EAST JORDAN -- Jay Baver and Glenna Haney at Jordan Valley Glassworks in East Jordan were given a unique task. Create 1,000 custom ornaments to be handed out by Governor Rick Snyder and stick to a statewide theme, Pure Michigan.
"It was a goal of ours to incorporate as much Michigan products as we could, into this ornament for the governor, so we could promote the entire state," Haney said.
The ornaments are a deep blue, made with michigan sand and bits of copper imported from the Upper Peninsula.
YouTube Extra: Watch the glassblowers create the Governor's ornamentsThis is the second time they have been commissioned to create ornaments for the Capitol, the first was for Governor Jennifer Grandholm.
"Each time they ask us to do something, it's a separate process, its not like the Governor says, just use the people in East Jordan because we used them before," Baver explained.
Jordan Valley Glassworks has been a family business for four generations and has developed a strong reputation around the country. They have also created ornaments for numerous celebrities, professional athletes, and four United States presidents.
"It's unique to East Jordan, Michigan. There's not a lot of glassblowers left my grandfather thought he would be the last glassblower in Brooklyn, New York nearly 100 years ago," Bavers said.
Their family businesses legacy will continue to grow Tuesday night when the Governor hands out these ornaments to friends and dignitaries.
