Like Apple, Amazon, Disney, Google, Microsoft and many other great companies, Bull Outdoor Products started in a garage. It was there in 1992 that Mark Nureddine and his then-business partner began designing and building barbecue islands and built-in stainless-steel grills that could be delivered as completely-assembled and fully-finished outdoor kitchens to customers’ backyards. 

From his previous work in the spa industry, Nureddine knew there was growing consumer interest in outdoor kitchens, but the marketplace lacked an alternative to the expensive, built-on-site masonry islands typically available at that time. 

“Twenty years ago, most islands were custom-built in people’s backyards, and built-in grills were very expensive and not widely available,” says Nureddine. “We said, ‘Let’s make (outdoor kitchens) more affordable for the masses.’ Our thought was if we could build everything in a factory, we could control labor, materials and other costs to create an outdoor kitchen that most anyone could afford.” 

Those value-priced, prefabricated outdoor kitchens had other advantages as well. Because they were considered portable, homeowners didn’t need to secure building permits. Turnaround times were usually much faster than masons or contractors could deliver and, since selling them did not necessitate having design, masonry or other special expertise, they were an easy way for hearth, barbecue, patio and other independent retailers to get into the outdoor kitchen game.

By 1993, after a year of product development, the new company – named Bull to signify power, strength and reliability – moved operations from the garage to a local factory and took its products to market. Consumers and dealers responded to this innovative concept, and Nureddine knew he was on to something. 

L to R: Frank Mello, vice president of Sales and Marketing and Mark Nureddine, owner of Bull Outdoor Products.

“We believed then – and still do – that the backyard should be a major part of the living space of someone’s home,” he says. 

Today, Bull is a leading manufacturer of outdoor living products. The company, now with 100 employees, has expanded production far beyond gas grills and pre-fabricated islands to include practically everything anyone might want for their Outdoor Room. Bull offers charcoal grills, pizza ovens, outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, fire tables and fire walls, water features, a full complement of outdoor kitchen appliances and components, such as power burners, griddles, refrigerators, beverage stations and bar islands, access doors and drawers, a host of grilling tools and accessories, and much more. All of these products coordinate to create a complete and cohesively-designed outdoor living space. 

The Path to Success

According to Nureddine, the company’s steady growth over the past two decades parallels the increase in consumer interest in the Outdoor Room across the country. “In the beginning we grew slowly and that was a benefit because our mistakes were small, scale-wise,” he says. “As young entrepreneurs, one of our biggest challenges was that we didn’t have someone telling us what to do; we had to figure out things, like insurance and working with suppliers, on our own. We made a lot of mistakes, but none was so big it was detrimental to our business.”

Nureddine says one of the smartest strategies the new company implemented initially, was not to extend terms to dealers. “We got paid for everything we shipped; we didn’t want to be anyone’s bank,” he says. “This allowed us to invest in equipment, marketing and sales efforts to grow the business.”

Within the first five years, the company had grown enough that it faced a crossroads: Could they rapidly scale-up manufacturing with the necessary equipment, tooling and resources needed to meet increased production demands, or should they move grill manufacturing overseas?

“Doing what was needed to finance and step-up production ourselves was overwhelming,” says Nureddine. “We decided it would be easier to keep up with our growth if we took our grill designs overseas to be manufactured.” 

They went first to a factory in Taiwan, before eventually partnering with a manufacturer in China. “The owners live and have offices in the U.S. and went to USC,” he says. “It’s been a great fit.”

Nureddine says he has considered returning production of the grills and other stainless-steel components to the U.S. “But, currently, it doesn’t make sense. We have so much confidence in our factory in China. We wouldn’t get any better quality or pricing by moving manufacturing back here.” 

The company’s prefabricated islands are manufactured and distributed in the U.S. out of facilities in Rialto, California, Athens, Tennessee, and a recently opened warehouse in Lodi, California. The locations are logistically and strategically positioned for efficient and economical shipping all over the U.S. The goal, according to Nureddine, is to have shipments reach any dealer in the U.S. in a maximum of three days. This potential for near-instant gratification in backyard transformation has been an important edge for the company.

Bull faced another crossroads when the recession hit in 2008. But rather than cut back and operate lean as many in the industry did, his strategy was to “stay aggressive” and continue spending on sales and marketing. “It paid off and our distribution and sales grew every year,” he says. “In fact, many premium grill companies started developing lower, value-priced grill lines to compete with us because we were taking their customers.”

The Outdoor Way of Life

“The way people live and cook outdoors has completely evolved over the last 15 or 20 years,” says Nureddine. “People want to spend as much time outdoors as possible, and they want a nice environment in which to do so. Outdoor living is no longer a trend, but a lifestyle.”

Nureddine says an outdoor kitchen or, better yet, a series of Outdoor Rooms for cooking, dining and relaxing, are practically expected among homebuyers today, especially in areas where the weather is nice year-round. 

“Real estate agents and home builders tell us that this is something everybody wants,” he says. “For Millennials, it’s an aspirational thing; they’ve seen it and they want it. I’m amazed by the interest level in the Northeast and Midwest. No matter where people live or their economic status, they want to spend more time in their backyards trying different outdoor cooking techniques. ” 

With that in mind, the company has implemented a heavily food-focused consumer-marketing program under vice president of Sales and Marketing Frank Mello. They hired a culinary director, Chef Jeff Parker, who has developed a Bull cookbook that is included with every grill sold; he also writes a weekly blog with grilling tips and recipes. 

Parker has created an extensive series of videos, posted on YouTube and Bull’s website, with step-by-step instructions for general techniques such as searing, indirect cooking and rotissing, and for grilling specific foods such as burgers, steak, fish, pizza and desserts. 

According to Nureddine, “We focus on techniques as much as the recipes. We are all about the experience after you purchase our products,” he says. “We want the customer to know how to use them to fully enjoy the outdoor living experience in ways they never thought possible.”

Parker also helps with dealer training, makes appearances at key retail stores, and represents Bull at the growing number of high-profile, national grilling and barbecuing events in which the company now participates.

Chef Wade Fortin of Team Bull takes home the prize of World Burger Champion in 2014. INSET: Final entry in the 2014 World Burger Championship.

Bull has been a sponsor of the Sam’s Club BBQ Tour, doing grilling demonstrations at the Tour’s barbecue competitions across the country. The company became involved with the Kansas City Barbeque Society to “explore the low-and-slow barbecue aspect of the industry,” according to Nureddine. 

For the past four years, it has been the “official grill” of the World Food Championships (WFC) and sponsor of the WFC’s “Bull Burger Battle” competition. The competition features 15 qualifying burger grill-offs held nationwide over the course of the year, four of which take place at key Bull dealers. The finalists vie for the title of “World’s Best Burger” at the WFC held in Las Vegas with over 10,000 attendees. 

Nureddine says marketing efforts such as these – funded by a budget he won’t specify, except to say that it is “hundreds of thousands of dollars” – have generated tremendous exposure for Bull on television, social media and in print. “These efforts also are important because they build good will among consumers and our dealers,” he says.

The company also uses its expertise in outdoor cooking to do good for the community. Its “Grill for Good” campaign supports the For a Reason (FAR) foundation, which builds outdoor kitchens at schools in Haiti. “These outdoor kitchens ensure that impoverished Haitian children will have a meal at school,” says Nureddine. 

Bull has donated over $40,000 to the organization over the past two years, and had Chef Parker cook at the group’s recent fundraiser dinner. Nureddine hopes to expand this charitable involvement to Bull’s dealers and vendors this year. “I believe in giving back, and our employees and dealers do, too,” he says.

Building Retailer Relationships

In addition to supporting the consumer, Nureddine says Bull is equally focused on serving its “well-over-1,000” retail partners. Independent retailers in the barbecue, pool, DIY, lawn-and-garden, contractor and other specialty channels are the company’s largest source of business, according to Nureddine. 

Bull also sells to mass retailers, but under different brand names, such as Bullet and Urban Islands, and with different product specifications. “The Bull brand will never be in mass retailers,” says Nureddine. “We are trying to give independent dealers an advantage.”

Its latest effort on that front is its new Elite line of barbecue grills. Launched this year exclusively for select, high-volume specialty dealers, the line features unique upgrades in style and function.

“We don’t want to just sell product to dealers; we want to help them sell it and be profitable,” says Nureddine. “We support dealers with our consumer marketing campaigns, a comprehensive dealer section on our website, marketing materials, and cutting-edge programs that are easy to understand, implement and make profitable,” according to Nureddine. 

As for online sales channels, Nureddine says Bull does not sell directly to consumers online, “But online sales are a reality today,” he says. “The way people shop is changing and we’re here to support everyone who sells our product, both online and in traditional retail stores.” 

He says the company’s adoption of MAP pricing is intended to “even the playing field to protect the entire marketplace so everyone can be profitable. Deep discounting cuts the value of the brand, and we want our brand to mean something.”

Bull utilizes a combination of sales efforts to reach dealers in various channels, including an in-house sales team that works directly with some dealers, manufacturer sales reps, and two-step distributors. In recent years, the company has utilized overseas reps and distributors to expand its sales internationally. 

According to Nureddine, Bull now ships to the UK, Norway, Germany and other European countries, as well as Canada, the Caribbean, Philippines and South America. It is currently gearing up a distribution center to begin serving the Middle East and North Africa. 

“Our international business is important to us – the potential is huge,” he says. “It also makes us a better company because outdoor cooking traditions from these countries provide us with new product ideas. 

“The concept of outdoor living is catching on, not just here in the U.S., but all around the world,” he adds. “The younger generation is embracing outdoor cooking and living. We expect continued growth for years to come.”