NEW DALLAS-BASED TRUTH IN GLASS PERFECTS ART OF REPRODUCING PAINTINGS IN ELEGANT, DURABLE STAINED GLASS FOR MUSEUM STORES & LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCT LINE

Socially responsible manufacturer Truth in Glass launches line of distinctive, high-quality products for museum stores and other cultural commerce retailers

(EMAILWIRE.COM, April 09, 2008 ) Dallas, TX - Museum-store and cultural gift-shop buyers need no longer lament the void in high-quality stained- and painted-glass products that has plagued their field in recent years. And if they’ve been seeking to control production costs and purchase their products from a socially responsible manufacturer, they have further cause to rejoice. On Saturday, April 12, Truth in Glass, the new subsidiary of Meixia Arts and Handicrafts Co., Ltd., launches its brand-new Truth in Glass™ line of distinctive, premium-quality stained-glass products and giftware for the cultural commerce market. The new products feature reproductions of fine works of art in visually stunning glass panels that capture the beauty of the original pieces. A catalog of images from which museums can also select stock items to buy wholesale is planned for next year.

“I’m excited to finally be able to offer high-quality, high-fidelity glass-painted images to the cultural commerce community, and I look forward to making Truth in Glass a byword for good taste, service, and socially responsible manufacturing,” says Tennessee-born Bill Job, founder and president of Meixia (pronounced “may-shyah”). The company, which is a fully U.S.-owned enterprise in China, was created in 1988. Its name combines the first character of the Mandarin word meiguo, meaning “America,” with the first character of Xiamen, the port city in which it is located.

In its two-decade history, Meixia has grown from a small handicrafts company into a thriving manufacturer of insulated glass panels, art glass tables and elegant stained-glass giftware items. It holds over 20 patents on machines and processes relating to stained-glass manufacturing and is recognized as a leader and innovator in the glass industry.

Meixia is equally noteworthy for its social responsibility. It pays its employees, some of whom are physically challenged or formerly homeless, a living wage and overtime; provides vacation time and health insurance; offers workshops for employees on such topics as personal development and money management; and provides a summer school for employees’ children. Contributions to the local community include substantial funding of medical care and foster care for orphans. It has also set up a satellite factory in an impoverished mountain village to provide close-to-home employment for local residents.

Truth in Glass carries on this tradition of service to employees, customers and the community. “Meixia’s vision is transforming people and communities through profitable business,” explains Job. “That means an absolute commitment to community development and social justice, attention to detail and quality, relationships, and effective communication with our customers. That commitment continues with the launch of our newest division, Truth in Glass.”

Truth in Glass is exclusively represented in the United States and Canada by Roger Ginnett, President of Dallas-based Ginnett Associates. Ginnett knows Meixia well; he worked at their factory in Xiamen, and brings to Truth in Glass a first-hand knowledge of the company’s operations in China. He also has over 15 years’ experience in marketing, sales and customer service and has worked for such Fortune 500 companies as Kellogg’s and Coca-Cola Enterprises.

“Meixia is stable and has the experience and capacity to serve the market without compromising on quality,” notes Ginnett, who has already been contacted by museum buyers interested in the new Truth in Glass™ line. “And the product has proven itself in the market as a consistent seller over the years. I hope buyers will feel secure about our long-term commitment in service; that we are offering a product with prestige appeal, and not a commodity; and that we are open to learning and growing with them as a supplier that truly listens to their feedback and seeks to improve in the market. We’re ready to prove that we are worthy of their trust and that we bring value to the table as a supplier.”

Museum buyers select paintings from their collections for reproduction. Truth in Glass works with them to ensure that their choices are suitable in color and detail for transfer to the glass medium. A unique process perfected by the company ensures not only faithful color reproduction – its artisans work with a rich palette of 850 hues – but also durability. Because the enamel pigments used as coloring agents are metal-based oxides and fuse into the surface of the glass during firing, they are unaffected by ultraviolet rays and do not fade, and they cannot chip or be scratched off.

Members of the Museum Store Association will have their first opportunity to see examples of Truth in Glass’s stunning offerings at the offsite hospitality event of the Museum Store Association Retail Conference & Expo, which opens in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, April
12. Products will be on display and complimentary refreshments will be served to MSA members in the Skyway Meeting Room of the Embassy Suites Hotel Tampa-Downtown Convention Center from 12 noon until 7 PM on April 13th and 14th. The room is next to the skyway that links the hotel to the Convention Center.

For further information, contact Roger Ginnett, President, Ginnett Associates, 1506 Lorrie Drive, Richardson, TX 75080. Tel. (972) 744-0110; cell phone (972) 679-5200; email: roger@truthinglass.com. Additional information, including photographs of sample products, may be found at http://www.truthinglass.com.

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