Since the Kokomo Opalescent Glass Co. launched its website last year, it has helped to attract more than 4,300 visitors — representing 34 states and seven countries — to the 1310 S. Market St. facility.
Needless to say, CEO John O’Donnell and his staff don’t know everyone who visits the website or their facility.
“We opened our Internet store last July and people representing 123 countries have visited our site. We’ve had more than 20,000 [Internet] visitors, and 67 percent have been new guests,” he said.
One of those new guests was Jeff Rumaner, Kansas City heavy-metal sculptor and restaurateur. Rumaner has his own cable TV show and, as part of the America’s Chefs program, he has cooked for more than 1,000 members of the U.S. Navy in Italy.
Rumaner, better known as “Stretch,” recently came to Kokomo Opalescent Glass to make glass and replacement glass for sculptures he is constructing.
For more than 25 years, Rumaner has made structures displayed in private and corporate collections throughout the world. He will also be starring in the Spike TV reality show, “Hungry Men at Work.”
Rumaner’s sculptures vary in scale from small approachable pieces to those that dominate the landscape. He said he likes using glass and steel in his pieces because “they work against each other, causing tension while maintaining a high level of dialogue. And making glass is sexy.”
“I found out about this place last year and I am glad these guys allowed me to come in and work with them,” he said. “I could not have had sent someone else here to do this for me. I am a hands-on person and I have to participate.”
In addition to being a sculptor, Rumaner owns two Kansas City restaurants and The Food Network has featured him as a sculptor and restaurateur on the cable shows, “Diners, Drive-ins & Dives” and “Guy’s Big Bite.”
He has also traveled with the Guy Fieri Roadshow tour, showcasing his 25-gallon Monster Margarita Machine and he has appeared on five episodes of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
O’Donnell admitted that, until Rumaner’s request came in, he was unaware of all of Rumaner’s endeavors. Now, he hopes they can partner again on other projects.
“Late last year, his people contacted us about using our facilities because he enjoys working with glass, so we said yes. This gives us more exposure,” said O’Donnell, whose company has been featured on the TV show “How It’s Made,” which showed windows at Zionsville’s St. Alphonsus Catholic Church that were made by Kokomo Opalescent Glass.
“We’ve been doing this for 122 years. We are known around the world for what we do here. It amazes me we are known more outside Kokomo than inside. There are people here who don’t know where we are located or what we do here. As one of America’s oldest glass-making companies, the recognition feels good. It is good for us to be recognized, and it’s nice people have an opportunity to see what we do.”
Rumaner isn’t sure where the glass pieces will be used in his sculptures. Still, he was impressed with the facilities at Kokomo Opalescent Glass and he was pleased with what he was able to make there.
Most importantly, he said, he will return.
“I am going to leave here with a new product and I’ll come back and tweak it a little to make it even better,” said Rumaner. “You are sitting in the glass capital of the U.S. Artists and glass, that rocks and rolls. You can have a [glass] museum here and artists have a residency here. There are artists all over the world looking for that and you can have that here in Kokomo.”
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