MEMBER PROFILE - Advanced Chimney Systems

Advanced Chimney Systems approaches 40 years in business

ALL FIRED UP:

Providing safety, warmth to the home

By Paul Anthony Arco

Brad Vander Heyden has always appreciated a good fire.

“I enjoy watching a warm fire and being close to it,” he said. “There is something about a fireplace that makes a home feel more comfortable.”

Vander Heyden is president of Advanced Chimney Systems (ACS), a Rockford-based business that sells a variety of wood, gas and electric fireplaces, freestanding stoves, inserts and gas logs. In addition, ACS offers chimney inspections, repairs and maintenance for all products it installs.

A Rockford native, Vander Heyden got his start working in sales for another fireplace business in addition to contract work with an installer. He also spent a year working on the west coast before returning to Rockford. Eventually, Vander Heyden took a leap of faith and decided to start his own business.

“The installer I worked with grew tired of the Midwest winters and moved to Arizona,” he said. “I felt like there was a void here in Rockford, and I started doing more subcontract work.”

In 1984, Vander Heyden opened ACS out of his home, before renting space on Rockford’s south side in the early 1990s, where he could feature a showroom of products. In the early 2000s, he purchased his current building and tripled his space. Today, ACS has 12 employees that include installers, sales and support staff.

Vander Heyden is introspective when he reflects on his business that is approaching 40 years. “There have always been highs and lows,” he said. “Traditionally we’ve always been busy in the fall and winter. In the first decade or so, we had a lot of new construction that would take us through spring and summer, too. But there were lean times.”

Family support has always been important to the business. All four of Vander Heyden’s children worked at the store – answering phones, sweeping chimneys and tackling other tasks. All four, however, decided to eventually pursue other career paths. “I would never want to stand between the dreams of any of my children, and, yet this was a place where the kids learned their work ethic and how to care for the customer,” he said.

Trends in Home Heating

The fireplace industry has changed over the years as technology has evolved and demand has grown.

“The biggest difference is selection,” Vander Heyden said. “When I started, wood was king. But gas technology has really changed the industry. The service we use to do was relatively easy, but now we send our guys away to school to learn how to diagnose and troubleshoot complex maintenance issues.”

Vander Heyden adds that while higher efficiency gas appliances are popular, increasing heating bills has many customers interested in pellet and wood stoves and inserts once again.

“It all depends on what you’re looking for,” Vander Heyden said. “Is it something to improve the atmosphere or something to help warm a certain area of your home? For example, zone heating is popular these days. It can make your bedrooms or living rooms more comfortable and can cost you less than heating your entire house.”

Vander Heyden preaches safety to all homeowners. He encourages home inspections, making sure carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms are working properly, and following good woodburning practices. “You can never be too safe,” he said. “Teaching people how to be safe is vital.”

During the heat of COVID last year, Vander Heyden and his team focused on remodeling the store’s showroom. But the pandemic has also proven to be a busy time. “We’ve found that a lot of people aren’t traveling as much and staying home more,” he said.

Vander Heyden is grateful for the support of both customers and employees. “We don’t have a business where you can work remotely,” he said. “Our employees have been working longer and harder than ever during this time, and our customers have been gracious and patient while we work through the issues businesses face these days. I am fortunate.”

ADVANCED CHIMNEY SYSTEMS - President: Brad Vander Heyden 3486 Lonergan Dr. 815-874-7377 Advancedchimney.net