My wife Melissa and I decided to roll up our sleeves and invest our own heart, soul, and mind into building the first ever Dual-Tiered Fireplace Grate with a Removable Ash Pan™.
Michigan (PRWEB) November 04, 2014
The first ever dual-tier fireplace grate hits the U.S. market. Retailers and homeowners are finding the new Stepflame to be "home decor" for the fireplace, while delivering a longer lasting fire experience. It all started back in October 2010 with a goal to enhance a product category. As lifelong entrepreneurs and small business owners, Mark & Melissa Powers knew there had to be a better way to design and build fire grates. "My wife Melissa and I decided to roll up our sleeves and invest our own heart, soul, and mind into building the first ever Dual-Tier Fireplace Grate with a Removable Ash Pan™," said Mark Powers, Co-Founder & Inventor.
The duo took their time to go to market. The first two years were spent testing, R&D, and attending the largest industry show in the United States called HPBExpo. "The goal for attending the HPBExpo was to meet retailers and to find a U.S. based manufacturer to manufacture, package, and distribute our Stepflame product,” said Mark Powers.
The Powers' knew that the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo was North America’s largest indoor-outdoor living showcase. HPBExpo is where more than 350 leading hearth, patio and barbecue manufacturers and suppliers exhibit and demonstrate their newest innovations, attracting thousands of specialty and mass market retailers and other professionals. In March of 2013, The Powers' registered and attended their first HPBExpo in the “Sunshine State” of Florida. They purchased a small 10x10 booth and invested money in the "New Product Pavilion" to gain more exposure for their new Stepflame product.
On the day of judging, the Stepflame won the prestigious VESTA Award. This was the first time in over 17 years that the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo awarded a first-time attendee with a new to market product entry. Retailers and manufactures were immediately drawn in. The first of many manufactures to express their interest was a Saint Louis, Missouri based company named HY-C COMPANY, founded in 1947. Post the HPBExpo and a careful manufacturer selection process, the Powers' selected HY-C Company and signed a 5-year licensing agreement to manage the B2B channel. "HY-C has a great reputation in our industry. They bring over 150,000 square feet of factory/production space, with modern metalworking machinery including laser capability, CNC turret press, press brakes, and a fully automated powder coat paint system. It was important to us that HY-C could deliver on a 36-72 hour turnaround delivery time, and follow Just In Time (JIT) manufacturing for our product line,” said, Melissa Powers, Co-Founder & Inventor.
Now, for the first time since its inception, the Stepflame is hitting the U.S. market in a big fashion. Retailers such as Home Depot, Sears, Brookstone, Woodland Direct, Shop Chimney, Amazon, Plow & Hearth, Fireside America, and several specialty fireplace retailers are the first to bring the Stepflame to market via their website stores with potential for catalog and in-store retail.
The Powers family and HY-C Company are happy to say that America has embraced the Stepflame. They are ready to establish wonderful relationships with ALL retailers and distributors.
Retailers and Distributors, please call or email to get your pricing sheets.
Sales & Customer Support: 800-325-7076 or email sales(at)hy-c.com
Custom Fire Grates is proud to have HY-C as our Manufacturing Partner.