The Glass Factory is closing its home décor store at Wesleyan Park Plaza and returning to its roots in stained glass and custom doors at a new location. Owner Scott Poynter said the move is a shift back to the craft his father started in 1978.
“When my dad opened The Glass Factory, it was strictly stained glass,” Poynter said. “We were business partners until he passed in ’94. I took it over and saw opportunities with front entries, beveled glass doors — those were making a big presence in newer homes.”
Poynter said the décor side of the business took off around 2011, fueled by unique pieces sourced from India, Europe, and Mexico. But in recent years, he said, that industry has been hit hard by tariffs, shipping delays, and online retail competition. Poynter said major vendors have stopped importing altogether, leaving inventory scarce and unpredictable.
Meanwhile, demand for stained glass and custom doors has only increased. Poynter said that after COVID-19, many stained glass studios across the country shut down, but the Glass Factory survived because its door division was considered essential for builders.
“It was getting hard to carry both sides. … I’m going to be retiring in 5 or 6 years … and you have to make an exit sometime,” Poynter said. “I decided to liquidate everything and put it all back toward stained glass and doors, and move into another spot.”
Poynter said the change will allow him to dedicate about 60% more time to large custom commissions and ongoing restoration work, including projects tied to tornado damage in Dawson Springs, Bremen, Mayfield, and churches hit by hailstorms in Owensboro.
The store is currently holding a wall-to-wall liquidation sale and plans to vacate Wesleyan Park Plaza by December 31. After that, The Glass Factory will move into a temporary studio (not open to retail) while construction continues on a new permanent location, which will focus exclusively on stained glass, custom entry doors, restoration projects, and classes.
Poynter said stained glass is rapidly becoming a lost art, another reason to refocus.
“The number of glass artists still around is declining extremely fast,” he said. “I’ll be able to teach more classes. I call it creating hobbyists — people who might not make a business out of it, but they know how to do it. That’s gratifying to me.”
He also noted this change will allow more time with his family, including two daughters and a grandson living in Europe.
Future announcements such as the new location will be announced on The Glass Factory Facebook page.
