Employee Information

Chris - Founder

Hi my name is Chris and I am one of two owners here at MGA. I grew up in Ohio and learned the amazing art of lampworking from a friend in Eugene in 2000. After spending about two years out there a death in the family called me back to Ohio. It became immediately clear that being isolated from other artists and suppliers was going to be a challenge to blowing glass in Ohio. It was then that I discovered my calling. I was having trouble getting supply shipments quickly, correct the first time, without damage and with good service; so I started to think about doing this myself. I think it was the day I was chasing foam peanuts around my neighbor’s yard (my shop was out back) and trying to pull them out of my glass tube that I had enough. I decided I would start a supply company that would do things differently. My entire life I had an interest in the arts and business so this would be a perfect fit. I had some solid business experience and a good friend with a business degree, Steve, if only I could keep him out of the National Parks! We worked tirelessly for years without taking a penny to get off the ground. We have grown quite a bit thanks to YOU since we began in the fall of 2002, always with a primary customer service mission. We have always tried to have an environmental focus as well, long before we were profitable or the word “green” was popular in our society. I currently LOVE serving the glass community and living in beautiful Asheville, NC. I enjoy the amazing food, music, community and great outdoors by trying to hike and bike as much as possible.

Steve - Founder

After graduating college and gaining business experience in the computer industry, I decided a life living in Yosemite National Park as a naturalist was more suiting to me. A few years went by of guiding backpacking trips, fly fishing and even setting the Guinness Book of World Records for finding the world’s largest pine cone. Then, my good friend Chris persuaded me to leave the Sierra Nevada Mountains to start Mountain Glass. I, my wife and now my son quickly fell in love with glass blowing and the community surrounding it. It seemed a natural fit for me to use my business experience to help provide an amazing community with the high end customer service and products they deserve. I couldn’t live in a greater place; work with a finer group of people or serve better customers.

Joe - Sales Manager

Originally from the mountains of Pennsylvania, I found myself attracted to the wonderful culture and natural beauty of Western North Carolina. I first fell in love with glass at the age of fifteen while watching my brother learn the art of lampworking. It was through him that I realized years later, I had found my calling. It has been a blessing to be involved in such a progressive industry with countless kindred people and being part of the awesome Mountain Glass family. When I’m not immersing myself in the glass world I can be found riding my motorcycle through the Blue Ridge Mountains, enjoying live music, the outdoors, volunteering with Big Brother Big Sister and Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, skiing, sipping bourbon or drinking one of the countless different local micro brews.

Stuart - Accounting

I started at Mountain Glass Arts Inc back in 2009. I am the accountant for the company and does everything that has do to with the money side. I’ve been in accounting for over 25 years and to this day still love working with numbers. My nickname at the office is “Hound Dog”. Coming to Asheville in 2004 was the best thing me and my wife (Daphne) has ever done. Leaving the sun and the Beach of Orange County was easy although some people thought we were crazy. We love our (Funkytown) Asheville, NC. The best part of Mountain Glass Arts is the people and the uniqueness of the business.
While not a t work I love NASCAR. I’ve been a Bristol season ticket holder for 5 years and love racing. My goal in life is to go to all the NASCAR tracks. So far I’ve been to Bristol, Darlington, Charlotte and a few local tracks. "

Stephen - AKA - Miller - Warehouse Manager

I have been at Mountain Glass Arts for 2 years. It is the best job I have ever had! Working for a progressive company helping talented artists, alongside great people in a beautiful location; nothing could be better for me. Prior to coming here I worked doing anything I could that involved photography, from printing in a lab, to running my own professional photography business, and most recently as a photographer for the Asheville Citizen Times newspaper, but the corporate print journalism world was not for me. My wife Karen, a lampworker for 15 years, and I moved to Asheville from Boulder, Colorado 6 years ago to be closer to family, and have really come to love the region. We get out to hike and camp in the mountains and canoe on the water whenever we can. We love our 2 dogs like they are our children. I still love to photograph the beautiful nature and landscapes we are so blessed to live among, as well as the many excellent live music shows I attend. I mess around on the mandolin a little, and rock the soft glass beads when the studio isn’t too hot to breathe!

Melissa - Marketing

I lived the quintessential New York City life for 35 years before making my way to the beautiful mountains of Asheville, NC. My career path has span many industries, with a focus on sales, marketing, design and hospitality. From clothing to furniture retail, major to indie records labels, event planning, hospitality and dabbling in tons of craft projects in my own time. Working at Mountain Glass has allowed me to draw from my diverse background of careers, as well as encourages my love for all things crafty. When I am not working I enjoy cooking, gardening, taking in the various arts and natural beauty Asheville has to offer, hanging with my adorable French Bulldog, who is quite fond of rides on anything with wheels, and creating something new, from something old, with a touch of glass.

Mark - Processing

I fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains while hitch-hiking through in the early 70’s. It took me nearly 35 years to relocate my life here, but my only regret is it wasn’t sooner. After moving here I published my first book, opened a 2nd business and got in a lot of hiking. The economy going under took the businesses out, but I found a home here at Mountain Glass. It’s the fortunate people who find a way of crafting what they are driven to express, whether it’s via the forming of an intricate art glass piece which mesmerizes the eye, or by crafting a musical passage which touches the depths of the soul, or by creating a new concept by way of fiction. The staff at MGA have been able to give their dreams form, and I feel fortunate to be among them.

Justin - Shipping and Receiving

From the eastern part of North Carolina, a man enters the awesome world of Asheville to become...one with the glass. I have lived in Asheville for 3 years now and absolutely love it. I am so lucky to find a job working with the best people who I can call friends, and to be able to learn from those I work with, the art of glass. I have picked up glassblowing as a full time hobby that I have been loving and wanting to do for years. I am a computer nerd who is a fan of the internet. I moderate a subreddit at reddit.com/r/lampwork, which is an open discussion area for glassblowers and artist.

Dustin - Retail Counter & Sales

I am a Mechanical Engineering student here in Asheville, NC. My favorite past-times include going Phishing, jamming on my Stratocaster, and enjoying the wonderful micro-brews that "Beer City USA" has to offer! I'm originally a Buffalo, NY kid... so with that being said--Go Bills and Sabres!

Brad - Retail Counter & Warehouse

Just another Asheville musician here. I grew up in Raleigh and used to come camping and hanging out in Asheville all the time growing up and knew one day I would "settle down" here in these awesome mountains. After traveling around and living in Atlanta GA and Berkeley CA from 2003 - 2009, I decided to make the trek back to my home state and live here in amazing Ashlantis. I've been a musician for most of my life and basically juggle my life between working here at MGA and playing gigs in two bands from the area. I also dabble in painting, love to go hiking for hours when I can, camping, snowboarding and I now have a new love and appreciation for glass blowing. It absolutely amazes me what people are creating out of glass these days. I'm a newbie at it for sure and have gained a huge respect for the art. I feel blessed and fortunate to have landed such a great job at such a wonderful company where everyone understands the value of working as a team. I'm very happy to be a part of the Mountain Glass arts family!

Patrick - Purchasing

I am one of the newer team members at MGA, but I have been in Asheville longer than anyone here. After a mini-career in book production at Random House in NYC, I moved back south to open a bookstore in downtown Asheville in the late 80's. From there i landed in the natural products industry, importing German cosmetics and hair color, and now I have found the world of glass. A perfect fit for the Asheville culture, and a great company of talented people. I have an amazing daughter (Sally), who keeps winning scholarships, and an equally amazing son (Willy), with Down Syndrome, who lives with me and keeps me hopping.... also, my tennis game is making a remarkable recovery.

David - Processing & Warehouse

I'm on an eternal trip, always realizing that the destination is the present moment. Born in Tampa, Florida and raised in Houston, TX, a cathartic quarter life crisis transformed me from madness, to a death and rebirth in Iceland, and multiple subsequent perspective shattering adventures through Europe. Burlington, VT was my Bruma home for 5 years until taking a leap into the mirrored absolute beauty of Asheville. I'm grateful that the stars aligned and presented the opportunity to work for an extremely cool company here at Mountain Glass Arts. I'm surrounded by a talented, hardworking, and insanely fun team and get to truly appreciate the mesmerizing medium of glass. When I'm not bleeding in the import section you'll find me dabbling with glassblowing, training my fierce killer chihuahua puppy Gir, exploring the nature of existence, contemplating lucid possibilities, or costumed in ego as a recovering Houston Rockets fanatic...it may be time to grow a beard!!! All is as it should be...