State Department finalized a $5million order for custom crystal wine glasses for American embassies just hours before the government shutdown

Vermont-based crystal company Simon Pearce commissioned to make 12,000 pieces for American embassies

Order was finalized the day before the government shutdown

One of a handful of pricey orders filed in the last week of the fiscal year, known inside the Beltway as 'use it or lose it' week



A $5million order for custom crystal glasses and bar accessories was placed for American embassies on the day before the government shutdown.

The State Department finalized the order for custom stemware on September 30, just hours before nearly one million federal workers were put on unpaid leave as a result of the on-going budget dispute in Congress.

The contract was awarded to Simon Pearce, a Vermont stemware company that makes hand blown crystal that retails for up to $85-per-wine glass.

Serving up contracts: A Vermont-based company called Simon Pearce was awarded a $5million State Department contract to produce stemware for American embassies and consulates

The order calls for more than 12,000 pieces of 20 different styles.

'We’re thrilled with the contract and will take great pride in having Vermont product in the hands of people around the world,' Simon Pearce CEO Clay Adams told the Valley News .

Another stipulation of the order is that all of the crystal be made in the United States with the majority of the collection being made in the company's factory in Quechee, Vermont.

'Simon Pearce is a natural fit for this given its production in Vermont and Maryland,' Mr Adams said in a statement.

Table diplomacy: American embassies host major political dinners and functions, like this one attended by then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Tel Aviv in 2007

The timing of the contract is problematic for the department as the GSA, which is the government body that handles the pricing out and awarding of contracts to small businesses, notes that the contract was finalized on September 25 and posted on the 30th.

Pricey: This particular style of white wine glass sells for $85-per-glass

While this year's budget battle is unusual given the shutdown, it is not uncommon for ornamental orders to be placed during the last week of September because if it is not ordered before the cut-off, they will have to wait another fiscal year to do so, when more pressing items like paychecks and security costs take precedent.



The State Department was far from the only offender during this year's so-called 'use it or lose it' week, as The Washington Post reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs spent more than a half a million dollars on artwork.



The Coast Guard spent $178,000 repairing cubicle furniture, and the Department of Agriculture blew six figures on toner cartridges.



This is the first time that Simon Pearce is the recipient of such an order, but that should also come as little surprise considering it had a well-connected friend vying for them.

Senator Patrick Leahy, who represents Vermont, is the head of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees State Department funding, meaning that he was in a unique position to push for his local company.

His pleas didn't fall on unfamiliar ears either, as Secretary of State John Kerry is from nearby Massachusetts.

'It is wonderful to have such an exquisite example of Vermont craftsmanship on display and in use in our embassies around the world,' Senator Leahy said in a statement.