Business Spotlight
Niche, noun: A place or position that's particularly appropriate for someone or something, especially due to being very specific and different from others.
NavCour, noun: A place that is the literal definition of niche.
In a technology-filled world, where computers rule everything around us, NavCour is certainly off the beaten path in that regard. The only computer or piece of technology that I noticed was in the office all the way in the back. In place of computers, you'll find open flames, torches, industrial lathes, giant ovens, old fabric patterns, and lots and lots of glass. After five minutes of watching Doug Navalinsky and his team work, you'll be enthralled by the fire, molten glass, and the brilliant glow of neon. Part technical craftwork, part Frankenstein's laboratory, this specialty shop on South Broadway is unlike any other in Lorain. In fact, when I asked Doug just how niche NavCour is, he named no more than five competitors—in the entire state of Ohio. Imagine having a talent so exclusive that you and every other equally qualified person in your state could pack yourselves into a VW Bus and hit the road. I find that absolutely fascinating.
The motto at NavCour is "Making the impossible possible." And believe me, some of the glassware they produce is just mind-boggling in its technical prowess. One of the first pieces Doug showed me was this multi-chambered weird teapot-looking thingy. I was amazed at the fact that a human made this, and not a computer-controlled machine. It was so elegant, strange, perfect—and left me wondering what in the world it was used for. After marveling over it for a few minutes, secretly looking for a single flaw in the craftsmanship (there were none), he opened up a case and showed me a small army of exact replicas of the mystery part. It's actually not a mystery part. He told me exactly what it was called and what it was for, but I didn't write it down and totally forgot. Where the mystery lies is: how can they replicate this specialty glassware so perfectly, over and over, as the parts created here demand extreme precision, continuity, and have to be durable? There is no room for anything less than perfection.
Lorain Local Magazine | page 29
l a c ol ni a r ol e h t @ | m o c .l a c ol ni a r ol
written and photographed by Jason Shaffer
