Glass Business Hit Hard by New Regulations and Will Close

One of the two glass companies swept up in a controversy involving emissions of toxic metals into the air in Portland, is closing its doors. Uroboros announced on its website it will shut down next year,

"It has become unavoidable," the company's president and founder, Eric Lovell, wrote. "Our closure will be with pride in a job well done, and in an orderly step-by-step fashion over the next 9-12 months.

"While we certainly hope to negotiate a deal with a new owner to move Uroboros and restart production of its products in a new location, nothing is certain at this time."

The company, which has been in business for 43 1/2 years, determined its location and business model are no longer viable.

"This situation has developed partly due to the very high costs of meeting many new environmental, fire safety, and seismic regulations now required by our city and state," Lovell wrote. "Also because of market factors, the urbanization and gentrification of our location, and by my impending retirement age. It is not any one of these factors, but a combination of all of them."

Uroboros - along with Bullseye Glass - were affected by new regulations imposed by the state's Department of Environmental Quality after high levels of toxic metals were found in the air.

Photo Uroboros Glass