TOLEDO, Ohio — Monday was day one of the first time a major conference for the glass industry has been held in Toledo, a city nicknamed after the craft.
The 85th annual Glass Problems Conference and Symposium is being held at downtown Toledo's Glass City Center, which Kenny Ward, executive director of the council behind the event, said makes sense.
"We has so many members in the area, I think it's great that we're here and you can tell in the attendance that because so many are based here, they're bringing more folks to learn and that's really important," Ward said.
The conference, which runs until Thursday, will have nearly 500 attendees.
Ward said this conference is also one of the bigger ones held by the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council, which he believes is because of the location. Those in attendance can go to educational meetings and exhibitions, network with others in the industry and tour some of Toledo's local factories.
Scott Cooper, an executive board member of the council who works for the Celsian Glass USA branch in Maumee, said even though everyone isn't in the glass industry, everyone should be happy the conference is happening in Toledo.
"If you have been comfortable in a building, if you have used your car, if you've gotten on the internet, if you've used your cellphone today, you've used glass." Cooper said. "Glass is essential to modern life. So, it's important we know how to manufacture glass in this country and that we support that industry."
He added that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's support of the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub in Perrysburg is a great sign of things to come. The hub's purpose is aimed at innovations and job growth in the glass and solar industries, and Cooper said it just further shows just how important big events like this are.
"We wanted to bring it here to bring back the focus of glass and the history that this city has had, and also for where we're going in the future," Cooper said.
RELATED: US Sen. Sherrod Brown announces 'major new investment' in glass production at Libbey Glass in Toledo