Occupation: “CEO & President – Sherwood Industries (manufacturer of Enviro Hearth Products).”

Special Interests/Hobbies: “Golf, bike riding, sports cars and reading. Love spending time with the family, especially barbecuing in the summer.”

Problems/Issues Facing the Hearth Industry: “Based on the many reports one reads, you get the feeling that there are two issues that our industry faces. 

• Regulations: “Our industry continuously faces new and upcoming regulations that could become a barrier to expansion. I felt that the industry responded very well to the implementation of screens on fireplaces, and met that challenge with great success. It remains to be seen how the industry will meet the challenge of NSPS and lower gram requirements in the upcoming years.”
• Production Overcapacity: “Most manufacturers have a production overcapacity while the dealer base is not growing as it was in the last decade. This can make it difficult for manufacturers to attain modest, consistent growth. A big contributing factor will be the future demand for hearth products by the new generation.”

Forecast for Your U.S. Hearth Product Sales in 2016: “We forecast that our sales will show modest growth as our sales have experienced double-digit growth in 2014 and 2015. We are introducing new gas models and putting more energy into further diversification of our gas product line.” 

Forecast for Your Canadian Hearth Product Sales in 2016: “Our gas sales show strong growth in the Canadian market and we feel that the percentage growth in the marketplace will be very strong, possibly surpassing U.S. market growth. A contributing factor to this strong growth is the weakness of the Canadian dollar.”

Years Reading Hearth & Home: “I have been reading Hearth & Home for the past 26 years.”

Reasons for Reading Hearth & Home: “It is the go-to magazine in our industry. I find all articles are relevant and are in sync with the current issues we face as an industry. In particular I like to read the dealers’ comments from both a Canadian and U.S. perspective. They often reflect a true pulse as to what the market mood is and what future sales look like.”