I’ve spent the last three days in Upstate New York, or more precise the Hudson River Valley. A couple of friends and I rented an Airbnb in Sparrow Bush, near Historic Port Jervis. 

It was so nice. peaceful, quiet, relaxing.

Driving through this area makes you keenly aware of the beauty of the scenic routes all around, as well as the fact that the United States of America still lives, breathes and produces amazing things.

As I was saying before, I am not at all an expert in

American History or a super patriot of the country. My heart is in the east.

However, one has to appreciate the country where one lives, especially if this is still the strongest, the most powerful, and very human country.

There is a Glass Factory in Port Jervis. The place is run by the sixth generation of the owners’ family. The Gillinger Glass is in business since 1861.

They have a beautiful store selling wonderful glass pieces including lamps, tableware, vases, etc. Today, however, they don’t blow glass for just decoration – their way to stay up – but make half the world’s runway lights, and other industrial glass fixtures for different lamps, mainly airport related.  All with about 70 employees, mostly young and middle-aged men.

I have never imagined that even a computerized process of glass production of something so mundane as runway lights and the like still carries so much manual effort. While we were watching, I figured that one piece is made in about one minute with three men making and one transporting it to the special oven. Then the lady on the outside of that oven manually checks every one of them before stacking them in crates! I kept thinking that we, in the offices of new York, sometimes complain about sitting in front of two computer screens. Meanwhile, these guys stand in hot or cold (depending on the weather outside) building for hours, working with such precision! One wrong move and someone can get hurt or the product is damaged and they have to start all over. Talk about appreciation for a day of honest work!

There’s really nothing to add than to say that the factory is going to expand just a little because they’ve just got the order from a German! company for some airport-related glass fixtures. They will have to close the store selling the beautiful things and lay off three salesladies, but they will gain many more manufacturing jobs and therefore, ensure the next generation of the factory owners and workers’ future.

So, yes,  “Made in America” still goes strong!