patio and hearth products report january/february 2014

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4 Patio & Hearth Products Report January/February 2014

features8 Guest Editorial

Why I Love Outdoor LivingBy Cristina FerrareThe cohost of Home & Family, a dailylifestyle television program on the HallmarkChannel, explains how an outdoor lifestyle,with the right products, enriches her life.

16 Product Spotlight A Warm ReceptionBy Cheryl Dangel BartoliniGovernment regulations and efficiency stan-dards are influencing the designs of todaysfireplaces.

24 Marketing Maneuvers Taking a BreakBy Kimberly RodgersThis Massachusetts patio-furniture storeoperates best by offering limited hours duringthe winter.

28 Hearth Retailer Profile A Hot SpotBy Sharon SandersBy working harder and smarter, a veteran ofthe hearth industry holds the distinction ofowning the number-one fireplace store in a100-mile radius.

32 Outdoor Grilling Building a BrandBy Cheryl Dangel BartoliniA commitment to superior customer servicehas played a major role in this business annu-al double-digit growth since 2008.

36 Showroom Showcase The Rewards of RetailBy Sharon SandersA former aerospace worker reveals how theoutdoor-living retail field has ended up beingthe perfect second career.

40 As I See It Cool ToolsBy Sharon SandersThe Companion Group manufactures someof the most innovative and functional acces-sories in the barbecue industry.

54 Last Word A Casual VibeBy Greg ThompsonMallin Casuals stylish and forward-lookingcollections for 2014 are all the rage in themarketplace.

in every issue6 XLVIII

Publishers Viewpoint and EditorsMessage

10 Industry News Edited by Kris Kyes

56 Whats New: 6 Hot Products to Sell Now

58 Product Profiles

82 Product Profiles Directory

82 Ad Index

Follow us on Twitter: @patiohearthwww.Facebook.com/PatioHearthProductsReport

J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | V o l u m e 9 , N u m b e r 1

64

42 My Turn Go Out SwingingBy Sharon SandersAs the worlds largest manufacturer of ham-mocks, The HammockSource offers an incredi-ble array of high-end hammocks for specialty-retail customers.

44 Product Innovation A Major UnveilingBy Cheryl Dangel BartoliniA respected manufacturer in the hearth industryhas a new name, a new CEO, and a new look.

48 Corporate Profile A New FaceBy Cheryl Dangel BartoliniInnovative Hearth Products recently launched anew branding campaign to streamline andrestructure its product lines.

50 Insight Success Breeds SuccessBy Cherise FornoRH Peterson continues to strengthen its legacyby manufacturing world-class products andoffering first-rate service.

52 Insight Embracing the SunBy Cherise FornoSince its founding more than 15 years ago,TUUCI has emerged as an industry leadermaking high-quality umbrellas, lounges, andpavilions.

contents

58

58 67

On the Cover | Villa Gas by Outdoor Lifestyles by Hearth & Home Technologies,www.hearthnhome.com

Life Begins Outdoors.

For more information on Agio outdoor gas re pits, visit www.agio-usa.com today. Follow us on or

Agio is the registered trademark of Agio International Company, Ltd.

),5(3,76#2 ON YOUR CUSTOMERS

OUTDOOR LIST.Thats why it should

be #1 on yours.If you havent added outdoor re pits and chat

groups to your showroom oor, then youre missing

out on one of the biggest trends in outdoor right

now. Agio offers more outdoor re pits and chat

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can give you an added edge over your competitors

and an exciting new revenue stream.



At the time of this writing, I have noidea whether the Denver Broncosledby their Most Valuable Player quarter-back, Peyton Manningor the SeattleSeahawksled by their dynamic quar-terback, Russell Wilson (and Seattlesinfamous 12th man)will win SuperBowl 48. This, though, I do know: TheNFL, once again, will be a winner, andnot just because there are two reallygreat teams playing in this years SuperBowl. The NFL has done an excellentjob, over the past 48 years, of turningSuper Bowl Sunday into an unofficialnational holiday.

Its expected that over 110 millionpeople will watch this years Super Bowl,and it wouldnt be a surprise if SuperBowl XLVIII became the most-watchedtelevision program in U.S. history.People who normally wouldnt watch afootball game if you paid them will sitdown and watch the Super Bowl fromstart to finish.

U.S. soldiers stationed overseas willwake up at odd hours to watch the gameand to throw their own Super Bowl par-ties inside military tents. Grocery storesand liquor stores will see a large uptick

in store traffic 72 hours before kickoff. Do you want to get from point A to

point B on any freeway in normallycrowded and congested Los Angeles,California? Angelenos can drive almostanywhere, once the first whistle blows onSuper Bowl Sunday, and theyll have toforce themselves to stay under the speedlimit. For the two weeks leading up tothe Super Bowl, all mediaprint, televi-sion, radio, online, and socialwill havestories to tell about the upcoming event.

Notice that I said event, not game.What the NFL has done so brilliantly isto turn a football game into a nationalevent. In fact, many who have played ina Super Bowl concede that the actualfootball game is secondary to the event.

With halftime shows that featuresome of the greatest musical acts of alltimeand with television commercialsbefore, during, and after the game thatcommand millions of dollars per 30-sec-ond spot and that feature some of thebest, most creative work that MadisonAvenue has to offerthe one drawbackis that there is never a good time to takea bathroom break. The genius behindthe Super Bowl is that the NFL is selling

an event, an experience, a gathering, acelebration, and a common thread(sports) that unites many people, as wellas entertainment that just happened toinclude a football game.

In a similar way, Starbucks presentsitself not just as a place to buy an expen-sive cup of coffee, but as an experience(as well as a gathering spot). Accordingto Howard Schultz, CEO of StarbucksCorp., Starbucks is a place where peoplegather: a home away from home wherethey can also get a good cup of coffee.How often, in our own personal andbusiness lives, have we said, meet you atStarbucks, to one another?

To the uninformed observer, Cheers,the hit sitcom that originally aired from1982 through 1993, was a television pro-gram about a bar in Boston,Massachusetts. Nothing could be furtherfrom the truth. The show struck a chordin so many viewers because it was aboutpeople with disparate lives and careerswho gathered at a local tavern to sharetheir lives, dreams, aspirations, andheartaches with one another. The barwas nothing more than the venue wherethey gathered.

In much the same way, the patio,hearth, barbecue/grill, outdoor-kitchen,outdoor-furniture, and outdoor-livingindustry is not just about selling outdoorfurniture, outdoor dining sets, barbe-cues/grills, outdoor rugs, patio heaters,fireplaces, heating stoves, firepits, firetables, and the like. Our industry is aboutselling the experience: the gathering offamily and friends, either in an outdoor-living area or near a hearth product.

Retailers and dealers in our industryneed to sell the experiencethe feeling,the warmth, the ambience, and thenumerous benefits that come with invest-ing in patio, hearth, barbecue/grill, out-door-kitchen, outdoor-furniture, and out-door-living products. Do that, and youllkick off an excellent season in 2014.

TONY RAMOSPUBLISHER

[email protected]

Ushering in the new year isall about rest and rejuvenation,for many customers. The whirl-wind of the holidays has passed,and cold weather (in most parts

of the country) has settled infor a long winters nap. Theresno better time to cozy up witha book or watch a football play-off game in front of a glowingfireplace. Even when tempera-tures dip, though, barbecue afi-cionados still venture outdoorsto prepare rib-eye steaks andcedar-plank salmon while keep-ing toasty in front of their high-

powered grillsnot to men-tion their stylish outdoor fire-places and firepits.

The best part of our indus-try is that its virtually season-less. By developing hearthproducts for indoor use andcountless products for outdoorliving, our manufacturers offerconsumers everything that theyneed to relax, regroup, andreenergize, any time of the year.

As you contemplate whichfireplaces, firepits, grills, andpatio furniture will appeal mostto your customers in 2014, thisis a good time to investigatesome of the newest productsfrom hearth and outdoor-livingmanufacturers. One of the easi-est ways to learn about theseexciting offerings is to attendthis years HPBExpo, heldMarch 58 in Salt Lake City,Utah.

HPBExpo is NorthAmericas largest indoor/out-door-living showcase of hearth,

patio, and barbecue products.More than 350 leading manu-facturers and suppliers will bethere to demonstrate their latesthome-heating solutions, grills,outdoor kitchens, casual patiofurniture, water and landscapeproducts, and all-weather enter-tainment systems. This yearsshow is expected to attractthousands of specialty and massretailers, installing distributors,builders and remodelers,HVAC service contractors,hardware dealers, and housingprofessionals interested inlearning more about innovativeproducts that consumers will beasking for in the months ahead.

One of the shows most pop-ular attractions is its NewProduct Pavilion. Now in itseighth year, the pavilion displaysgroundbreaking year-roundproducts (with which your cus-tomers are sure to fall in love). Inaddition to such industry leadersas Innovative Hearth Products,

Empire Comfort Systems,Napoleon Products, Twin-StarInternational, and TravisIndustries (which have long his-tories of exhibiting atHPBExpo), numerous first-timeexhibitors will be on hand toshowcase exciting new products.

Also offered at HPBExpo isa diverse range of educationalprogramsfeaturing 40 semi-nars to help industry profes-sionals increase sales, improvebusiness efficiency, andstrengthen technical competen-cies. As in past years, continu-ing-education units are avail-able to those seeking renewal oftheir National FireplaceInstitute certifications.

By popular demand, TomGrandy, president of Grandy &Associates (Owensboro,Kentucky), is returning thisyear to provide a bevy of profit-generating tips for specialtyretailers. His two sessions, 15Things All Successful Companies

Have in Common, andEffective Collection TechniquesPlus Tax Tips Your AccountantNever Told You About, are sureto be well attended. Other not-to-be-missed seminars includeWomen in the HearthIndustry, Increasing YourProfits Through Outdoor LivingSales, Marketing and BrandingLessons Inspired by Star Wars,How to Hire ExceptionalEmployees, and Introduction toSocial Media.

With all these educationalofferings and the opportunityto meet with other retailers andmanufacturers in such adynamic environment, you can-not afford to stay home. Youmight even want to stay a fewextra days to hit the ski slopesin Park City, which is locatedjust 30 miles from downtownSalt Lake City.

CAROL DAUSEDITOR

[email protected]

XLVIII PUBLISHERS VIEWPOINT

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I am so fortunate to live inSouthern California, where theweather is truly conducive to liv-ing outside year round. Since I workduring the week, I dont have much ofa chance to enjoy my outside spaceMonday through Friday, but on theweekends, my family is outdoorsevery chance we get.

Its the time that we eat most of ourmeals outside, and I set my outdoordining table with freshly cut flowersfrom our garden. Since I love cookingwith fresh herbs, I cut those on theweekends (and work in the garden,while my husband is reading or work-ing on his computer). Even our littledog sits outsideon one of ourchairsevery day, in the sunshine.

Every Saturday, I go to a farmersmarket in the Los Angeles area, whereI buy all my fresh produce for theweek. One of my favorite things to dois to grill the seasonal vegetables I findthere, using my outdoor grill. I grill allkinds of producewhether its pep-pers, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, or

asparagusto incorporate into manydifferent types of meals for my familyand friends.

In my cookbook, Cristina FerraresBig Bowl of Love (Sterling Epicure,2011), I include an easy recipe forgrilled veggies with a balsamic-reduc-tion syrup. Not only is it healthy,

quick, and delicious, but there also areso many dishes that can be made fromthis single recipe.

Grilled vegetables alone make abeautiful platter, which is always a per-fect complement to grilled chicken,fish, or meat. Often, I will chop up thevegetables and mix them in with a plateof freshly cooked pasta or risottoorput them in the blender to make asoup out of them, with homemadechicken stock (which I always have onhand in my refrigerator).

Panini are always popular sand-wiches, and I make mine with goatcheese, lettuce, tomato, and grilled redpepper. I have an Evo grill, which Ijust love because I can cook practicallyeverything on itincluding all mymeats and vegetables (and even thebacon for breakfast).

Having grown up in Cleveland,Ohio, I understand that not everyonecan grill outdoors every day of the year.During our rainy season in SouthernCalifornia, I can still enjoy the flavor ofoutside grilling by using a cast-iron grillpan on my stovetop. If you embracethe season and cook with the freshproduce that is available, it will makeyou feel as though you are living out-doors, even in the winter.

With our children grown, my hus-band and I are in the process of down-sizing and are currently searching for anew home. Since it will be the place weplan to live in for the rest of our lives,


guest editorialWHY I LOVE OUTDOOR LIVING

PUBLISHER

Tony Ramos

[email protected]

EDITOR

Carol Daus

[email protected]

ART DIRECTOR

Cassandra Estes

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kris Kyes

[email protected]

STAFF WRITERS

Cheryl Dangel Bartolini

Jesse Burkhart

Cherise Forno

Kimberly Rodgers

Sharon Sanders

Greg Thompson

SOCIAL-MEDIA EDITOR

Greg Thompson

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Paul Piwowar

BUSINESS MANAGER

Susan Razetto

CEO & PRESIDENT

Tony Ramos

Corporate Office

Peninsula Media

21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 700

Torrance, CA 90503

(310) 792-7448

Fax (310) 792-7449

www.patioandhearthproductsreport.com

Tony Ramos

Peninsula Media

21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 700

Torrance, CA 90503

(310) 792-7448

(310) 792-7449/Fax

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Patio & Hearth Products Report

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Phone: (847) 763-9261

by CRISTINA FERRARE

Makes six to eight servings

1 bunch asparagus (about 12 to 14 stalks),rinsed, with tough stalk bottoms snappedoff

2 zucchini, sliced diagonally (1/4 inch thick)

4 Japanese eggplant, sliced diagonally (1/4inch thick)

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut intoquarters

1 large yellow or red onion, peeled andsliced into rounds (1/4 inch thick)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

reduced balsamic syrup (recipe follows)

French or kosher salt

fresh oregano (for garnish)

Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill pan

until hot. Brush the vegetables with olive oil,

all over, using a pastry brush. Add the veg-

etables to the hot grill in batchesand keep

an eye on them, since some veggies grill up

more quickly than others.

Arrange the grilled vegetables on a

platter and drizzle extra olive oil and

reduced balsamic syrup over the top.

Finish with a sprinkle

of French or kosher

salt and fresh

oregano. Serve hot,

cold, or at room tem-

perature.

REDUCED BALSAMIC SYRUPPour one whole bottle (16.9 fluid ounces) of

balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and

bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower heat

to medium-high and continue to boil until

the vinegar starts to thicken and forms a

syrup-like consistency, about 15 to 20 min-

utes. Be careful not to thicken it too much,

or you will end up with a thick black goop.

To test it, use a wooden spoon: If the syrup

coats the back of the spoon, it is ready to

remove from the heat. Let it cool to room

temperature before you store it in the refrig-

erator. I use a needle-nosed plastic bottle to

store my glaze after it has cooled. It will last

for up to two months in the refrigerator.

Grilled Veggies

Recipe adapted from Cristina Ferrares Big Bowl of Love (Sterling Epicure, 2011)

Cristina Ferrare and Mark Steines, with a Santorini fire table from OW Lee

continued on page 81

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Interior Design MagazineRecognizes TUUCITUUCI (Miami, Florida), designer andmanufacturer of innovative shadeproducts, has won a Best of the YearAward from Interior Design magazinein the outdoor-accessories categoryfor its Plantation MAX DualCantilever Classic. The annualcompetition relies heavily on theopinions of interior designers andarchitects, with online voting to selectfinalists and a jury of design leaders toselect the winners.

TUUCIs Plantation MAX wonthe award in recognition of how itcombines art with engineering to pro-

vide generously proportioned shadefor two unique outdoor-living areasbeneath one parasol unit. With a 4-to-1 tandem retrieving crank system,the Plantation MAX is easy to oper-ate, with a solo crank that glides openboth shades (while maintaining aclear passage and uninterruptedambience beneath them).

An ultrastrong milled-aluminumfulcrum and automatic telescopingmast allow the canopy to close effort-lessly over tables and chairs, whileTUUCIs Aluma-TEAK finish (innatural, java, or weathered teak) com-

bines the natural feel of a hardwoodfinish with the durability of TUUCIsArmor-Wall aluminum construc-tion. The Plantation MAX award win-ner has become a favorite withhotel/hospitality owners and managersbecause of its expansive shade area,durability, and ease of maintenance byresort and hotel staff.

Dougan Clarke, founder and CEO,says, When you increase the enjoy-ment of your guests in outdoor spaces,youre building your brand, increasingrevenues, and creating a community ofloyal fans for your property. ThePlantation MAX is an essential ele-ment in the marketing and servicestrategies of many of our customers.

Plantation MAX Dual Cantilever Classic

INDU

STRY

by KRIS KYESNEWS

EPA Releases DraftProposal to Revise theNew SourcePerformance Standards On January 3, 2014, the EPAreleased the formal draft proposal ofits revision of the New SourcePerformance Standards (NSPS). Thisproposal includes changes to the certi-fication process and to targets forwood stoves. It also brings all pelletstoves, wood furnaces, wood hydronicheaters, and masonry heaters into theEPAs certification process.

The release of the proposal begins aformal public-comment period thatwill last for 90 days after the rules pub-lication in the Federal Register. TheEPA will consider the comments andthen issue a final version of the rule,

possibly in early 2015. The Hearth,Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA)has been preparing for this moment forthe past four years and will be filingextensive comments on all aspects ofthis proposal after thorough consulta-tion with the manufacturers directlyaffected (on December 10, 2013, thefull section of all manufacturers in theWood and Pellet Section met to reviewthe anticipated costs of these com-ments; the group also changed its nameto the Solid Fuel Section).

Although the complete proposalpackage is more than 350 pages long,changes to the test methods and to theproposed targets are the key items. Forwood stoves, as difficult as the suggest-ed grams-per-hour changes mightappear, the real challenges are found in

proposed changes to the test methods(which are totally unsupported bydata, in the EPA proposal).

In addition, the proposal sets veryaggressive targets for both warm-airfurnaces and hydronic heaters, alongwith a new (and unique) target formasonry heaters. The HPBA statesthat it will be counting on manufactur-ers to study these changes in detail(and not to assume that the detailedchanges to the methods are inconse-quential). The solid-fuel side of theindustry is facing its most critical chal-lenge in the past 25 years.

Manufacturers will be able toreview this package together in theirsubsections, as well as at the Solid FuelSections meeting at HPBExpo onMarch 5, 2014, in Salt Lake City,

Utah. There will be a briefing forretailers and representatives on March7 at HPBExpo. Contact John Crouch([email protected]) with questions.

SCHOTT ROBAXDevelops ConsumerResource on Wood Stoves SCHOTT ROBAX, a leading manufac-turer of heat-resistant transparentmaterials, recently developed an infor-mation source for consumers about theefficiency of modern wood stoves. Thesite illustrates the improvements andbenefits of todays wood stoves, as wellas what consumers should look forwhen buying an EPA-certified model.Visit blog.us.schott.com/why-every-homeowner-should-look-into-efficient-wood-stoves/.

Pantone LLC has selected the color radiant orchid (Pantone 18-3224) as the 2014 color of the year.According to Pantone, radiant orchid complements olive and deeper hunter greens, and it offers a gorgeouscombination when paired with turquoise, teal, and even light yellows. The vibrant color will also enliven neu-trals, including gray, beige, and taupe. In addition to reenergizing almost any color palette, this color providesa unifying element for diverse spaces.

The color of the years selection requires careful consideration; to arrive at the selection, Pantone combsthe world, looking for color influences. These can include the entertainment industry (and films that are inproduction), art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations, and socioeconomic conditions.Influences might also stem from technology, from the availability of new textures and effects that have animpact on color, and even from upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.

Radiant Orchid Is Pantones Color of the Year

Radiant orchid (Pantone 18-3224)

Twin-Star International Employees Give Back in a Big WayTwin-Star International, known for its ClassicFlame electric fireplaces andDuraflame heaters, recognizes the importance of giving back to the community,and it encourages its employees to do the same. To support its staff s efforts,Twin-Star recently launched a new volunteer program, giving its employees up to

eight hours of paid time off per year to perform volunteer service for a Twin-Starapproved charity.

Denise Kantrowitz, vice president of corporate operations, says, It is ourresponsibility, as a good corporate citizen, to help strengthen the communi-ties in which we work and live. We encourage our staff members to becomeinvolved in their communities by lending their voluntary support to pro-grams that enrich the quality of life and opportunities for all citizens. Sheadds that the new volunteer program not only will provide support for thecommunity, but also will foster employee collaboration and team building,will enrich employees lives, and will have a positive impact on the morale andculture of Twin-Star.

January/February 2014 Patio & Hearth Products Report 11

Phifer Inc., globalmanufacturer of ener-gy-saving sun-controlfabrics, cutting-edgeinsect-screen products,drawn-wire products,engineered meshes,and indoor/ outdoordesigned furniturefabrics, has successful-ly launched its updat-ed website,www.phifer.com. Phifers newlydesigned site features a clean, bright,and attractive layout and offers morestreamlined navigation.

Paired with the use of social-media tools, the website provides allvisitors with a more user-friendly,interactive experience. In fall 2013,Phifer launched its presence on bothFacebook (www.facebook.com/phiferincorporated) and YouTube(www.youtube/phiferincorporated)to complement the electronic-mediainitiative.

A critical component of the newsite is the presence of various simpli-fied charts and guides (outlining keyfeatures, benefits, and capabilities)that help take the guesswork out of

the product-selection process.Enhanced product sections offer visitors a close-up view of fabricswatches, colorways, and designs, inaddition to technical specifications.

Mark Edwards, Phifers seniorexecutive vice president and chiefmarketing officer, says,Phifer.com is designed to be a keyresource and information hub, notonly for our customers and con-sumers, but also for designers,specifiers, and suppliers. As theseaudiences increasingly move to theInternet, via our website or social-media platforms, our goal is toprovide them with the informa-tion they need, as quickly and easily as possible.

Phifer Launches Updated Website

Phifers new website features a more user-friendly,interactive experience

Twin-Star employees volunteer to teach fire safety to students at Milagro Center in DelrayBeach, Florida; from left: Nekay Firmani, Alana Klein, Jade Fink, Denise Kantrowitz, DonnaJagru, and Nick Walker

Sand Hill Wholesale & Mfg. Completes Purchase of FacilityMark Hawkins, president and owner of hearth-products distributor Sand HillWholesale & Mfg. Inc. (Columbus, Ohio), has just completed the purchase of the26,000square-foot facility where the company is currently operating. The deci-sion to purchase was made after considering the benefits of ownership versus leas-ing. This purchase allows Sand Hill Wholesale greater flexibility to respond togrowth needs, in addition to the freedom to change the facility as needed forimproved operations. Hawkins feels that this move positions Sand Hill Wholesalefor greater stability in todays competitive marketplace. Headquarters of Sand Hill Wholesale & Mfg. Inc. in Columbus, Ohio

Tropitone Expands ItsCalifornia HeadquartersFacilityTropitone Furniture Company Inc.has increased its square footage inIrvine, California, by 25%, with a newfacility located across the street from itscurrent headquarters and manufactur-ing facility. The company intends tohave the new facility fully operationalduring the first quarter of 2014.

Cap Hendrix, president and CEO,says, A critical component ofTropitones strategy is to provide a nim-ble response to continuously evolvingcustomer requirements. In 1970, 16

years after Tropitone began in Sarasota,Florida, we established a facility inOrange County, California, providingthe bicoastal presence we enjoy today.

He explains that the companybelieves that a responsive businessmodelbased on the principles ofclose-to-market locations, manufac-tured-to-order products, and shortcycle timecreates unique value in themarketplace. He adds, This significantexpansion of our presence in SouthernCalifornia strengthens our dedicationto providing customers what they want,when they want it.

The new facility will be dedicated to

product design and development, mar-keting, sales, and corporate support,including finance. It will also house aproduct showroom. The warehousespace will include a logistics center formaterials with long lead times.

Our facilities are located in theIrvine Spectrum area of OrangeCounty, Hendrix adds. We are part ofa master plan that seamlessly integratestransportation, housing, offices, manu-facturing, warehousing, retailing,restaurants, entertainment, and parksinto a cohesive community. Space inthis area is highly desirable and verymuch in demand. We are very fortunate

to have found a space perfectly suitedfor Tropitones needs, literally acrossthe street from our current facility.

Treasure Gardens RugTower Display UnitHelps RetailersTreasure Garden has introduced aninnovative display unit designed toincrease sales of its recently introducedline of outdoor rugs. The rug tower dis-play requires a minimum of floor spaceand is equipped with wheels for mobil-ity, making high product exposure pos-sible, indoors or outdoors.Incorporating a slender vertical orienta-


INDUSTRY NEWS

tion, the display can accommodate upto six rugs.

Jeff B. Dorough, vice president ofTreasure Garden, says, With 80% ofour retail partners adding rugs followingthe fall markets, the introduction of adisplay unit was seen as the next step inthe overall product lines marketing.Our retailers are able to roll this innova-tive rug display anywhere in the store. Itcan be placed near the register, as well as

allowing the retailer to merchandiserugs (by color story) near the appropri-ate furniture collection. The displaysminimal size also allows for the use ofmultiple display unitsfor accessoriz-ing throughout the sales floor.

The Treasure Garden rug tower dis-play is constructed of black powder-coated steel, with five polyurethanewheels and one locking wheel. The unitcomes with a one-year warranty. The

rugs are held in place vertically withweather-resistant strapping. Each rugcomes with a style hangtag that listsproduct specifications, as well as sam-ples of coordinating umbrella fabrics.

The introduction of the outdoor-rugline by Treasure Garden was part of theaward-winning manufacturers efforts todeliver complementary outdoor acces-sories for the shade-product lines.Outdoor rugs have already produced

results for our retailers, Dorough says.As add-on items, our rugs have createdthe potential to double sales, at retail,and this will help retailers enhance thateven further.

ICFA Announces 2014Retail Council LeadersThe International Casual FurnishingsAssociation (ICFA) has announcedthat Kristine Schultz-Hutchinson ofPatios Plus (Rancho Mirage, California)has been named chair of the organiza-tions Retail Council for 2014. ICFAmembership includes all sectors of thecasual-furnishings industry: retailers,manufacturers, suppliers, sales represen-tatives, designers, and media associates.The Retail Council provides leadershipfor programming and services designedto meet the needs of the industrys retailstores. Mary Beth Singleton of TropicAire Patio Gallery (West Columbia,South Carolina) will serve as vice chairof the council in 2014.

New members joining the council in2014 are Brad Schweig of SunnylandFurniture (Dallas, Texas); David Jacobsof Jacobs Upholstery and Patio(Spokane Valley, Washington); DebsPedigo of The Fire House CasualLiving Store (Charlotte, NorthCarolina); Brian Lawrence of EmighsCasual Living (Sacramento, California);Jessica Salisbury of Village Green(Rockford, Illinois); and Tom Vielbig ofBackyard Living (Ridgewood, NewJersey). Continuing their service on thecouncil are Bruce Aronson of Pool &Patio Center (Metairie, Louisiana);Cathy Galbreath of ABSCO Fireplace& Patio (Birmingham, Alabama);Garrett Wallace of Yard Art Patio &Fireplace (Irving, Texas); BruceErickson of Williams All Seasons(Highland Park, Illinois); Gail Williamsof Sunshine Furniture (Vero Beach,Florida); Paul DeMerlis of The Sign ofthe Skier (Toronto, Ontario); and MaryFruehauf of Fruehauf s Patio & Garden(Boulder, Colorado).

Lloyd Flanders OpensNew Year-roundShowroom in AtlantaLloyd Flanders has opened a newshowroom at the Gardens of theAmericasMart in Atlanta, Georgia.The newly designed space opened offi-cially during the January 2014 AtlantaInternational Gift & Home FurnishingsMarket and will be open year round.

Warren Juliano, vice president and

At Northern Michigan University(NMU), the human-centered designprogram partnered with longtimeMenominee, Michigan, manufacturerLloyd Flanders to develop conceptsfor contemporary woven furniturethat might appeal to younger con-sumers. Students gained valuableexperience working for a real-worldclient and tempering their creativitywith the constraints of available mate-rials, production methods, and laborcosts. Company officials appreciatedthe fresh perspective and imaginativeuses for the trademarked wicker mate-rial, which is woven on the original1917 Lloyd loom and handstretchedover frames of aluminum tubing.

Students presented their finaldesigns at the company inDecember 2013. They received con-

structive feedback on aestheticvalue, practicality, and manufactur-ing potential. Lloyd Flanders willselect three to fine tune for its dis-play at the Chicago InternationalCasual Furniture & AccessoriesMarket. The pieces might also beshown at the InternationalContemporary Furniture Fair inNew York, New York.

Peter Pless, NMU art and designprofessor, says, This project allowedstudents to move outside the comfortzone of their campus studio. They hadto create not just stylized objects, butpieces that incorporated functionality,human behavior, and ergonomics. Todraw a design is one thing. To docomputer modeling of a design isanother. When you add the uniquerequirements of mass production, ver-

sus a custom piece, and working on aclients terms, instead of their own, itchallenges their sensibilities.

Dudley Flanders, CEO of LloydFlanders, notes that the companylaunched an aggressive program todevelop contemporary, smaller-scale,urban/hip-looking furniture targetingyounger professionals. We were eagerto see how college students wouldapproach design using our materials,and we hope to broaden their interestin manufacturing, he says. We werethrilled to work with NMU becausewe consider ourselves very much apart of Michigans Upper Peninsulaand appreciate the opportunity to fos-ter that U.P. spirit. The progressionfrom the students early designs tofunctional and potentially marketableproducts was incredible.

NMU Students Design Wicker for Lloyd Flanders

Northern Michigan University students who presented their designs; from left: front, Aaron Ratza; middle row, Paige Doolin, MattSteinmetz, Brendan Solinsky, Mike Carl, Hunter White, and Gaby Alzaga; back row, Michael Rasmussen, Peter Pless (professor), andNolan Warn



INDUSTRY NEWS

national sales manager of LloydFlanders, says, We are very excited tobe a part of this exciting presentation inAtlantas AmericasMart. The Gardens isstaffed year around by well-trained pro-fessional managers who specialize inserving the regions design community.

Boyd Marks Joins CapelRugs As Sales ManagerBoyd Marks, a veteran home-furnish-ings sales representative, has joinedCapel Rugs as manager of sales forAlabama and the Panhandle region ofFlorida. Marks has worked with some ofthe best-known brands in the Southeast.During his 18 years as a sales representa-tive, he has performed traditional salesduties, overseen product displays,trained sales staff, monitored store oper-ations, and fostered relationships withkey accounts throughout his territory.

Allen Robertson, vice president ofsales for Capel Rugs, says, Boydsproven success in merchandising, pur-chasing, and sales made him the idealcandidate for this position. Boyd willenable us to increase service to our fur-niture and flooring customers dramati-cally in these strategic market areas.

Marks is based in Fairhope,Alabama, just 30 minutes drive fromthe Florida state line. He will continueto make good use of his existing rela-tionships with dealers in the Gulf Coastregion, including Orange Beach andGulf Shores, Alabama, as well as Destin,Panama City, Apalachicola, andPensacola, Florida.

Department of EnergyRulemaking CouldAffect All HearthProducts On December 31, 2013, theDepartment of Energy (DOE) pub-lished Proposed Determination ofHearth Products As CoveredConsumer Products in the FederalRegister. The rulemaking seeks to estab-lish coverage over essentially all gashearth products. The proposed deter-mination has the potential to affecteven more products than the rulemak-ings that the Hearth, Patio & BarbecueAssociation successfully challenged infederal court.

Although there are no energy stan-dards directly proposed or put intoplace by this proposal, the DOE indi-cates that adoption would be seen aspositively determining that future stan-dards might be warranted and should

be explored in subsequent energy-con-servation standards and test-procedurerulemaking. In other words, if these gasappliances are covered, the DOE is freeto impose energy-efficiency standardson them.

The proposed DOE definition of ahearth product is a gas-fired appliancethat simulates a solid-fuel fireplace orpresents a flame pattern (for aesthet-ics or other purposes) and that mayprovide space heating directly to thespace in which it is installed. TheDOE goes on to say that the pro-posed definition includes (but is notnecessarily limited to) all vented andunvented hearth products.

More specifically, it includes venteddecorative hearth products, ventedheater hearth products, vented gas logs,gas stoves, outdoor hearth products,and ventless hearth products. Virtuallyevery gas-fired product would be sub-ject to having energy-efficiency require-ments, input limits, or other restrictionsapplied to it.

The proposed determinations publi-cation in the Federal Register started a30-day comment period. All commentson the proposal were submitted byJanuary 30, 2014.

It is a virtual certainty that the DOEis anticipating future rulemaking toaddress energy efficiency or conserva-tion standards for at least some gashearth products. While the exact prod-ucts to which the DOE will seek theapplication of efficiency standards arenot yet known, this rulemaking wouldopen the door for the DOE to applystandards to any of the products listed.In fact, the proposed definition is sobroad that it probably includes firepitsand might include gas grills (althoughthis is unlikely). This rule could severelylimit which products manufacturerscould produce, retailers could sell, orcustomers could purchase.

Industry ChallengesAlaskas Proposal toLower Emissions LimitIn December 2013, a delegationfrom the Hearth, Patio & BarbecueAssociation (HPBA) traveled toFairbanks, Alaska, to meet with stateand local officials regarding a new pro-posal to lower the emission limit forwood-burning stoves sold in Fairbanks.Dan Henry (president of NorthwestHPBA) and Chris Neufeld (from BlazeKing Industries) joined John Crouch(the HPBAs public-affairs director) on

Laurie Bell, Fashion for OutdoorRooms, and Scene Weaver intro-duced their latest collections ofluxury indoor/outdoor soft-accessory lines at the January2014 Atlanta International Gift& Home Furnishings Market.The spring 2014 colorwaysintroduced at the Atlanta mar-ket included aquamarine, navy,and poppy.

Within aquamarine spring2014, fresh aqua blue (with char-treuse accents) is incorporatedinto multiple floral and geomet-ric patterns. The navy spring2014 collection highlights thecrisp contrast of navy and whitethrough chevrons, stripes, andgeometrics. In poppy spring2014, a bold coral-red (poppy) ispaired with fresh white and the com-plementary aqua for further collectioncoordination. A whimsical pattern of

foliage and curved elements is a high-light of the collection, which alsoincludes other coordinating stripes, cir-cles, and flame designs.

Laurie Bell and Scene Weaver Announce Debut of Latest Textile Designs

New fabric designs from Laurie Bell and SceneWeaver


the trip, which included a gathering oflocal industry members, as well as briefingswith a number of government officials.

The briefings focused on the limita-tions of the EPAs test method, includingthe fact that the method has never pre-dicted the real-world performance of cer-tified wood stoves. The group returnedto Fairbanks for formal hearings inJanuary. For more information, contactJohn Crouch ([email protected]).

Soundcast Hires JesseCoyer As NationalDirector of TrainingSoundcast Systems, developer andmanufacturer of high-performancewireless music systems, appointedJesse Coyer as national director oftraining, as part of its strategy foraccelerating growth. Coyer startedhis consumer-electronics career insales, at Ultimate Electronics, in the1990s. He advanced to store manage-ment and was promoted to generalmanager in 2004.

In 2005, Coyer joined MagnoliaHome Theater as a supervisor, and helater advanced to in-home sales withthe companys Geek Squad entity. Hehelped develop its scalable field-sellingand training program. In 2009, he waspromoted to the Best Buy corporate-leadership team, where he was respon-sible for Magnolia Home Theatersales, training, and operations strategy,working hand in hand with districtand territory field teams for the $500million chain.

During his tenure of more than sevenyears at Best Buy/Magnolia HomeTheater, Coyer helped create severalgroundbreaking sales tools and led aninnovative training strategy that greatlyimproved the customer experience (andsuccess). Coyer will be traveling withSoundcasts regional sales managers tovisit channel partners and will be reach-ing out (by phone) to key dealers anddistributors to learn about their busi-nesses, unique training needs, salesstaffs, and corporate cultures.

PolyPro Approved for AllModels of Lennox, Aire-Flo, and TraneCondensing Gas FurnacesAccording to M&G DuraVent, PolyProvent pipe, fittings, and terminationshave been approved for use on all mod-els of Lennox, Aire-Flo, and Trane con-densing gas furnaces. Both 2-inch and 3-inch vent-pipe diameters have beenapproved as an alternative to PVC andABS materials, when installed in com-pliance with PolyPro by DuraVent

installation instructions.When the PolyPro by DuraVent

venting system is used, the vent-piperequirements stated in the units instal-lation instruction (minimum and maxi-mum vent lengths, termination clear-ances, and so forth) apply and must befollowed. The instructions providedwith the PolyPro by DuraVent ventingsystem should be followed, whereapplicable. The PolyPro by DuraVent

venting system must also meet theuninsulated- and unconditioned-spacecriteria that are listed in the furnace-installation instructions.

Lennox has approved the use ofDuraVents manufactured vent termina-tions. When applying these terminations,use 12 feet as the equivalent vent length,in addition to the equivalent length ofthe pipe and fittings.

PolyPro venting features gaskets that

are installed in the female ends of ventpipes to make joining together individ-ual vent pipes quick and easy. Whenreplacing a midrange-efficiency appli-ance with a new condensing 90+ appli-ance, the technician can use the existingB vent (any brand) as a chase for the newappliance with PolyPro. Locking bandsare required for all joints; screws are notallowed, as they would penetrate thesealed wall of the vent pipe.

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T here are fireplacemanufacturers whosay that top-of-mindawareness, in the industrytoday, belongs to designtrendswhile others saythat it is claimed by thenew government regula-tions coming in January2015. Kent Roeder, vicepresident of MendotaHearth Products (CedarRapids, Iowa), reports thatgovernment regulation andefficiency dominate every-thing, these days.

Jim Hussong, president of Kozy HeatFireplaces (Lakefield, Minnesota), agrees. He says,Arguably, the biggest topic, for dealers and man-ufacturers, is the new protective-barrier (safety-screen) standard; barriers will be mandated, for2015, on all vented gas fireplaces.

Hussong says that several years ago, consumercomplaints were made against several manufac-turers as a result of burns caused by contact withhot glass on gas fireplaces. The government andthe Consumer Product Safety Commission led a

strong campaign to mandate a safety barrier onfireplaces, and their efforts were dedicatedly sup-ported by the Hearth, Patio & BarbecueAssociation. We are pleased to see the industrytake a proactive stance on this important safetyissue, but it will certainly bring about changeswithin the industry, he explains.

Stephen Schroeter is senior vice president ofsales, marketing, and administration for WolfSteel Ltd. (Barrie, Ontario), parent company ofNapoleon Appliance Corp. He says, From a

manufacturers perspective, the scope of the barri-er-regulation program presented enormous chal-lenges. In fact, in order to meet the tight compli-ance deadline, Napoleon has allocated additionalresources to its research/development team.

The teams assignment, Schroeter explains, wasto design a barrier that was not onlycompliant/certified, but also attractive and costeffective. He says, Our focus was on doing itright the first timeso that going forward, wecould continue to offer our customers the samehigh-quality, diversified, and innovative productsthey have come to expect from Napoleon.

A CLEAN FACEAfter regulations, the next hottest topic is

designand on design trends, everyone has anopinion. Nick Bauer, vice president of productdevelopment for Empire Comfort Systems(Belleville, Illinois), says, Whether youre sellingtraditional fireplaces with log sets or contempo-rary fireplaces decked out with decorative glass,many consumers want clean lines. Doors andframes, if a fireplace even has them, are gettingsmaller and less pronounced.

Becky Scribner, brand director for the Heat &Glo and Heatilator brands at Hearth & HomeTechnologies (Lakeville, Minnesota), concurs. Shesays, Modern style is becoming mainstream, andconsumer investment in outdoor-living spaces


spotlight

A Warm ReceptionConsumers welcome the technical and design features of this years new fireplaces.by CHERYL DANGEL BARTOLINI

1

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continues to gainmomentum.Those are the twobig growth areas.

As MartinMiles, productdirector and CEOof Miles IndustriesLtd. (NorthVancouver, BritishColumbia)explains, I wouldsay that clean, sim-ple lines have nowbecome predomi-nant, in terms ofstyling. While thistrend may have begun with part of thelarge, high-end fireplace sector, it is nowmore common across all size ranges andshapes within our product lines.

Jess Baldwin, senior vice presidentof sales and customer service atVermont Castings Group (Paris,Kentucky), argues that this trend isntexactly big news. He says, It started acouple of years ago, with the shiftaway from louvers on the front of afireplace to clean-faced or contempo-rary style. The news is that the trendis not passing: It is here to stay, and itis spreading.

Once, design was all about the exte-rior of the fireplace. Now, however, themodern trend is going inside the box.Baldwin notes that consumers want tosee fire with something other thanlogs. He says, They want the fire tocome up through glass, stones, or acombination of stones and glass.

CLEAN BECOMES CLEANEROf course, even clean-faced fire-

places can become cleaner in design.This is accomplished by getting themoff the floor.

David Lackey, vice president of

marketing and business developmentfor Dimplex North America Ltd.(Cambridge, Ontario), says, Rightnow, its all about wall mounts, espe-cially recessed models (such as ourBLF series). Theyre truly versatile,providing atmosphereas well as sup-plemental heatingwhile taking upno valuable floor space.

He adds, The current casual andcontemporary style of furniture andaccessories is a big driving force for theincrease in wall mounts popularity.People want sleek and slim designsthat complement their decor. Home-renovation shows have sparked peo-ples creativity and their desire toredesign their living spaces. Wallmounts are great for this, since theymaximize floor space and help todeclutter the home.

Steven Plass, director of marketingfor Innovative Hearth Products (IHP),Nashville, Tennessee, says, The 30-something generation is driving homeownership and is less traditional. Theseconsumers are looking for a more con-temporary design element and are mov-ing the marketto a sleek and elegantcontemporary design that emulates

their presence and style.Bauer says, Its a

change in home-decorpreferences among architects, interiordesigners, and consumers. There willalways be a market for robust fire-places with metal frames, but thatstyle doesnt always fit with the clean,uncluttered look found in a lot of newhomes. If a fireplace does not inte-grate well into an architects vision fora living space, he or she is not going toincorporate it into the design.

UNCLUTTERED DESIGNLackey says, Casual and contem-

porary styles will continue to beprevalent design trends as babyboomers declutter their homes anddownsize into condominiums.Spalike bathrooms featuring wallmounts and large bedrooms withmedia consoles are must-have prod-ucts for this segment,

Schroeter notes, The linear, mod-ern fireplace models are steadily grow-ing in popularity and selling well in alldemographics. We thought that theniche for these would only be inurban areas, but we were wrong:

1. The Majestic Echelon WDV500 (with theoptional Driftwood log set) from VermontCastings Group

2. The Valor Horizon fireplace from MilesIndustries

3. The EPI3 wood insert from Napoleon

4. The Astria Envy fireplace from InnovativeHearth Products

5. The Boulevard vent-free linear see-throughfireplace from Empire Comfort Systems

6. The Amsden fireplace and Opti-myst

flame technology from Dimplex

7. The FV44i Willowbrook square, in antiquecopper, from Mendota Hearth

8. The Alterra wood insert from RegencyFireplace Products

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7

8

5

4


Everyone likes them. Clean-faceddesigns are becoming the standard aslouvers are slowly dying off; in addi-tion, consumers are gravitating moretoward design/quality rather thanprice, which is nice to see.

Todays buyers are looking foroptions to suit any decor. They arenot, Roeder says, just picking out afireplace or insert to add to theirhomes. Having enough facingoptions to meet their demands isextremely important.

Miles suggests that meeting theneed for more options might providea way for manufacturers to stand outin the industry. He says, With thesimilarity of basic overall design,manufacturers have to look for waysto differentiate their products.Finishes and other design elements,such as fuel effects, are obvious ways.These are expensive home invest-ments that should stand the test oftime. The trick is to be interestingwithout choosing elements that willprematurely date the fireplace.

Empire is doing just that. We areapplying different materials andmanufacturing techniques to pro-duce simple, elegant fronts andaccessories, Bauer explains. A fewyears back, we were using lasers tocut intricate designs for our louversand doors. This year, many of ourdecorative fronts will feature thinnerlines and will be made from metalsthat have a handworked look.

If there is another trend indesign, it favors multipurpose fire-places. Consumers might want cleanstyles, but as Brian Brigham, direc-tor of marketing and public relations

for Twin-Star International Inc.(Delray Beach, Florida), notes, theyalso want the fireplace to servemore than one purpose.

He says, The number-one trend-ing topic in the electric-fireplace indus-try, right now, is the evolution of themedia mantel. It has become so muchmore than just a fireplace that a televi-sion gets placed on; consumers want-ing a better use of functional space intheir homes are driving this trend.Homeowners want to make greater useof available wall space and cut down onclutter. This usually means having lessfurnitureand maximizing the spaceavailable in every room.

Brigham reports that trends arestarting to shift, no longer leaningtoward simply housing a fireplace ina beautiful piece of furniture. Hesays, With the multifunction furni-ture trend, we are seeing great suc-cess with our models that containsuch integrated items as speaker barsand wine or beverage cabinets (andin some of our premium models,both types of cabinets).

WHATS NEW The new Dimplex Opti-myst

line, which was launched in spring2013, has been a game changer forthe fireplace industry, Lackey reports.In particular, hes referring to thecompanys patented 3D flame effect.

He says, The Opti-myst tech-nology is on the cutting edge ofinnovation, with its true-to-lifebeauty and impeccable realism.Theres truly nothing else like it onthe market. The illusion of lifelikeflame and smoke in the Opti-myst is

created using patented ultrasonictechnology, combined with power-ful illumination. The real showstop-per is that it uses water: People cantbelieve it. Best of all, there are noharmful particulates or emissionsinvolved in the technology, so itsthe safe, logical, and beautiful choicefor any living space.

In keeping with the trend towardclean, uncluttered design, Empire willadd new direct-vent fireplaces in por-trait stylesgreater in height than inwidthto its product lineup. Thecompany will offer these fireplaceboth in traditional models (withhandpainted log sets and brick liners)and in contemporary models (withfire bowls that hold decorative glass).

The company is taking its vent-free models in the opposite direction,Bauer notes. It is adding a 4foot-wide linear model with a contempo-rary burner. He says, Its about asclean as a clean-faced design can getbecause you can install it with noframe at all. Your finished wall goesright to the opening on all four sides,so all you see is the inside of the fire-place. Well have a conventional in-wall model plus a see-through modelthats superimpressive.

Other Empire products are alwaysbeing improved. We constantly eval-uate existing products, looking forways to make them better, more effi-cient, and easier to install and service.Its an ongoing process: If you stand

still, in todays marketplace, youll berun over, Bauer says.

IHP has launched the newAstria fireplace brand. WithinAstria is the Aries direct-vent fire-place (to be launched in early 2014).The Aries direct-vent contemporaryfireplace is highly efficient and per-fectly sized to suit a small-to-mid-sized room, Plass says. Its the opti-mum solution for those looking foran upscale approach at an affordableprice. The Aries comes standardwith black-glass media.

Also within the Astria brand isthe Envy direct-vent fireplace.The porcelain interior of the EnvyCD (contemporary configuration)provides the perfect backdrop for asleek focal point. Consumers canselect from five glass options to suittheir tastes or to complement theirhomes styles.

For its existing products, IHP hasthe new regulations well in handand is moving toward safer, moreefficient products, Plass says. He

spotlight

1

2

3

1. The portrait-style contemporary fireplacefrom Empire Comfort Systems

2. A fireplace from the Valor L2 linearseries by Miles Industries

3. The Astria Aries fireplace fromInnovative Hearth Products

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Valor Radiant Gas Fireplaces are sold exclusively by specialty hearth retailers. Customer appeal, product reliability, heat performance and long-term manufacturer support are all key ingredients when it comes to deciding what lines to display on your showroom floor. Valor is dedicated to providing quality products that exceed industry expectations and in turn, supply homeowners with efficient, cost effective heating for many years to come. We value the dedication of our dealer network and are thankful for the continued support in the New Year.

To see whats new from Valor stop by our indoor booth #1412 at the 2014 HPBA Expo in Salt Lake City. For more information regarding Valor and dealer network opportunities please contact Paul Miles (Director of Sales) at [email protected] - or visit www.valorfireplaces.com.


promises that other new productsin development will capitalize onhigher performance efficienciesand safety barriers that allow con-sumers to have an enjoyable prod-uct that is safe in almost every liv-ing environment, he adds.

The latest addition to the KozyHeat product line is the Slayton 36linear contemporary fireplace. Theversion of this fireplace with a 42-inch viewing area has been success-ful, and it was a natural progressionto expand the offering to include a36-inch option.

Several months ago, the compa-ny launched new 42-inch clean-view fireplaces, the Bayport-L andBayport-G, which are available inboth traditional and contempo-rary versions. Last summer, KozyHeat expanded its line into theoutdoor category with theNorthern Firelights patio fireplacetable. Hussong reports that themajority of changes to existingproducts will come in the form ofnew fronts that meet the 2015safety-barrier standards.

Mendota has added larger, full-view units and many new designoptions over the past year. Wewill have a linear line with manydesign options at HPBExpo inSalt Lake City, Utah, Roeder says.

In addition, hereports, the companyis upgrading its topsellers to have greaterease of operationand to use theabsolute latest invalve technology.

In 2014, MilesIndustries will launcha whole new mid-sized-fireplace line,the H5 Horizonseries. Our originalHorizon model waslaunched in 1998 andremains a leader, interms of heating effi-ciency, Miles says.Over the years, we have intro-duced a large assortment of tradi-tional and contemporary frontsin both cast iron and steeltogive it a wide variety of stylingoptions. The new H5 will take theHorizon family into many morehomes and will feature a variety offuel effects and style options. Welook forward to launching it atHPBExpo.

Miles reports that most of thecompanys existing products havereceived significant upgrades, interms of fires and new frontoptions, over the past months. Hesays, All of our models have incor-porated safety screens since the endof 2012and have been very wellreceived by dealers and consumers.We continue to work at fine-tun-ing these designs and integratingthem as seamlessly as possible intothe models styling.

Notable additions to Napoleonsproduct line are the Galaxy

GSS48 outdoor linear fireplace, S

series woodstoves, and theEPI3 woodinsert. We offerthe new GSS48in both single-sided and see-through models,complete with amulticolored

LED lighting system (standard),Schroeter notes.

The S series wood-stove lineupoffers clean, contemporary woodstoves ranging in size from small tolarge. The EPI3 wood insertmatches the modern look of the Sseries, but is also available with atraditional look.

For 2014, noteworthy Napoleonitems will be a new high-end gasand wood series and a new clean-faced series. Schroeter says,Despite all the work on develop-ing the fireplace barriers this year,we will be bringing an array of newproducts to market.

In addition, Schroeter notes, heis excited to see Napoleons newlogistics center, which will beginoperating this spring. Withalmost 300,000 square feet of addi-tional warehousing space and astate-of-the-art shipping system, wewill be able to provide our cus-tomers with products faster thanever, he explains.

The main changes to existingNapoleon products are attributableto the new barrier standard. We aretaking this time to upgrade all ourfireplace units with best-in-classdesigns and decorative fronts,Schroeter says. We are focused on(and dedicated to) continuousimprovement, enhancing our prod-ucts all the time; typically, smallrevisions, upgrades, updates arebased on industry standards and onfeedback from our customers andour associates.

Regency Fireplace Products(Delta, British Columbia) isexpanding its wood-insert productline. Following the success of theAlterra and Hampton series ofwood inserts, Regency is expandingthese lines to include a new medi-um/large wood insert that will fea-ture its Eco-Boost technology.

Existing gas products will bemodified to add mesh safety guards(to meet the 2015 regulatoryrequirements). In addition,Regency is adding new fronts andfinishes to various products toexpand consumer choicestomatch and complement their homedecorin both gas and woodproducts, according to MelissaOakford, senior product managerfor Regency.

Twin-Star has had tremendoussuccess with such products as its


spotlight

1. Kozy Heats Bayport 41L fireplace

2. The Dimplex Brayden wall-mountedfireplace with Opti-myst

3. Heat & Glos REVO fireplace

4. Napoleons GSS48 outdoor linear fireplace

1 2

4

3

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Enterprise multimedia mantel,which features an Apple mobile-device dock, as well as a speaker bar(with six speakers and a built-inpowered subwoofer) and Bluetoothwireless connectivity. Twin-Star istaking the multifunction concept tothe next level and combining ourdesigns with newer, more advancedtechnologies that will continue togrow this segment of the market byenhancing our consumers experi-ence, Brigham says.

Existing products will also getupgrades. Our marketing studiesshow that our consumers are just asinterested (if not more interested) inheating capabilities as in ambience.Taking this into consideration, we arenow introducing our infrared heatingtechnology in a 23-inch insert size.Infrared heating technology is capa-ble of warming up to 1,000 squarefeetan additional 600 square feet(over the usual inserts 400 squarefeet). I am confident that the robustheating technology of this premiuminsert is going to make it a hot itemno pun intended, Brigham says.

Vermont Castings Group willintroduce a new clean-faced, linear,

vent-free fireplace at HPBExpo. Alsonew is a clean-faced, 36-inchbuilders fireplace that can use log-style or contemporary stone/glassmedia with the same burner. It, too,will be introduced at HPBExpo.

That will be the beginning of anentire lineup of fireplaces in that con-figuration, Baldwin notes.Eventually, Napoleon will add 33-and 42-inch models to the line. Thecompany also is looking at some newtechnology that will be integratedinto its existing products, but detailsare not yet available.

WHATS NEXTIf the contemporary movement is

here to stay, whats next? Baldwinpredicts that the trend favoring con-temporary, clean-faced design willcontinue to grow, over the next threeto five years. Europe had been con-temporary for at least 10 years beforethe trend started here, he notes.

If thats the case, what will comenext, in terms of new designs, forconsumers who want the latest and

greatest? Bauer forecasts that thefuture will offer buyers new shapes.

He says, Fireplacesespeciallygas fireplacesused to come in justone or two shapes. Then, we hadlinear models, and now, portraitmodels. We are experimenting withdifferent angles and materials,inside and outside the box. Thegoal, for me, is to build productsthat capture the attention and theimagination of consumers who may

have no interest in conventional fire-places. I want them to see theseunusual fireplaces and picture themin their homes.

Roeder says, Tablets and smart-phones will be a part of our technol-ogy. Hussong, however, says thatthe future will focus on wood-burn-ing hearth products. He adds, I dobelieve that we will see some inno-vative ideas, throughout the indus-try, as manufacturers strive to pro-duce low-emissions wood products.Gas inserts, Hussong predicts, willcontinue to be a strong product cat-egory for retailers, and it is likelythat the range of available choiceswill continue to grow.

Miles says, While theDepartment of Energys rulemakingon decorative gas fireplaces has beentemporarily thwarted, it is inevitablethat products that are expressly mar-keted and sold with heating-perform-ance claims will become regulated, atsome point.

He adds, Consumers and indus-try will be well served by a properly

considered new AFUE test methodand fair-minded regulation thatallows manufacturers that choose todesign for efficiency (and comeunder regulation) to stand outin afair and level playing field. This willspur true innovation.

Brigham says, I am confidentthat the next innovations for ourindustry are going to be focusedaround the flame effect and on heat-ing larger square footages. The multi-function-furniture trend does notseem to be slowing down, so I amsure we will see fireplaces popping upin furniturewhere we would prob-ably not expect them, Brigham says.

Baldwin expects a simplificationof operating systems, going forward.We have made these products verycomplicated for the consumer to use.We have added a lot of features thatthe consumer doesnt necessarilywant, so I think well be going backto a simpler system to control thefireplace, he says.

SIMPLE AND CLEAN Simple design goes hand in hand

with clean-faced, streamlined, andcontemporary styles. I think its themillennial generation thats drivingthe trend, Baldwin says. Im a babyboomer, so my tastes tend to be moretraditionalbut when I look at thehome of my daughter (who is 32), itis far more contemporary than Iwould be comfortable with: If you goback and look at how designers aredecorating new homes, it is more atransitional look, but certainly trend-ing away from traditional.

Miles adds, Historically, fire-places have always reflected the archi-tectural-design elements of the day.While period designs (especiallythose of the Federal period) remainpopular, the contemporary or mod-ern period has become firmly estab-lishedand even dominantinmost regional markets.

He continues, In many cases, weare seeing home renovations wherethe exteriors remain true to their orig-inal character, and the interiors arebeing remade completely in a con-temporary manner. With an extensiveselection of specialty magazines andhome-remodeling channels beatingthe drum, is it any wonder?

spotlight

3

1. Twin-Stars contemporary media mantel(with iPhone dock)

2. The REVO fireplace from Heat & Glo

3. The V46 Grace arch, in Swedish nickel,from Mendota Hearth Systems

1 2


any outdoor-furniture retailers incold climates turn to alternativeproduct lines, such as Christmas

trees and holiday accessories (or fireplacesand other hearth products) to bring foottrafficand a revenue streamto theirstores during the off-season. Andr andNancy Pimentel take a different approachto their retail operation, Dartmouth CasualFurniture (South Dartmouth,Massachusetts). For the past several years,the Pimentels have kept winter hours; dur-ing the off-season, the store is closedSunday through Friday and is open only onSaturdays or by appointment. Regularhours resume March 1.

At one time, we used to be open yearround, but found it is just not worth it forus, Andr Pimentel says. For many years,once the store closed for the winter, thePimentels would pack up and go to theirhome in Florida, returning by March 1 toreopen. Pimentel says, Now that our

youngest son is in high school,we close the storebut we stayhere in the winter to get ourwarehousing and pricing readyfor the spring.

Limited winter hours cer-tainly have not affected thesuccess of Dartmouth CasualFurniture, which attracts cus-tomers from throughout theregion (including Boston;Providence, Rhode Island; andNew Hampshire). Buyers flockto the store, no doubt, due toits huge selection of high-quali-ty furniture lines for bothinside and outside the home.Products are displayed in anexpansive 10,000 square feet(part of a 16,000square-footbuilding), expertly divided intofive separate showrooms fordifferent categories.

The remainder of the spaceis used for warehousing and an

office. There are also two additional warehouseslocated nearby (including a 15,000square-footbuilding), allowing quick delivery of most orders.

The size of our store, the selection we offer,and our reputation are all factors that help usto do well, Pimentel says. Most important,our customers simply feel comfortable buyingfrom us because we are confident in what wesell, and we know what we are talking about;customers sense that.

FROM WHOLESALE TO RETAILDartmouth Casual Furniture began as a

wholesale business that Pimentels father,Octave, and a business partner started in theearly 1950s. They began importing and whole-saling wicker baskets and furniture fromPortugal and Yugoslavia, and they also had asmall retail operation.

Pimentel says, Over time, the business grew,and it became a very successful wholesaler to spe-cialty stores throughout the country. Pimentel,who had worked in the business since he wasyoung, bought it in 1988, after graduating fromcollege. By then, both partners were ready toretire, he says. His wife, Nancy, started workingin the business in the early 1990s.

Once the couple took the helm, the businessgradually shifted away from wholesale side andfocused more on retail. The Pimentels also made abig shift for the company by introducing higher-quality product linessuch as Kingsley-Bate,Lane Venture, Gloster, and Telescope Casualtothe stores inventory.

The addition of high-end product lines wasvery important to the success of our store,Pimentel says. High quality is what we feel mostcomfortable dealing with, so it makes it easy for usto sell. Consumers were also becoming willing tospend more money on better furniture for theirsunrooms and outdoor spaces than they were

MARKETING MANEUVERS

M

taking a breakWorking limited hours during the off season hasnt hampered success for this New England retailer. by KIMBERLY RODGERS photography by MARK WILSON

Top: Nancy and Andr Pimentel

Bottom: Dartmouth Casual Furniture features five separate showrooms

when the business first started. Today, Dartmouth Casual Furniture carries

lines from most of the major casual-furnituremanufacturers. Our biggest sellers are spreadout between vendors. By not putting too manyeggs in one basket, we protect ourselves against adecline in the popularity of certain products,Pimentel says. Current trends that he is seeinginclude the fact that more buyers are leaningtoward contemporary styles and that they aremaking fewer (but larger) purchases. Since ourarea is very traditional, the contemporary trendhas taken a while to catch on, he says.

GOODWILL MARKETINGCustomer service is a key component that

keeps bringing people back to the store.Fortunately, we have a great team of employ-ees; staff members care and try their best tokeep everyone satisfied, Pimentel says. A hugepercentage of Dartmouth Casual Furnituresbusiness comes from repeat customers andreferrals. Many of the stores clients have sum-

mer homes nearDartmouth, with pri-mary residences inBoston or otherareas. Once our cus-tomers furnish theirsummer homes, theygo back to their mainhomes and spread theword about us tofamily and friends, Pimentel reports.

In fact, the goodwill that Dartmouth CasualFurniture has established and developed throughpositive customer relations is the stores mainmarketing component. We cant go anywherein our community without bumping into ourcustomers, and it is nice to know that they arehappy to see us, Pimentel says. Advertising istricky: Although it is important, you can easilywaste much of your profit on nonproducing ads.Old-fashioned word-of-mouth advertisingworks best for us.

Dartmouth Casual Furniture more than with-stood the economic downturn that hurt manyspecialty retailers throughout the country. Wehave been so fortunate that the recession neveraffected us, Pimentel says. I thought, during thedownturn, that we would have been hit hardbecause we sell a luxury, not a necessity. Instead,the opposite happened. He recalls, Year afteryear, our sales and profit grew, with 2013 being

the best in our history. October was a greatmonth, and we continued to see strong trafficand sales into November.

Pimentel is a second-generation owner, and atvarious times, all three of his sons have worked inthe family business. The older two dont haveany desire to be involved in this type of business.They are more artistic than business oriented,Pimentel says. Our youngest son, who is 16, hasmentioned that he may be interested, but wedont want to push any of them in a particulardirection. We want them to find what they likeand what is going to be best for them.

In the meantime, the Pimentels dont plan torestore full-time winter store hours any timesoon. The hardest part is trying to keep oursanity during the craziness of the season,Pimentel says. By the time September comes,we are all very ready for a break. We get to relaxa bit during the winter; then, we get ready to doit all again next year.


Top left and right: Having a large store (with a vastselection of merchandise and a solid reputation) has ledto the company's ongoing success

Bottom left and right: High-quality furniture and acces-sories are available for outside and inside the home

MARKETING MANEUVERS

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n the heart of NorthernLouisiana, theres a little fire-place shop with a big presence.

Fireplace Specialties (Shreveport)has the fortunate distinction ofbeing the only exclusive hearth sell-er within a 100-mile radius of itshometown. Its owner, Eric Massey,a hearth veteran and an activemember of the Hearth, Patio &Barbecue Association (HPBA),looks at this fact as a plus, butdoesnt rest for a moment when it

comes to the way that he runs thebusiness. It actually makes himdetermined to work even harderand smarterfor his customers.

Masseys stepfather, J.B.Sweatman, started the business in1972, at a time when prefabricatedfireplaces were new to the area. Itwas an uphill battle, in the South, totransition from traditional masonryfireplaces to prefabricated metalboxes with flues. The store startedout selling appliances and fireplaces,but after just five years, it became adedicated hearth dealership.

Over the years, the store hasgrown to become a trusted sourcefor hearth products, carrying every-thing from basic builder-grade fire-places to the most high-efficiency

units. There are othershops around that sellfireplaces, including afew brick companies anda building-materials sup-plier, but none has a ded-icated showroom with 20burning displays and aknowledgeable sales staff.We get shoppers excitedabout fireplaces, givingthem ideas and inspiration, Masseyexplains. As a full-service opera-tion, the store also offers installa-tion, service, and chimney cleaning.

About six years ago, FireplaceSpecialties moved from an olddowntown location to its currentspot in Shreveport, in a stand-alonebuilding. The move gave the store a

high-profile spot on a major high-way, rejuvenating and broadeningthe business in many ways.

When we were building ourstore, just the presence of the con-struction site generated a buzzaround town with new-homebuilders, which helped us gain a lotof their business back, Massey says,

HEARTH RETAILER

a hot spot

Fireplace Specialties is the go-to source in NorthernLouisiana for hearth and grill products. by SHARON SANDERS photography by STEPHEN HOFFMAN

I

Top: Its commitment to customer servicehas helped Fireplace Specialties thriveconsistently since its inception in 1972

Right: Eric Massey


adding that more builder businessmeans more retail business as well.Once homeowners move into theirnew homes, they will pick up thephone or stop by to purchase hearthaccessoriesand even additionalfireplaces, he explains.

Along with the new2,500square-foot indoor show-room (three times the size of theprevious space), Massey construct-ed a 30x30-foot outdoor show-

room that attracts alot of attention frommotorists on thehighway. The center-piece is a 25foot-high outdoor fire-place, which is dis-played alongsidefirepits, fire tables,and chimeneas.

A few years ago,the store added grillsfrom The HollandCompany, Saber,Weber, Primo, FireMagic, andAmerican OutdoorGrills to its productmix. Grill salesaccount for about8% of sales at

Fireplace Specialties. We eased ourway into grills, and over the pastfew years, the category has gainedgood momentum, Massey says.

The store hosts two backyardcookouts each spring, and Masseysays that these have helped his grillbusiness more than anything elsehas. He has run the events two dif-ferent ways: one with grill-compa-ny representatives as the cooks andthe other featuring a local barbe-cue grand champion (who pre-pared his award-winning brisket).Both were fun, and each had itsown appeal, he adds.

The store also increased its grilladvertisingwhich has paid off,bringing in a whole new base ofcustomers. Grills have been a greataddition because they are a year-round purchase. Obviously, sales

are a lot stronger in the spring, butweve found that our grill businessperks up a little bit in Novemberand December, too, Massey says.The store is in the process of bring-ing in infrared outdoor heaters asanother product category for itsgrowing outdoor business.

Massey is always on the lookoutfor new products and for ways tokeep the stores product mix freshand interesting. He is a big believ-er in attending industry tradeshows to gather information onnew products, to see whats com-ing down the pike, and to stay intouch with whats changing in thehearth industry.

Consumers are smart. Theycome into your store prepared,after doing research on theInternet, and they ask questions.If you dont know the products yousell or arent up to speed on otherproducts in the market, they aregoing to stump you, he explains.

He also sees trade shows as aplace to strengthen bonds withmanufacturers. We couldnt runour business without tight relation-ships with manufacturers or ourdistributors. They help us bring inthe right products and work withus to keep our inventory lean, hesays. One of the operationalchanges that the store has adopted,over the past few years (with helpfrom manufacturers), is weeklyshipping, which keeps inventorylow and frees up cash.

We fax purchase orders to ven-dors on an as-needed basis, and theyship products to us every Thursday.

It can be one purchase order (forone product) or several pallets,Massey explains, adding that thewhole concept has strengthened hisbusiness financially.

Massey is a very active memberof the HPBAand has been formany years, on a local level (includ-ing serving on the board ofLouisianas South Central chapterfor several years). He says that therelationships that he has built haveplayed an important part in theongoing strength and relevance ofhis business.

One can learn a lot about whatto do and what not to do fromother dealers who have been aroundthe block. Its easier to make changesto ones businesses when you havesupport from others who may havedone the same. If retailers are notinterested in making changes, theyare not growing, Massey says.

When Massey first came to workat Fireplace Specialties (in 1995),the path that his father laid downfor the business was based on cus-tomer service, and that is still thestores foundation today. Its philoso-phy is more about the customer andless about the profit.

If one treats customers well andis fair and honest, the profits willcome, he says. The stores sales aretrending upward: They haveincreased every year since 1993, andNovember 2013 marked the highest-volume month in its history. I hon-estly dont know why, except for thefact that every single person at thestore works hard for our customers,and it is paying off, Massey says.

Top: Fireplace Specialties is always onthe lookout for new products to keep itsmix fresh

Bottom: Knowing its customers tastesand preferences is important to FireplaceSpecialties

HEARTH RETAILER


espite what its nameimplies, you wont find anyislands at BBQ Island Inc.

(Tempe, Arizona). Mike West,CEO, says that this is the primaryreason that the store has been sosuccessful, experiencing phenom-enal double-digit growth everyyear since 2008. That was when itmoved into its current retail spaceof 7,000 square feet. That yearalone, sales increased 27%. Lastyear, they were up 14%.

What is the secret of thisgrowth? Its the noticeable lack ofislands at BBQ Island, West says.Prior to moving into its currentlocation, the store had minimalretail space. It actually shared spacewith its own manufacturing plant,

which built islands for outdoorkitchens. Then, it started import-ing islands. When West moved thestore to its new space, he eliminat-ed islands.

He explains, When westopped building and sellingislands, it brought in a larger con-tractor base. Contractors felt wewere grabbing their business bybuilding and selling islands, so wehad lost their business. Now, wedont sell custom islands to ourcustomers. We refer all of thatbusiness to our local contractors.In 2005, we had 40 competitors;now, we have only a handful,West says.

His showroom doesnt hurtsales, either. It is a great place, witha lot of variety, he says. Currently,he carries grills and smokers from35 different manufacturers.

In the second quarter of 2014,West plans to open a second loca-tion in Arizona. I dont know ofany other store like mine in theUnited States that has this dollar

volume. We also have the nicestshowroom around, he states, witha full line of working grills dis-played indoors.

His formula for success is sim-ple. Our customers come first. Wewill work with our vendors andmanufacturers to supply a qualityproduct with excellent service, hesays. If a customer doesnt like aproduct, even after three years,well take that product back. Itmight sting a bit, but in the longrun, it will pay off, because cus-tomers will tell their friends.

The relationships that West hadbuilt with his customers pulledhim through the downturn. Hesays, We never saw a slowdown inthe market. Although Phoenix washit hard, we didnt feel it.

West also strives to offer com-petitive pricing on all products,although this is tricky because thestore is also Web based (atwww.bbqislandinc.com). At BBQIsland, nearly all pricing is uni-form, whether online or in-store.

West and his employees constantlymonitor pricing; of the companys10 employees, five work full-timein Internet sales. He says, TheInternet is such a powerful tool.Our typical customers are 35 to 55years old, and they are Internetsavvy. They want good deals.

BBQ Island opened its onlinestore in 2003 and went all out;West says, To sell on the Internet,you have to be very competitive.He admits that the Internet can bea double-edged sword. Manyretailers complain that customerscheck out products in their stores,only to purchase them on theInternet. If there is a flat tax onInternet purchases, it will help thebrick-and-mortar stores, he says.

We are fortunate that we havecreated a good enough rapport withcustomers so that if they want us tomatch prices, well take care ofthem. There should be a manufac-turers suggested retail price, a mini-mum sale price, and a minimumadvertised price. That will help the

OUTDOOR GRILLING

building a brand

Left: By offering high-quality, competi-tively priced products, BBQ Island hasexperienced extraordinary growth

Right: From left, JT Thomas, SterlingFoster, Adam Ebert, and Mike West

Double-digit growth and high visibility are transforming BBQ Island into a household name. by CHERYL DANGEL BARTOLINI photography by M. SCOTT GALLES

D

34 Patio & Hearth Products Report Janua

patio and hearth products report january/february 2014

Documents

outdoor grilling

new look

outdoor entertainment

new ceo

outdoor lifestyle

veteran ofthe hearth

hearth retailer profile

product innovation