramics, plastics and other products.
It plans to do the custom imprinting and etching in Lake County after opening a permanent facility. For now, the West Coast orders will be produced in Virginia and shipped across the country.
The company”s initial focus is on Northern California wine country, but it seeks clients in other fields, including hospitality, restaurants and breweries.
ARTon Glass looks to build on its existing California client base, which was 40 to 50 customers prior to the company moving to Lake County, Roberts said.
“I think it”s going to be great for the community,” Clearlake resident Maggie Willhite, whom the company hired as its sales manager earlier this month, said.
The Lake County sales team — comprised of Kimberly Baldwin of Lakeport, Leslie Firth of Lakeport and Lori Peters of Kelseyville — is in its third week of work.
The sales team spent its first couple weeks working on start-up activities such as marketing and research. Firth sold the team”s first order on Tuesday, a day after they moved into the temporary office.
The Workforce Lake Business & Career Center, which assisted ARTon Glass with the hiring process, housed the sales team for two weeks until the company found the temporary office on Lakeport Boulevard.
As for a permanent home in Lake County, Roberts said plans were in the works.
“We”re still negotiating for the Work Right building (at Lampson Field) and we”re looking at other options,” Roberts said.
The facility would serve as a plant where products would be decorated and include office space for administration and sales.
Roberts hopes to secure a permanent location and move staff in by the end of next month.
In late August, ARTon Glass hired Lucerne resident Pat Ridgel, a retired U.S. Navy command master chief who also worked for Lockheed Martin, as its plant manager.
“It”s a very, very exciting time and opportunity, not just for me personally, but for Lake County,” Ridgel said. “It”s very exciting to work with a company that is actually trusting in coming to, not just California, but Lake County and starting something like this.”
For more information about ARTon Glass, contact 263-1200.
