Crown Verity’s Estate Series Elite 24-inch mobile model.

Company Growth

Though Incitti prefers to keep the company’s annual sales private, he says both the residential and commercial divisions have grown by double-digits every year for the past five years. The company goes to market direct to dealers on its residential line, working with hearth, patio, and barbecue retailers, appliance retailers, and other specialty channels. With the exception of parts and small accessory products, it does not sell online, but exclusively through dealer partners, unless there is no dealer in that market.

“Besides selling to consumer customers, our dealers also have access to our commercial product to provide a solution to golf clubs, charitable groups, churches, retirement communities, and many other local establishments and organizations that host large-scale cookouts or want to create outdoor living experiences for members,” says Incitti. “There is a wealth of business in this area.”

Though the company, with about 100 employees including reps, still has deep roots in Canada, its sales are strongest in the U.S., split 70% in the U.S. market and 30% in Canada. “That trend was the driving decision behind us opening a new facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky,” Incitti explains. “We had to decide whether to expand our Brantford operation or open another location in the U.S. With growth heavier in the U.S., we wanted to be closer to our customers to better service them with faster turnarounds.”

Opened in February 2019, the new Bowling Green location currently handles distribution to U.S. customers, but will begin manufacturing product in 2020. The company will continue to manufacture and supply Canadian customers out of its Brantford facility.

In addition, Crown Verity recently opened a showroom in Brantford to showcase its product and give prospective dealers, and commercial and consumer customers the opportunity to test-drive grills and appliances prior to buying. Those who can’t travel to the location can have a live-feed video conference with a salesperson or chef to learn about the grill and see the features in action. “People can even have a Skype session with our service guy to troubleshoot any issue,” says Incitti. “It’s been a great support tool for our customers.”

The program is part of the company’s expanded marketing program that includes what Incitti calls a “trifold approach” to building awareness of the brand and growing business. He says supporting dealer partners through the showroom, as well as merchandising efforts, store demos, parties, local home-shows, and other events, is a key component of the marketing mix.

“We’ll bring one of our chefs to a dealer for a demo event or to conduct an outdoor cooking class,” he says. “We are very lucky with strong dealer partners, and what we find is, every opportunity to speak about and show our brand to end users has taken us a long way. It’s been very successful.”

Another facet of the marketing program focuses on building awareness and partnerships through participation at trade shows that reach targeted industries, such as hearth, patio, and barbecue retailers, landscapers, and appliance dealers.

Crown Verity reaches consumers directly with its messages through social media, search optimization and lead generation, Incitti says. It has a growing following on Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms thanks to a heavy emphasis on food and recipe content with delectable-looking photos. Posts also frequently include educational content, grilling tips and tricks, and images that promote the outdoor-entertaining lifestyle. In addition, the company has created an arsenal of instructional videos featuring a variety of chefs.

“When someone is trying to create a memorable outdoor experience, the common denominator is always food,” says Incitti. “We support people’s passion for cooking and passion for eating. Cooking on the grill, sitting together in the Outdoor Room – these are the things that bring families together.”

That’s the truth.