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reach the milestone of being
awarded 13 or more patents. That
piece is glass shaped into the
infinity symbol balancing on an
axis and is made exclusively for
Caterpillar. The other commis-
sioned piece, also exclusive to
Caterpillar, is named for former
Caterpillar chairman Jim Owens
and presented periodically to an
employee for exemplary service.
“It is so unique for an artist like
me to do work for a Fortune 50
company and for them to work
with me. It’s humbling for a guy
from a small town in the Mid-
west,” he said.
Born and reared in Peru, Toraa-
son went to SIU and first came
in contact with glass-as-art when
he got a new roommate who was
an experienced glass blower. So
Toraason, while majoring in busi-
ness, took art classes as electives
and learned the craft on his own.
After leaving SIU Toraason
ended up in Asheville, N.C. to
continue studying the craft. Ashe-
ville, he said, “has the second
largest concentration of glass
artists in the country, behind only
Seattle.”
He worked for more than
one company, learning to make
ornaments — becoming a master
ornament maker — and other
pieces. He kept busy but he said
he knew he didn’t want to work
for other artists his whole life.
It was in 2003 he and his wife
Holly, who is from Peoria, de-
cided to return to the Midwest to
raise a family. “I decided to take
a risk and open my own business.
I knew I needed to be here to do
that,” said Toraason, now 36. He
and his wife have two children.
“Having a family changes every-
thing. That was a big factor,” he
said.
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