Well, I can't believe the last time I posted to this blog was in 2008! We all know what happened in 2008, right? (In case you've been under a rock - the economy took a hit with a housing financing crash).
I'm still here. But I've been pressed into other services and my foray into blogging got sidetracked. I'd love to update this blog and make it active again. But, honestly, I don't know if I'll get back to this soon. My main day-to-day job has been running the service crew and it wears me out! But I am doing some other stuff (mostly with my computers) and I'll see if I can't get back here and resurrect this blog sometime in the near future.
In the meantime, go to our website and Facebook page for more current goings-on.
www.crackermill.com
https://www.facebook.com/CrackerMill/
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Review from Atlanta HPBA Expo 2008
Lauri and I just returned from the Atlanta HPBA Expo. This Expo is our industries annual trade show and includes many vendor display areas (including an outdoor burn/demo area) and many optional training sessions/classes. We used our time in Atlanta to visit our vendors/manufacturers and discuss their products and talk about what's new or just to keep in touch with the people behind the products we sell and install in our community. We also attended several seminar classes to help us improve our business and network with other Hearth dealerships from around the country.
What's new or coming up?
We saw lots of new products but some of the products are not yet ready for sale. We'll keep you posted as these new products hit the marketplace. Still, there are some new things available now, such as:
Travis/Fireplace Xtrordinair gas torchlights - "Tempest Torch" - these are beautiful gas lights highlited with a vortex flame and clear glass panels that reflect the flame. They are available in two designs, one is a floor mount on a pole and stands about 7 feet tall. The other is a wall mount sconce type. These will make beautiful additions to outdoor patios at home or in commercial spaces. Very nice!
Travis/Fireplace Xtrodinair 864 See-thru gas fireplace. The same fireplace as has been available now for two years but in a See-thru, two-sided, version. Large glass view, beautiful face choices, interior firbricks, accent lighting, remote control. All the same features as the current 864TRV with an additional two-sided flare!
Lopi Berkshire and Sturbridge freestanding gas stoves in new color - Slate! A slate blue color, highlights well with stone inserts. We'll be displaying this new color by the end of summer.
New "panel-less" insert faces. Lopi/Avalon/FPX have several faces now available for the DVL/DVS gas inserts that do not use the surround panels. The face is over-sized eliminating the need for surround panel extensions. We will be adding one of these types of faces to our showroom later this summer.
Travis/FPX has a lot of nice stuff coming out soon. But we can't spill the beans until everything is finally available. Stay tuned!
Vermont Castings has added a new small gas stove, named the Intrepid. It uses the same design as the small wood stove of the same name. It is available in enamel colors and joins it's bigger brothers - the Stardance and Radiance - with a new burner design that adds more beautiful red glow and embers. It is also available with a remote control system.
Vermont Castings introduced a new medium-sized wood-burning insert. It's made with their famous cast iron construction and is non-catalytic. It will join the two WinterWarm inserts and make a nice thrid choice, being sized in between the Small WinterWarm and the Large WinterWarm. This new unit also supports being installed as a new zero-clearance fireplace, similar to the optional Large WinterWarm Fireplace System. We're very happy to see this new medium sized cast-iron insert.
Morso has added a new small-sized Scandanavian-style wood stove. The 6300 series is similar in design to the 8100 series, which is a larger model. The 6300 is unique in that it can be attached as a wall mount stove. All cast iron, beautiful Danish design. Check it out at the Morso website.
Security BIS has added a new model to their line-up. These are high-efficiency wood fireplaces - built-in stoves, if you will. The new model is small in size, with a rectangular face. We think it looks nice and will fit well into more contemporary decor.
We also saw a new Two-sided high-efficiency fireplace. Very unusual! Most two-sided fireplaces are not efficient. This new fireplace is designed to be a high-efficiency unit and can be loaded and controlled from either side. We'll bring this new unit in if we get enough interest. What do you think of a two-sided high-efficiency fireplace?
Harman has added a new pellet boiler to it's line-up. it's a unique product and meant to supplement existing furnace systems and to add domestic hot water. Very cool! They also have a new mid-sized pellet stove with auto-ignition, the P-43. It's a smaller version of the existing P-61A or P-68. Full automatic control, for smaller spaces, and a smaller price.
Valor has expanded it's line of gas fireplaces with a larger model. They now have three sizes and lots of faces and design applications. We've enjoyed Valor products for years and we know the new line-up will continue to find a place in both traditional and contemporary homes.
Mendota has a new line of clean-face gas inserts and fireplaces. The new clean-face insert is stunning! We'll be looking to add it to our showroom as soon as we can.
Added to the above are several new mantel and hearth designs from Grand Mantel, JC Huffman, American Panel and Hearth Classics. Also new pipe accessories from Simpson Duravent, such as new "sconce"" style gas vent caps, in aluminum and copper.
These are just a few of the new items we have available and we have more new stuff on the way. Oh - I almost forgot! We've got some great new electric fireplace products from Vermont Castings and Travis/Fireplace Xtrordinair and Valor. If your looking for some new electric choices we've got some nice options for you.
Well, that's it for now. I'll have more to share in another blog entry. Come in to the store to find out more about what we have that's new, or to review any of the great products we now have available for your next building or remodeling project.
Bye for now,
Sean Kennedy
What's new or coming up?
We saw lots of new products but some of the products are not yet ready for sale. We'll keep you posted as these new products hit the marketplace. Still, there are some new things available now, such as:
Travis/Fireplace Xtrordinair gas torchlights - "Tempest Torch" - these are beautiful gas lights highlited with a vortex flame and clear glass panels that reflect the flame. They are available in two designs, one is a floor mount on a pole and stands about 7 feet tall. The other is a wall mount sconce type. These will make beautiful additions to outdoor patios at home or in commercial spaces. Very nice!
Travis/Fireplace Xtrodinair 864 See-thru gas fireplace. The same fireplace as has been available now for two years but in a See-thru, two-sided, version. Large glass view, beautiful face choices, interior firbricks, accent lighting, remote control. All the same features as the current 864TRV with an additional two-sided flare!
Lopi Berkshire and Sturbridge freestanding gas stoves in new color - Slate! A slate blue color, highlights well with stone inserts. We'll be displaying this new color by the end of summer.
New "panel-less" insert faces. Lopi/Avalon/FPX have several faces now available for the DVL/DVS gas inserts that do not use the surround panels. The face is over-sized eliminating the need for surround panel extensions. We will be adding one of these types of faces to our showroom later this summer.
Travis/FPX has a lot of nice stuff coming out soon. But we can't spill the beans until everything is finally available. Stay tuned!
Vermont Castings has added a new small gas stove, named the Intrepid. It uses the same design as the small wood stove of the same name. It is available in enamel colors and joins it's bigger brothers - the Stardance and Radiance - with a new burner design that adds more beautiful red glow and embers. It is also available with a remote control system.
Vermont Castings introduced a new medium-sized wood-burning insert. It's made with their famous cast iron construction and is non-catalytic. It will join the two WinterWarm inserts and make a nice thrid choice, being sized in between the Small WinterWarm and the Large WinterWarm. This new unit also supports being installed as a new zero-clearance fireplace, similar to the optional Large WinterWarm Fireplace System. We're very happy to see this new medium sized cast-iron insert.
Morso has added a new small-sized Scandanavian-style wood stove. The 6300 series is similar in design to the 8100 series, which is a larger model. The 6300 is unique in that it can be attached as a wall mount stove. All cast iron, beautiful Danish design. Check it out at the Morso website.
Security BIS has added a new model to their line-up. These are high-efficiency wood fireplaces - built-in stoves, if you will. The new model is small in size, with a rectangular face. We think it looks nice and will fit well into more contemporary decor.
We also saw a new Two-sided high-efficiency fireplace. Very unusual! Most two-sided fireplaces are not efficient. This new fireplace is designed to be a high-efficiency unit and can be loaded and controlled from either side. We'll bring this new unit in if we get enough interest. What do you think of a two-sided high-efficiency fireplace?
Harman has added a new pellet boiler to it's line-up. it's a unique product and meant to supplement existing furnace systems and to add domestic hot water. Very cool! They also have a new mid-sized pellet stove with auto-ignition, the P-43. It's a smaller version of the existing P-61A or P-68. Full automatic control, for smaller spaces, and a smaller price.
Valor has expanded it's line of gas fireplaces with a larger model. They now have three sizes and lots of faces and design applications. We've enjoyed Valor products for years and we know the new line-up will continue to find a place in both traditional and contemporary homes.
Mendota has a new line of clean-face gas inserts and fireplaces. The new clean-face insert is stunning! We'll be looking to add it to our showroom as soon as we can.
Added to the above are several new mantel and hearth designs from Grand Mantel, JC Huffman, American Panel and Hearth Classics. Also new pipe accessories from Simpson Duravent, such as new "sconce"" style gas vent caps, in aluminum and copper.
These are just a few of the new items we have available and we have more new stuff on the way. Oh - I almost forgot! We've got some great new electric fireplace products from Vermont Castings and Travis/Fireplace Xtrordinair and Valor. If your looking for some new electric choices we've got some nice options for you.
Well, that's it for now. I'll have more to share in another blog entry. Come in to the store to find out more about what we have that's new, or to review any of the great products we now have available for your next building or remodeling project.
Bye for now,
Sean Kennedy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)