Fireside Favorites

From traditional to modern, Regency fireplaces are revered for their warmth, efficiency, and beauty.

BY MAURA KELLER

ESTABLISHED IN 1979 BY ROBERT LITTLE IN

Vancouver, B.C., Regency Fireplace Products was initially founded when Little saw the inferior quality of many of the wood fireplaces at the time and thought he could make a better-quality fireplace.

“That passion for providing quality products has been our company’s cornerstone guiding principle for the past 40 years,” says Kyle Grant, director of marketing. “Over the 40 years, Regency has grown from a two-person operation into a multinational organization with more than 400 employees supporting our dealer network across multiple continents.”

Today, Regency offers a full line of products including gas, wood, electric, and pellet fuel types; and offered in stoves, inserts, and fireplaces. The company became a member of the NIBE Group in 2016 and became ISO9001 certified in 2022—a further testament to the company’s focus on quality.

AN ONGOING EVOLUTION Today’s hearth customers desire a specific look and design for their home and need dealers to help them achieve that. As Grant explains, with the rise of imagesharing platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, homeowners have become more customized in what they want their home to look like.

“This has driven innovation to allow the use of various types of materials, including combustible, in finishings to maximize design flexibility, improve TV and media placement, and help eliminate the need for mantels,” Grant says.

In addition, today’s hearth manufacturers need more adaptable accessories to change the look of a unit to meet the diverse range of style demands from customers. “The industry also has become more complex across virtually all facets, including regulation and efficiency, thereby driving the increased need

TOP RIGHT: Regency City Series Seattle See-Through Gas Fireplace for innovation and accessories for hearth products,” Grant says.

Customers are also focusing on the efficiency and environmental impact of today’s hearth products. This is driven by the wide range of available tax credits. “In addition, recent fuel price increases are causing consumers to re-evaluate the efficiency of their homes overall; and change fuel types or focus on things like zone heating which fireplaces excel at,” Grant says.

APPEALING PRODUCTS & DESIGN To meet the evolving consumer trends and interests, Regency is continually improving the realism of gas and electric units to mimic wood with innovations like the company’s infusion burner on the Atmosphere Series, providing unmatched realism. “In addition, we will be launching a new line of electric products that increase the visual appeal of the flame and come in more form factors and styles such as traditional fireplaces and insert fireplaces,” Grant says.

The Regency team is also seeing a significant decrease in the demand for older style linear fireplaces with picture frame faceplates and/or large surrounds. Today’s consumers want more fireplace with less framing and a clean minimalist look— even with more traditionally styled fireplaces. The trend is going toward a clean minimal frame coupled with traditional elements such as brick panels and logs. Crystals and glass beads also are falling out of favor with consumers opting more for organic media such as rocks.

Today’s consumers want the fireplace to look good whether it’s on or off. That’s why Regency incorporates design elements such as interior lights, customizable styling with more interior options, and hi-definition ultra-realistic log sets that are virtually indistinguishable from real wood, all of which allow for a visually appealing fireplace year-round.

“As the R-values of homes increase, managing heat is also becoming increasingly important,” Grant says. “Therefore, the ability to control heat output is also more in demand and this can be achieved through heat management systems such as the Cool Wall System found on our Grandview and City Series lines and also through increasing burner turn downs to provide a wider operable BTU range.”

A LEADING COMPANY Regency concentrates on delivering its brand promise every day. Regency focuses on delivering to its customers in the areas of quality, service, reliability, and innovation. “In addition to our brand promise, we back up all our products with our industry-leading limited lifetime warranty,” Grant says. “Our factory direct shipping, and fully owned and managed distribution channels allow us to quickly get products to dealers when they need them with the support that they need.”

Regency offers advice to hearth retailers looking to draw more consumers. “The conversation starts online—hearth retailers should invest in a good website. It is your virtual showroom and, likely, the first impression with your potential customer. A well-designed, optimized web-

site will assist in ranking in search engines and enable customers to find you when they search online, just like choosing a retail location.”

Grant also points to omni-channel marketing as a key method. “The path to purchase is no longer linear, arguably it never has been. Know that your customers will come in contact with your brand through several touchpoints and not always in the same order,” Grant says. “Maintaining a consistent marketing message across all your marketing channels is important. Customers will engage with you through multiple channels; therefore, monitoring each of these channels for potential sales and customer service inquiries/complaints is essential.”

Also, Regency advises retailers to maximize the revenue per square foot in showrooms—ensure the products on the floor drive sales. “Mind your margins and your total revenue—as we speak with many of our dealers, we understand that a major limitation is the capacity of the installation team,” Grant says. “Therefore, it is essential to maximize your revenue per install and thus know which products and product lines you make the highest revenue on (not just in percentage, but in actual dollars), while also minimizing your call-backs and warranty service calls that impact your capacity and revenue potential.”

The supply chain issue also has proven challenging to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. As Grant notes, the biggest constraint in the company’s supply chain was the electronic ignition control systems due to the worldwide computer chip shortage.

“This did impact production capabilities for e-units; however, the company was able to pivot quickly to produce more standing pilot units where possible,” Grant says. “Cost increases have also run rampant throughout our supply chain, from raw materials to transportation. While our suppliers implemented price increases, Regency attempted to shield our dealers and customers as much as possible by delaying price increases and, where possible, absorbing some of the price increases.”

One thing Regency can state is that it never compromised on product quality—Regency still uses the same quality materials throughout the product line. “Our purchasing teams constantly sourced comparable products from alternative suppliers wherever possible to mitigate supply constraints, allowing us to diversify our supplier lineup and maintain access to high-quality materials,” Grant says. Customized Comfort. American Promise. FOR OVER 50 YEARS, INFRATECH HAS BEEN THE ONLY OUTDOOR COMFORT HEAT BRAND TO DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OUR PRODUCTS EXCLUSIVELY IN THE USA. American craftsmanship — at competitive prices compared with imported brands. Premium quality products made from a heritage of traditional manufacturing practices and cutting-edge technology. Quick turnarounds and accessible, personal and knowledgeable customer service. The ability to work with a close-knit team who draw upon decades of experience, to deliver the most out-of-the-box custom installations. And the peace of mind that comes from making a sustainable choice — not only for our communities and economy, but also for our planet. This is Infratech’s American Promise.

LOOKING AHEAD The Regency team believes the hearth industry will continue to provide customers with products that meet esthetic and functional needs for their family and living spaces.

“Fireplaces are more than something that draws a family together. They also provide a secondary heat source and, at times, an important emergency heat source—we don’t see this changing in the future,” Grant says. “Regency is continuing to expand our Atmosphere Collection of gas inserts and Grandview series of gas fireplaces to include more sizes and more options. We are investing heavily to improve all aspects of our business from product development right through to customer service.”

Regency’s electric product line also will be expanding significantly—more styles, form factors, features, and all communicating with home automation technology.

“We believe this product category will continue to grow and evolve to meet the customers and environmental demands of the future,” Grant says. “The future of the industry is strong and evolving. Regency is well positioned and excited to continue to meet the needs of consumers and dealers with new products, new innovations, and new technologies.”