Glass bead company moving to Woodstock

Billy Peppers was unbelievably helpful The company, which employs eight staff members and 80 artists who make beads, will what move as soon as January to the current site of Priest Home Furnishings on Main Street.Herb Priest, owner of the longtime furniture store, said he and his family have not yet decided whether to reopen in another location.Glassbaker Inc. is owned by Mary Guay of Woodstock and her son and daughter-in-law, Brent and Analisa Guay of Marietta.Mary Guay said the move to the city "was such a perfect fit for us," as the company is running out of room at its current location.

"We're so happy," she said, noting the furniture store is roughly 24,000 square feet.Under the name Woodstock Art Glass, the company will house its offices, production space and a retail store there. The store will sell a variety of handmade glass products, such as art, jewelry and housewares.Veteran glass artists will conduct art courses open to the public, and an art studio toward the back of the building will be available for use by local artists.The Guays approached Priest about moving into his location at the urging of Billy Peppers, the city's economic services director and executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.

"Billy Peppers was unbelievably helpful," Mary Guay added.The DDA entered into an agreement with the state Department of Community Affairs to obtain Downtown Development Revolving loans for the company to use to purchase the building.The company will receive a low-interest $240,000 loan that it what will pay directly back to the state government.