By
Carol Daus
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| Heat & Glo's latest product offerings, the LUX60 (left) and Solaris 36-ST (right), make a powerful focal point in any room. |
It's hard not to be dazzled by the new Solaris™ 36-ST, one of the latest hearth-product introductions from Heat & Glo®, a brand of Hearth & Home Technologies®. Dealers were first introduced to the Solaris at HPBExpo in Reno last March, where it received the coveted Best-in-Show and Best Gas Fireplace Vesta Awards.
Inspired by the setting sun, the circular Solaris 36-ST features a new 30,000-Btu, patent-pending burner, which is completely transparent and is suspended midway, in the center of the fireplace. The overall effect of the Solaris is very dramatic, making it a powerful focal point in any room.
The LUX60™—a large-scale fireplace (5 feet wide by 5 feet tall) that commands control over the entire room—is another new Heat & Glo hearth product generating considerable attention in the marketplace. Both the Solaris and the LUX60 demonstrate that Heat & Glo is forging ahead with new-product development, despite hard economic times.
“At Hearth & Home Technologies, product development continues to be a major priority,” John Shimek, vice president of marketing, explains. “Feedback regarding both the Solaris and the LUX60 has been extremely positive, particularly in high-end urban markets such as those on the West Coast,” Shimek says.
Sleek and Stylish Looks
Although contemporary hearth products have surged in popularity in recent years, Heat & Glo recognized the viability of this market category over 10 years ago, when it launched its Modern collection (which continues to grow at a 15- to 20-percent rate, even in a sluggish economy). “Our Modern collection is steadily gaining momentum in the marketplace,” Shimek notes. “We believe that the contemporary, clean lines of these products are here to stay.”
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| John Shimek, vice president of marketing, Hearth & Home Technologies |
Other Heat & Glo products that have created a buzz in the marketplace this year include the sleek RED (for rectangular European design) series and two new additions to the 6000 series, featuring advanced technologies that produce impressive flames, realistic embers, and opulent accent lighting.
The RED series includes the first and only fireplaces on the market that have recessed glass inside the firebox, creating the illusion of an open flame. Nearly invisible to the naked eye, the recessed glass is surrounded on both sides by media trays full of custom stones, creating a seamless appearance as they shimmer in the light. Products in the RED series are available as either see-through or single-sided fireplaces.
The newly upgraded 6000CLX and 8000CLX fireplaces feature big, active flames that are surrounded by glowing red and orange embers. The firebox has LED accent lighting that (in addition to adding interest to the fireplace while it is operating) can be turned on separately to create an alluring fireplace even in the hottest months of the year, when most fireplaces are resting.
“During the process of upgrading our best-selling 6000 series, we spent considerable time researching what homeowners want,” Shimek says. “These fireplaces have it all, with the perfect combination of flames, glow, and lighting, in addition to the widest selection of fronts and mantels available.”
Industry Firsts
The ability to develop trend-right products and technologies established Heat & Glo as an industry leader in the area of innovation many years ago. In the late 1980s, brothers Ron and Dan Shimek of Heat & Glo invented the direct-vent gas fireplace, revolutionizing the hearth industry and creating an increase in demand for gas fireplaces.
With the introduction of the direct-vent gas fireplace, Heat & Glo made it possible to install a fireplace safely in virtually any room in the home. Today, direct-vent gas fireplaces are the type of hearth product most desired by consumers, and they represent the largest segment of Heat & Glo's business. In addition to being a dominant retail product, the direct-vent gas fireplace has become the preferred appliance in the new-construction industry.
Over the years, Heat & Glo has introduced many other firsts: the first remote-controlled fireplace, the first multisided fireplace, and the first indoor/outdoor fireplace. In 2001, Heat & Glo introduced and patented Firebrick®, which enhanced the shape of the firebox with seamless designs and heating efficiencies.
Tried-and-true Products
Although eye-catching products such as the Solaris and LUX60 attract a lot of attention, Heat & Glo is also well recognized for its core offerings; according to Shimek, they “make up 80 percent of a traditional hearth retailer's needs in a normal market.”
He adds that these core offerings typically have a 3- to 4-year life cycle, although the products are continuously upgraded throughout this period. “We make sure 50 percent of our team is focusing on our core offerings,” he says. “Then we utilize another 50 percent of our research-and-development resources to focus on innovation and design, determining what we think the market needs or wants. That's how we end up with products like the Solaris and LUX.”
This strategy for product development is supported by Heat & Glo's three-pronged mission: being a hearth company that focuses on innovation, on design, and on being the best that it can be in the gas-products category. By concentrating on these objectives, Heat & Glo has earned more industry awards than any other brand, and it also holds more patents than any of its competitors. “I think one of the reasons our Heat & Glo brand has been so successful is that we kept it focused on the gas category, instead of trying to compete in the pellet- and wood-burning markets,” Shimek says.
In the area of product development, Heat & Glo relies heavily on its network of authorized dealers, as well as on homebuilders and homeowners, to provide feedback on potential hearth products that would be successful. For the more cutting-edge designs, such as the Solaris and LUX60, the original concepts are fleshed out in Hearth & Home Technologies' research-and-development department.
Several individuals in this department are focused primarily on developing products outside the box. “We have a great leader in research and development who's been in the industry for more than 20 years, and we also have younger engineers who are tuned in to the preferences of younger consumers,” Shimek says.
Shimek points out that one of the reasons that Heat & Glo's products have been so successful is that its authorized-dealer network has always embraced change and has been receptive to adding new products to its merchandising mix. “Heat & Glo has been around since 1975, and in that time, our dealers have always done an exceptional job of creating demand for our new products,” he says. “Our dealers know that we don't sacrifice product development—even in a slow economy.”
PHPR May/June 2009
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