Aladdin Hearth Products

Aladdin Steel Products, Inc. began as a steel fabrication and welding products supply in 1978 in the rural northeastern Washington community of Colville. Founded by Alan Trusler and Dan Henry, Aladdin began to manufacture and market a modest line of wood stoves throughout eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Due to changing regulations and environmental concerns in the mid-1980's, they determined that it was in the homeowner's best interest to provide clean-burning non-catalytic stoves rather than catalytic units that degrade in performance over time. After nearly two years of research and development, they achieved the patented "Quad-Burn" system that burns and re-burns gases and smoke up to four times. This new system was the foundation for the Quadra-Fire line of stoves, and set a new industry standard. In 1990 Aladdin introduced the industry's only fully automatic self-lighting pellet appliances, featuring state-of-the-art heat exchange and patented feed systems. And in 1994 Aladdin continued to broaden the Quadra-Fire brand, adding high efficiency, high heat output gas appliances to their line of innovative, quality hearth appliances. In February 1998, the assets of Aladdin were acquired by Hearth Technologies, Inc., the hearth product subsidiary of HON INDUSTRIES, and Aladdin Hearth Products was created.

Dovre was started in 1933 in Norway by Sven Schloser-Moller, a Norwegian entrepreneur. The Dovre Company designed and marketed cast iron fireplaces. The business slowly expanded in Norway and moved into Europe in the 1970's. In 1976 the founder sold half of the business to a Belgian businessman, Leon Gehem. The partners promptly built a cast iron foundry and established corporate headquarters in Belgium to service the rapidly expanding European fireplace and wood stove market. In January of 1983 Dovre formed an American corporation and opened a factory and North American headquarters in Aurora, Illinois. A businessman and friend of the Gehem family, Mike Derosier was named President of the American subsidiary. The Dovre USA cast iron wood stove business experienced moderate growth as air quality regulations impacted the stove industry. Dovre USA distribution grew to over 400 dealers by 1990, but future growth was limited without porcelain enamel colors. In 1993 Dovre USA was acquired by Heatilator/HON INDUSTRIES and merged with the Arrow stove business. Arrow and Dovre focused on after-market sales to the hearth retailers through wholesalers. At the same time efficient, innovative gas products, some with porcelain enamel colors, were introduced, which brought dynamic growth and increased market share. By 1996 Dovre had the best-selling gas stove in the fast-growing direct vent category.

Arrow was started in Tualatin, Oregon in the late 1970's by Joe Chamberlain, an entrepreneur, as part of a general sheet metal fabrication business. Arrow was the first steel wood stove designed with a pedestal instead of legs, and also pioneered the use of a gold finish on the stove door. Chamberlain sold the Arrow business to Heatilator/HON INDUSTRIES in 1985 just as state and national air quality regulations were starting to impact the industry. As a result of these regulations, the Arrow business declined and Heatilator closed the Tualatin factory and moved manufacturing to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa in 1989. Several attempts to regain its once strong market position by selling through the Heatilator fireplace sales force and customer base were unsuccessful. In 1993 the company hired Mike Derosier, an experienced stove industry sales and marketing executive, to direct the Arrow stove business. In the fall of 1993 Arrow launched an innovative direct vent gas stove which started a new industry trend and helped revive Arrow sales and market share.

In February 1998, Aladdin Hearth Products was created with the intent of offering the most complete line of wood, pellet, gas and oil-burning hearth appliances in the industry. With the acquisition by HON INDUSTRIES, Aladdin took on the responsibility for the marketing and manufacturing of the Dovre and Arrow lines of gas, wood and oil-burning products from Heatilator.

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