PRODUCT
SPOTLIGHT 01 The Montigo Prodigy custom residential unit glass-viewing areas. Leigh advises: “The most important thing from Montigo’s perspective is for dealers to show the fireplaces finished in the cleanest and most complete fashion possible. The consumer, in most cases, needs to see the fireplaces installed completely as they would be in their home to get the full visual impact of their potential.” EUROPEAN HOME Direct-vent and vent-free lines are performing above expectations at European Home (Middleton, Massachusetts) with consumers citing design and quality as the primary reasons. Holly Markham, founder and president, observes that consumers are also responding to an unmistakable sense of luxury within the products. “We don’t skimp on metal thickness,” says Markham, who started the company two decades ago. “We weld where we need to, and we have thoughtful fire media. It all adds up to a high-end, luxury experience.” Vent-free products are made in New England, and direct vent is made in Europe by the Dutch company, Element4. Both sites have proven productive with several introductions this year. “We’ve recently added the peninsula-style H Series vent free which is a niche product and great for our dealers,” Markham says. “We also released the surround builder to help dealers provide a finishing solution while adding to their bottom line.” This year, Element4 debuted the world’s first quad-burner system which Markham describes as “best and most customizable gas fire in the world.” Featuring four flame settings and five independent burners, users can enjoy
01 low BTUs by igniting just one burner or turn on all five for more flames. “You can use an auto flame modulation feature on the remote or app and actually use 40% less gas,” Markham says. “I love this option for controlling gas consumption and heat. It is a better solution than running the burner full tilt and putting the heat outside, which contributes to the problem we have of climate change.” SPARTHERM GMBH As one of the largest privately owned manufacturers in Europe, Spartherm GmbH (Melle, Germany) has been developing and designing luxury fireplaces for more than 30 years. Best-sellers include the company’s angled fireplaces with patented lift door technology. However, Markus Aumann, international sales manager for North America, Australasia, and the Far East, points out that the venerable company carries a large range of designs, including: straight-face singlesided; double-sided see-through; twosided L-shaped corner ; three-sided peninsular — room dividers; and three-sided bay window. The two-sided and three-sided fireplaces are the most popular because the design allows the view of the flame/fire from different angles in a room. “In design and architectural projects, this has become very important,” Aumann says. “It is our goal that the design of the fireplace is durable, and that the fire or flame are an integral part of the creation of the atmosphere in a home.” Spartherm has a range of 14 units available in North America and is in the process of increasing that range with new products in the near future. Despite being a relatively new player, at least in North America, Aumann notes that some fundamental truths remain constant regardless of country, such as
28 • PATIO & HEARTH PRODucTS REPORT | JAnuARy/FEBRuARy 2019
quality, durability, and top-notch design. “It is important to incorporate the fire/living pattern into the design of the areas,” Aumann says. Customers are looking for a new option of fireplace products that links into the new architectural and designer trends. We work in close association with our importer and on-the-ground communication with retailers in North America. It is important to have contact with distribution as the concept is new and we offer training and support.” EMPIRE COMFORT SYSTEMS White Mountain Hearth and American Hearth are the two main brands under the Empire Comfort Systems (Belleville, Illinois) umbrella, and both have gained traction with successful product introductions. Of the many solid offerings, the TruFlame series of catalytic direct-vent fireplaces is generating the most buzz. “We introduced a 40-inch fireplace a few years ago, followed by a 36 fireplace and two inserts this year, and will be introducing a 50-inch fireplace and See-Thru fireplace model with an indoor/outdoor kit next year,” says Nick Bauer, president. “We are also testing a linear unit in our lab to complete the family. Most consumers do not care about all of the fancy features an engineer cares about and designs in a lab,” he adds. “We still sell standing pilots on most of our mo dels, because they are the easiest for consumers and people want them. We have our tech service employees read our own manuals and install our new products before we ever ship to make sure our customers aren’t catching our mistakes.” If retailers want to best convey the product in and out of the showroom, Bauer encourages them to burn, because “Live burns are the key to success for our products and for dealers to be able to promote and sell. We are willing to invest what it takes to set the dealer up for success. If they are burning it, they will sell it.” Steady growth over the past 10 years, plus an early cold snap in the fall, gives Bauer optimism that “one of the best seasons in recent memory” is in progress. Ultimately, Empire’s current success comes down to businessschool basics. “During the recession when everyone else was cutting expenses and R&D, we tripled our team and invested heavily into future growth,” Bauer says. “Once the econo-
my turned the corner, we had the right products at the right time to break into new markets and add new customers for us. We were also able to sell these new products to our core customers in our core markets. Roughly 15 percent to 20 percent of all our sales are new products and/or new customers. It is the blood of Empire.” VALOR FIREPLACES When homeowners need to replace their outdated wood-burning fireplaces, many are turning to insert options. Valor Fireplaces (Vancouver, British Columbia) has fed this demand with continued improvements, including its patented AutoFire technology. The commitment to innovation has paid off with Valor’s H5 and H6 line of midsize and large fireplaces, with solid sales due in part to the HeatShift system. According to Paul Miles, director of marketing and sales, gas remains a great, clean burning solution, especially combined with zone heating. “Our customers want a quality product, one that will last the test of time,” Miles says. “That means we offer AutoFire in our insert line, a Valor innovation that automatically fine tunes the fire for the ultimate i n warmth and efficiency. Our HeatShift system, a Valor first, is integral to more and more fireplaces we sell, particularly with the increased popularity of large format and linear fireplaces. HeatShift provides homeowners with the assurance that their fireplace’s heat won’t damage their sensitive surround sound, TV, or artwork.” To help dealers convey the message, Valor continually improves its online su pport. “Our Technical Support team continues to be a valuable resource,” Miles says. “It’s now also available ‘live’ on our website so we can directly answer easy questions for dealers or homeowners, freeing up our dealer’s time.” New fuel beds, such as driftwood and split wood, provide a viable alternative to the classic log set. Miles sees this trend continuing among homeowners who want to customize their fireplace to suit their particular style and design needs. “We see a real mix of traditional and contemporary,” he says. “Clean, minimalist design is always in demand, but our Victorian Windsor Arch also does well.”