Meet David Royce | Co-Owner Bicycle Glass

We had the good fortune of connecting with David Royce and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Bicycle Glass makes hand blown pendant lights and lighting products from locally sourced post consumer recycled glass. This is unique in the industry, challenging to do and has a really nice impact on the environment. When we started the business we were acutely aware that melting glass, while glass is an inherently recyclable product, does have a larger carbon footprint. To offset this we’ve purchase renewable energy from our inception. By using 100% post consumer recycled glass as a base product the glass is kept in the community and does not have a need to be shipped around the world, melts at a reduced temperature rather than making brand new glass and also has the added benefit of not losing weight to volitalization during the melting process.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

We’re really proud that all of our glass pieces are handcrafted here in Minnesota, using locally sourced, post-consumer recycled glass. Our journey started in a very humble way, with a makeshift furnace and an old kiln we repurposed to test our concept. Fortunately, having years of glassblowing experience, my business partner Michael and I were able to provide the initial labor needed to kickstart our business.

However, as we grew, the challenge wasn’t just about creating glass art. It became about finding and nurturing relationships with talented glassblowers and teaching newcomers the craft. To address this, we established an apprenticeship program aimed at giving beginners ample practice in glassblowing.

Running the business has been anything but easy. Balancing sales, production, and staffing has always been a tightrope walk. It’s critical for us to focus on building strong relationships with our employees and ensuring we always listen to our customers. Managing lead times, maintaining sales, and keeping both customers and employees satisfied are constantly on our radar.

Sustainability is a big part of our brand’s identity—not just in the products we create but in our practices, like using 100% post-consumer recycled packaging and ensuring our employees have sustainable, fulfilling jobs. We’re in it for the long haul, aiming to build a business that’s successful in the long term. This often means reinvesting in our operations and our team.

In summary, while it’s been a challenging journey, it’s the commitment to sustainability, quality, and community that keeps us moving forward. We’re excited about what the future holds and are committed to continuing to invest in our business and our people.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, let’s say you planned to visit in August.

You could spend the day at the Uptown Art Fair which is one of the premier art shows in the Midwest. You could take a break in the day to go to the sculpture garden which isn’t far away. If you haven’t had enough art you could do a quick loop around the Loring Park art festival across the street and then head to Milkjam Creamery to get some “cereal killers” ice cream (ice cream with fruity pebbles in it).

You could start day two at Cafe Astoria in St. Paul and if you are adventurous try their “BEE STING” made from
espresso, milk, honey, cayenne and bee pollen.

You could explore the James J Hill house in the afternoon.

There’s tons more of course. Minneapolis and St. Paul have lots of beautiful lakes and rivers to walk along. A walk around lake of the isles or cedar lake could be really nice.

There’s lots of night life too, you could catch a show at First Ave. depending on what’s playing.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I think about our business, I think that first and foremost the people that deserve recognition are the employees. The employees all along the way have dedicated their time and effort to making beautiful products and without their unique effort and dedication we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

Website: www.bicycleglass.com

Instagram: @bicycleglass

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bicycleglassco

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/bicycleglass/