PATIO & HEARTH PRODUCTS REPORT
IndustryNews Hearth & Home Technologies Stays Hot With Cool Technology Hearth & Home Technologies (HHT) continues to gain momentum with its patent-pending PowerFlow technology. The technology can be found on the Lakeville, Minnesota-based company’s Primo gas fireplace where PowerFlow redirects the flow of heat, sending warmth to the room while maintaining safe outer glass and a cool wall for TVs or heat-sensitive materials above the fireplace. With the flip of a switch, users can quickly adjust heat distribution—inside or out of the home. PowerFlow requires one of the following heat management solutions. A combination of two may also be used for maximum heat control. • Passive Heat: Allows heat to disperse naturally in the room, reducing surface temperatures. • Heat Zone: Allows users to heat the same room or move the heat to an adjacent room. • Heat Out: Allows users to redirect heat to the outside of the home. HHT offers passive and fan options to get the right solution for each install. Heat & Glo Fireplaces, Heatilator Fireplaces, and Majestic Fireplaces all incorporate the cool technology. “A gas fireplace is safe for your room’s interior walls and paint, with or without heat management,” explains Kathy Rogers, category director. “Wallpaper is a bit of a different story. Typically, you cannot
install wallpaper next to the opening of a gas fireplace; however, with the PowerFlow system on the Primo, you’re able to bring wallpaper and other wall coverings you can’t typically use that close to the fireplace.” Most of HHT’s heat management options use fans to pull heat from the fireplace and move them into the room or into an adjacent room. A passive heat kit naturally disperses the heat w ithout a fan. This type of “Heat Out” system works in any home, allowing people to increase comfort and use fireHeat & Glo’s Primo places year-round. “Heat manageGas Fireplace ment helps to disperse the heat in “Hearth & Home Technologies has training availthe areas you use the most,” Rogers says. “This allows able for our trade partners to help them learn more you turn the temperature down in the other places about all of our options,” Rogers adds. “The best way and keep the temperature perfect in the room with to promote heat management to customers is to help the fireplace.” them understand the benefits—TV closer to the fireRogers points out that dealers can stress the place equals lower on the wall. They can also heat the advantage s of heat management to close more gas owner’s suite at the same time as their living room or fireplace sales. For example, these technologies allow move heat outside the home to avoid over-heating buyers to enjoy their fire in comfort and, at the same their guests while still enjoying the fireplace.” time, expand interior design flexibility.
HPC Fire Inspired Ignites Success Through Expansion, Technology HPC Fire Inspired recently moved to a larger building outfitted with state-of-the-art manufacturing, racking, and logistic systems. “Not only is the space bigger for manufacturing and inventory opportunities, it allowed us to build an innovation center for our R&D team,” says Sean Steimle, CEO. “We are very excited for our game-changing technologies and product launches in 2021 and 2022.” The first of three new tech launches in 2021 began in early February with a new augmented reality smart app, the result of customers asking how they could visualize HPC’s fire features in their space. The app allows users to select options, scan their area, and virtually place the products in the space— allowing clients to see in real-time how the fire feature will look. Thanks to the recent acquisition of Forno de Pizz a last year, HPC recently relaunched its niche for handcrafted gas/wood hybrid ovens. “Honoring timeless styling cues from centuries-old cooking his-
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Forno de Pizza Hybrid Gas/Wood Oven
Torpedo burner
tory isn’t antithetical to modern engineering and performance,” Steimle says. “These ovens were designed for the ones who understand it’s not just for pizzas, it’s for everyone. We started preselling the ovens in March and we are experiencing significant dem and. One of the hottest glass tile colors is the ocean blue.” In May, HPC Fire Inspired introduced HPC Fire Inspired Torpedo burner, built with commercialgrade stainless steel and patented nozzle technology
to provide the biggest flame available. The Torpedo’s nozzle design uses patented Penta burner technology to provide customers with the warmest fire available, and the reliability they’ve come to appreciate from HPC Fire Inspired. The acquisition strategy continues to bear fruit with a new marketing category of outdoor dining. Steimle reveals that plans are in the works to build out the category with other outdoor dining appliances and accessories. Steimle credits many of these changes and improvements to an R&D team that “is passionate and loves what they do.” The passion combined with conside rable experience in electrical, mechanical, and other engineering disciplines allow for elite brainstorming and collaboration. “HPC’s Fire Inspired promise is that our fire features light every
