Notes on Moving Glassware Production Overseas

We pride ourselves in making sustainable choices, and since the beginning, we've also made an effort to keep whatever we could local. Our glassware was something we worked really hard to make in the USA. We managed to find a partner who was able to handle the kind of printing we needed, and we were screen printing the boxes in our studio in Portland. It was a little more complicated, a little more expensive, and a lot more work than ordering from overseas, but we though it was worth it.

(This is what a stack of 2000 boxes in our studio looks like.)

It it was all going pretty well until this spring when we hit a wall with our USA glass printing partner. As we grew and placed larger orders, the quality on their work started slipping, up to a point when we received an order with a 90% defect rate. Conversation talks about how to fix the problem devolved into the stuff of nightmares and we ended up having no choice but to go elsewhere. We looked for another stateside company to work with, but were unsatisfied with the quality of the products, printing capacities and prices of the suppliers we found.

Ultimately we decided overseas production was the only way to guarantee the quality, accuracy, and timelines we needed. We found an excellent partner who is SGS and FDA certified, and so far we have been extremely happy with their work. We're excited about the fact that it allows us to hit better price points while opening up new product opportunities. It will also hopefully help us prevent products from going out of stock as frequently. 

We know this will be a disappointment to some, so if the USA made aspect is crucial to you, we wanted to make sure to allow you the time to stock up on the current glassware now. The Night Sky wine glasses are the first of the glassware to come in from overseas. At the moment, all the other glassware is still printed in the USA. We anticipate the rest of our current USA made stock will last for another few months. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to be in touch.