After 132 years of serving Knox County's glass needs, Strang Glass has closed. This family-owned business's storied history goes back to Lafe Strang, great-grandfather to current owner Jeff Ulery.
The business started as something other than a glass manufacturer. When Strang left Fredricktown in 1889 and moved to Mount Vernon, he started a business building and repairing horse-drawn carriages and called it The L.F. Strang & Son Buggy Shop in 1890.
"As soon as the automobile was invented, the horse and buggy became obsolete," Ulery said. "Afterwards, my family got into producing leatherwork. And later, the business concentrated on glass. The glass was so much more profitable than the other businesses. When I took it over, I took our glass business into commercial and shower doors. I'm the last of a generation to do this business."
Ulery has mixed feelings about leaving a business his family has owned for so long. Outside of the fact the glass business itself has changed, his kids showed no interest in following the steps of their ancestors.
"My kids went to college," he said. "My son is a graphic designer, and my daughter is a nursing manager for Advent health, and they both live in Florida. I'm looking for someone to take the business over. I'm at an age where I can't do this anymore. I sold the property and made a profit, and I'm just ready to retire."
Ulery fears that businesses like his are becoming a lost art. He finds satisfaction in knowing that there's an agricultural museum in Knox county. It houses relics from the past, like anvils, blacksmith equipment, spindle makers, and other historical pieces.
He feels small family-run businesses that produce such glass items are leaving the industry, two recently closed in Knox County, because the insurance companies are digging deeper into the owner's pockets. That's coupled with finding skilled workers who want to work.
"The insurance industry runs the world," he said with some sarcasm. "That's another reason I felt it was time to move on. They tell you how much to charge to the penny. If I charge a penny, they won't pay me. They control how much I'm going to get paid. Ohio is a deductible state.
If you go to a state like Kentucky, Florida, or Pennsylvania, you can do well in the glass business. It's just hard to compete in states with large deductibles. The deductibles range from $250 to $500 before your insurance pays for it."
Anyone interested in buying a legendary glass shop that does commercial work and residential jobs, including shower doors, must contact Ulery at jeff@strangglass.com.
"We just closed on the property we sold," Ulery said. "So, I'm planning to start looking for a buyer soon. I would love to see the business continue. I won't sell to some kid who doesn't have the skill to do the job right."
Ulery's wife, Andrea, started out working in the business. But later, she decided on a new career path. She's now a respiratory therapist at a Knox County hospital.
"My family owned the glass business, and my great-uncle, Faye Strang, was the safety service director for the downtown Mount Vernon area. I bought a boat with my wife, and we will spend winters in Florida with our kids and grandkids. But most of the time will be spent fishing and watching the sun go down on the gulf of Mexico."
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