[PA-NJ Glassblowers] He's blowing his money in N. Phila.

Tony Patti gaffer at glassblower.info
Wed Dec 4 21:54:51 EST 2013


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20131204_He_s_blowing_his_money_in_N__Phil
a_.html

 

John Pomp of John Pomp Studios in Philadelphia. He runs a small business
that uses blown glass to make lighting. Photograph taken in the hot shop on
Monday, November 25, 2013. ( ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER )

 

John Pomp of John Pomp Studios in Philadelphia.  He runs a small business
that uses blown glass to make lighting. 

 

Photograph taken in the hot shop on Monday, November 25, 2013. ( ALEJANDRO
A. ALVAREZ / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER )

 


JOHN POMP, 40, of North Philadelphia, is founder and principal of John Pomp
Studios, a glassblowing studio on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Mascher Street,
North Philadelphia. Pomp, a glassblower, now spends most of his time on
product development. His studio specializes in handcrafted blown glass,
lighting and furniture. Pomp's fixtures are displayed in 10 U.S. showrooms
and in Paris and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Q: How did you get into the glassblowing business?

A: I was a painter in high school in Johnstown, Pa., and my art teacher was
a mentor. He suggested I try glass. It's an ancient art that many people
aren't familiar with.

Q: How does it work?

A: We inflate air into molten glass with steel pipes. And we blow it at
2,000 degrees.

Q: You and your art teacher have a Philly connection, right?

A: Yes, he was a graduate of Tyler School of Art at Temple University, and
so am I.

Q: What did you do after that?

A: I was teaching and freelancing in New York and developed my first
accessories collection of vases. I came back here and taught at Tyler, but
returned to New York in 1999. That's when I launched John Pomp Studios.

Q: Tell me about that.

A: I got a bank loan to open a studio in Brooklyn. I was the go-to person
for custom glass-blown lighting fixtures for architects and interior
designers.

Q: Why did you return?

A: There are many talented artists here. It made sense to come back. We
bought a building on Mascher, and then we purchased an adjacent building
[with assistance from the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp.].

Q: How's the biz model work?

A: Our collections are available only to architects and interior designers
who can specify custom lighting fixtures for residences.

Q: Who buys Pomp?

A: Clients who have multiple homes and can afford handcrafted, glass-blown
lighting fixtures for their homes.

Q: How much do products cost?

A: Our industry is very sensitive to this because we don't do retail, but in
general [lighting] fixtures range from $1,500 to $50,000.

Q: Everything in Philly?

A: Yes. We have our metal shop, glassblowing studio, lamp shop, wiring,
crate-making shop and offices. I'm very proud of that.

Q: How big a business?

A: Twenty-two full-time employees.

Q: Are you going to hit $3 million in annual revenue based on what you did
in 2012?

A: That's what we project.

 

 

More about John Pomp Studios can be found on their website:
http://www.johnpomp.com/

 


Tony Patti
  
 <http://www.glassblower.info> www.glassblower.info
  
 <mailto:gaffer at glassblower.info> gaffer at glassblower.info

 <http://www.glassblower.info/qr-code.html> QR Code for Tony Patti -
www.glassblower.info

 

 

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