O-I partners with St Mungo’s to mark 200 years in glass

O-I is to sponsor the design and installation of a new stained glass window to mark the 200th anniversary of St Mungo’s Parish Church in Alloa, UK.

Glassmaking in Alloa predates St Mungo’s by around 70 years and the modern plant is now part of the largest container glass company in the world.

Gordon Leckie, Plant Manager at O-I Alloa said: “The church has been the glass plant's neighbour since it was built. Our employees have been amongst its parishioners, they have worshiped, married, baptised their children, and said their goodbyes to loved ones in St Mungo’s.
“While you could say the glass plant has been the economic heart of the town, the church has been the spiritual heart. We are pleased to fund the new stained glass window which reiterates our joint commitment to Alloa and the wider community.”

The new window will symbolise the journey the church has made since the church was opened in 1819 and highlight the importance of the River Forth in the lives of the local people and their industries. Initial designs are expected at the end of 2017 and the Reverend Sang Cha, the minister at St Mungo’s hopes the window will be installed in early 2018.

Glassmaking is a vital part of that Alloa tradition. When the church was built, the Alloa glassworks predominantly produced wine bottles. Today, following a GBP 25 million investment in 2014, it is the powerhouse of the Scottish spirits industry, while also making beer and, as the wheel turns full circle, wine bottles again.

Leckie said: “We have a large and talented team of very experienced glassmakers and with our yearly appointment of apprentices continue to build our workforce for the future. As a well-established glass plant, many of our employees follow in the footsteps of previous generations of their family, having parents or grandparents who have worked with us. We are delighted to be solidifying our relationship with the community by providing the funding for the new stained glass window.”