The story of glass with a distinctive character

It is certainly important for us to communicate the fact that we are a Slovak company, a Slovak brand, and that we are building Slovak design. It matters to us to highlight this in some way, because these are values, we truly care about. We are not just a manufacturing facility – we also create and develop things here. The design is developed entirely in-house, from start to finish, with the involvement of local designers. This is something that has real meaning for us, and we are glad to be part of this project and to be able to show people who know us mainly in Slovakia a glimpse behind the scenes of our production.

We take pride in several qualities that define us and set us apart. One of them is the pulled stem technology, which we developed back in 1956 – first introduced in hand production and later, in 2001, implemented in machine production as well. This technology ensures that the product is significantly more durable than standard products made by competitors.

Another important factor is the composition of the glass itself – our glass is transparent, crystal-clear, and highly resistant to oxidation. Lower-quality glass tends to oxidize over time, for example when washed repeatedly in a dishwasher, where a white film can appear after multiple cycles. Our glass offers high resistance, which is also certified – it can withstand thousands of washing cycles. A major advantage is also our in-house design, which allows us to create under our own brand as well as for our customers.

The product closest to me personally is the rum glass, on which I was able to take a more active role in its creation and design. To a certain extent, it was my idea to develop a glass specifically designed for rum, as this trend and rum culture remain very strong worldwide. This makes it particularly meaningful to me.

Now, however, I use the ARTE collection the most. It is our latest collection, produced using ultra-thin technology in machine production. It features a classic design interpreted in a very modern way. It was accompanied by a beautiful campaign called “The Art of Everyday Life,” focused on the search for the perfect curve. The collection was designed by our designer Patrik Illo, and it is the one I reach for most often.

Currently, we work with one main designer, Patrik Illo, who creates designs for all the new products we introduce. In the past, we collaborated with several designers who naturally changed over time. In addition, I can mention various collaborations from previous years.

The most recent one is the TRIBUTE collection, created in collaboration with world-renowned bartender Erik Lorincz, winner of a prestigious global competition in 2010. This collection is specifically designed for bar and gastronomy use and carries his personal signature – exactly what he himself would need and want in his own bar.

In the past, we also collaborated with Italian sommelier Maurizio Filippi, who helped us create a collection of wine glasses. It reflects his vision of the ideal glass for individual wine categories – not only white, red, rosé, and sparkling wines, but also their lighter and fuller styles. Although these people are not designers in the traditional sense, they work with glass every day, know it best, and understand what they expect from it. That is why these collaborations felt very natural and were highly successful, and we plan to continue with similar projects in the future.

I would divide quality control into two parts. The first is automated machine inspection, which can be seen directly in the production process. The machines are set with precise parameters, products are scanned and photographed, and if they fail to meet the criteria, they are automatically rejected. This inspection is very strict.

For more demanding products, even in machine production, manual inspection is still carried out. Multiple parameters are checked – weight, shape, and various production imperfectionsthat can naturally occur. The production process is relatively complex, which means there are many points where an error could arise. However, only products of top quality leave our production. The key criteria are weight, shape, and proper inflation into the mold – if a product is not properly inflated, it does not achieve the required shape.

I would not dare to speak for all other crafts in Slovakia, but I believe they will continue their work. As far as glassmaking is concerned, I am convinced it will endure. Glass will continue to be produced in Lednické Rovne, especially thanks to stable demand from abroad. Approximately 98% of our production is exported, and thanks to the diversity of the countries we supply, I believe that production and craftsmanship will continue well into the future.