Meet Alyssa, the Production Manager at Niche. Our favorite thing about her? She can always be seen around the office with an infectious smile and she always knows how to make us laugh. Keep reading Alyssa's employee spotlight to learn more about her role at Niche and what she enjoys doing outside of work! 

1. What drew you to Niche?

What I have always loved about Niche is the feeling of belonging to a larger whole. From one side of my office I can look down and see the Hot Shop at work, crafting our product with incredible talent and skill. On the other side I can see the Warehouse, where the glass gets packed up and shipped to its forever home. It is difficult to feel disconnected at Niche – the process of what we do literally surrounds us every day. And that makes the work personal. When you see the life of the glass from start to finish, and are able to build relationships with the people who work hands-on with it every day, you start to take a real pride in the product. It becomes “ours.” That’s something that the average office worker does not usually get to experience, so I feel very grateful to work at a place like Niche, where art, manufacturing, and business are wonderfully combined.

2. What is your role at Niche and what does your day to day routine consist of?

I am the Production Manager at Niche. I program the schedule for the Hot Shop – filtering through sales and stock check to let the team know what needs to get blown and when. I then guide the glass through the rest of the process, making sure it gets to our customers on time. I also monitor our inventory of both glass and non-glass items (electrical, metal, bulbs, glass color, etc.), making sure we have enough on hand and coordinating purchases when we run out. My favorite thing about my specific role is that I get to work with just about every department at Niche. I work really closely with Sales, Purchasing, the Hot Shop, the Cold Shop, and the Warehouse. I get to have my hands in a lot of different parts of the company, which always makes the job interesting.

3. What do you feel is the most important quality as a business in the design world?

Connection. I think you have to connect your product to the consumer in a meaningful way in order to be successful. Good design speaks to people, so you need to have a very clear and wide-reaching message.

4. What is your favorite Niche pendant shape and color combination? Why?

I’ve always liked the Terra pendant in Opaline, with a big Frosted G30 bulb – it makes a statement. But I’ve recently fallen in love with both the Ellipse and Pinch shapes in either Crystal or Optique. There is nothing more beautiful than clear glass when it’s done right – it is so pristine, and the nostalgic bulbs we use make it sparkle and glow. The grooves in the Optique glass really enhance the effect, refracting the light so beautifully. And our newest shapes are so modern and simple, which makes them versatile – I can envision them in any kind of environment.

5. What’s your favorite spot in Beacon or the Hudson Valley? Why?

I frequently visit the waterfront at my alma mater, Marist College, with my old roommate and best friend. Anywhere you can see the Hudson is a great spot, but Marist is a particularly beautiful and special place.

6. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I read! I have to, if I want to get through the hundreds of unread books that I own. I have a bit of an addiction to buying books at book sales or used book stores, despite the fact that I long ago ran out of bookshelf space for any more.