When Heather Roberts travels outside of her small hometown of Charleroi, Pa., and tells people where she is from, more often than not, they recognize that it also is home to Pyrex, the iconic heat- and shatter-resistant glassware that has been a staple in American kitchens for generations.
Roberts is president of Local 53G, which includes more than 260 workers who produce the glass storage and mixing bowls, measuring cups and baking dishes for which the Pyrex brand has been known for more than a century.
“We take a lot of pride in what we do,” Roberts said of herself and her co-workers, which over the years have included her husband, mother, father-in-law, sister and numerous other relatives and neighbors.
Members of Local 53G make the well-known glassware while, about 150 miles to the east, in Greencastle, Pa., members of Local 1024 process and manage online orders and distribution of the products.
Roberts has worked at the factory for 17 years, and in 2015, she joined her co-workers and the town (population 4,200) in celebrating the brand’s 100th birthday. In honor of the centennial, Charleroi renamed itself Pyrex, Pa., for 100 days and held a large-scale celebration with a giant measuring cup as the centerpiece.
When she and her fellow Women of Steel engage in their regular community outreach efforts, Roberts said, they often encounter residents who identify closely with the Pyrex brand, even if they never worked at the factory.
When the company holds occasional public sales in town, lines stretch out the door, Roberts said.
“People come from everywhere,” she said.
For More Information: Visit corelle.com/pages/pyrex.
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