Arentzen & Ohlander
Rich Arentzen and Tove Ohlander are the co-founders of AO Glass.
Rich and Tove took very different paths to mastering the art of glassblowing—but when they joined forces, sparks (and molten glass) flew. Together, they built a vibrant, one-of-a-kind glass factory-studio in Burlington, Vermont’s South End—a place as dynamic and colorful as the work they create. Their story began back in 1994 at Sweden’s legendary National School of Glass in Orrefors, where they bonded over their shared love of fire, form, and Scandinavian fika. By 1998, they’d fired up their first studio near Oslo, Norway. The pull of Burlington’s creative energy eventually lured them across the Atlantic, and in 2007 they founded AO Glass—a hotspot where craftsmanship meets community, and the glass is always half full.
Their two glass traditions and aesthetics - Swedish and Italian-American - come together in a complementary way.
You’ll find both Arentzen and Ohlander right in the thick of things at their 10,000-square-foot glass wonderland on Pine Street. Alongside their talented crew of glass wizards, they craft everything from sleek high-end components to dazzling glass gifts and tableware that makes even a Tuesday dinner feel fancy. AO Glass keeps its Nordic roots glowing strong, importing top-quality Swedish glass from Glasma in Småland—the glass world’s version of a secret sauce—where raw material science meets centuries of tradition to fuel their unique creations.
AO Glass is a protector of the craft - literally “keeping the fires burning” while providing jobs and contributing to Burlington’s creative economy as a manufacturer of handblown glass components with national clients.
Rich Arentzen grew up in Guilford CT and graduated from Bucknell University. Through inspiration from his jeweler aunt Glenda Arentzen and her partner and early studio glass pioneer Rick Harkness, he began blowing glass in 1990 in Burlington Vermont. After many years of study, and practice in traditional techniques, he now prides himself on having created one of the country’s largest glass studios and teams. “Now that the infrastructure is established, I look forward to re-focusing on creative production.”
Tove Ohlander grew up in a densely glass-cultured area of the world, Småland, Sweden, and became a part of the deep tradition of glass blowing at the Orrefors Glass School. Tove works in the glass manufacturing field as a glass product designer while managing brand development and marketing. Tove is also the founder of tove wear ~ a clothing brand with a clear women focus, based on her experience as a creative maker looking for empowering and inspiring clothes.
AO Retro: timeline, pride points & struggles
✨ 15 YEARS OF AO GLASS ✨
After founding AO Glass in 2007 it took several years for Rich and Tove to find the perfect location to expand their business. In 2011 they signed the lease for the tiny, but oh-so-charming, brick building on Pine Street. Gaffer Lucas Lonegren joined from Vermont's Northeast Kingdom and anchored the studio by supplying his own glass furnace. Tove power-washed the walls and developed products, and Rich managed the business, all while working a second job at Klinger’s Bakery. The AO couple also had 4-, 11-, and 13-year-old children at that time, so to say that they were busy is an understatement.
The first large order at AO Glass came from The Smithsonian Institute for 500 glass snowfolk. Bernie Sanders’ office facilitated the order as part of his initiative directing the Smithsonian to offer more made-in-America gifts at their legendary museum store.
After that first successful product line, AO Glass developed partnerships in the glass lighting industry, initially with Hubbardton Forge and Lindsey Adelman, followed by Allied Maker and Urban Electric. This was possible after hiring the first AO Glass Assistant, Harrison McCandless, fresh from a University of Vermont degree in of Studio Arts, as recommended by UVM Professor Lynda McIntire.
The lighting industry partnerships transformed AO Glass, growing from a small art glass studio into a premiere vendor of glass components in the lighting industry. Their unique set-up, size, and industry knowledge enabled AO to provide clients with unique sample sessions and large manufacturing capacity. This, coupled with an unmatched attentiveness to design and quality, problem-solving, and guidance throughout the entire process, makes AO Glass stand out in this field.
Purchasing something from AO Glass is more than the transaction: it establishes a direct relationship with an age-old craft made modern, imbued with hundreds of years of history and folklore.
