About us

When Charles Flickinger first took a 2-day glass bending class at the New York Experimental Glass Workshop in 1983, he had no idea how it would shape his future. The workshop, held in Little Italy and taught by Sydney Cash, ignited his passion for glasswork. It involved building electric kilns and fabricating molds, giving Flickinger a taste of the art that would become his life’s work.

By 1984, Flickinger was working for Rambusch Decorating, a liturgical design firm, restoring stained glass windows. His visit to Morgan and Sons, a third-generation glass bending company in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, planted the seed of starting his own glass bending business. The idea took root over Thanksgiving that year when Flickinger and his brother John brainstormed in front of a wood stove in Norwalk, Ohio. They laughed at the prospect of failure, finding it an acceptable risk.

The following summer, in 1985, Flickinger Glassworks opened its first shop in a tiny 200 square foot space above Steve’s Food Town in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Flickinger hustled to find clients, visiting antique shops and offering glass bending services. His hard work paid off, and by December, Flickinger had relocated to a larger 800 square foot shop at 20 Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

In 1986, Flickinger met Steve Baxter, a skilled glassblower, and together they designed and built their first production kilns. Their partnership blossomed, and in 1987, they started working on infrared kilns, successfully creating a large 6-burner kiln. By the end of 1989, Flickinger Glassworks moved to a spacious 7,000 square-foot location at Pier 41 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, marking a significant expansion.

The early 1990s were a period of growth and innovation. The large kiln was expanded, the staff grew, and the business thrived on good customer relations and a commitment to quality. Constantly taking on new custom work kept the company at the forefront of glass bending technology and design.

The early 2000s brought stability as Flickinger established partnerships with various lighting designers and companies. These steady customers provided a financial backbone, smoothing out the peaks and valleys of the business cycle. The business also ventured into selling tableware at craft fairs, adding a new revenue stream.

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy devastated the shop, halting production. However, FGW raised over $62,000 on GoFundMe and secured a significant job bending tiles for the Broadway-Lafayette subway station in NYC. These funds paid wages and allowed the shop to rebuild. The resiliency and creativity of the work allowed Flickinger Glassworks to weather challenges over the decades, while other glass bending companies were forced to close.

In 2016, Flickinger Glassworks hired Roberta Bonisson to design new sets of tableware. The designs were showcased at the Jacob Javits Center. The adoption of new designs and products exemplifies the company’s commitment to innovation and quality.

In 2022, Charles Flickinger passed the baton of ownership to Eric Powell, ensuring the continued legacy of Flickinger Glassworks. By 2024, modernized operations have allowed FGW to expand the types and volumes of work the company can take on. Further collaborations with lighting designers and large-scale production orders have enabled the company to offer custom solutions for various types of projects.