Golden Blount.

Golden Blount, of Dallas, Texas, started in the fireplace business in 1970. He began first as a manufacturers rep,working for fireplace-related companies as well many hardware and lawn and garden manufacturers. The fireplace business, though, was always his favorite. He represented many firms, including Puritan, Glofire,Hearthcraft, Thermo-rite, Seymour, Trueheat, DuraVent, Metal-fab, and Heat & Glo.
 
His business quicklyevolved into a distributorship as well, and in the early 1980s, he began to import toolsets and screens fromTaiwan. He developed and began importing some of the first glass doors to come from Taiwan in the late '80s,and by the early '90s, began manufacturing these products domestically in Dallas.
 
Today, his company is one of the topmanufacturers of gas logs and gas fireplaces in the industry, selling Golden Blount products across the U.S.,to many of the top fireplace specialty shops in the country.
Golden Blount was a hardworking, extremely competitive man, who worked with his wife, two sons and manylong-time employees right up until his death at 85 years old.
 
Golden Blount passed away Thursday, March 6at 8am, about an hour before his 34th HPBExpo was to open. He left behind many close friends in the industryhe loved so dearly. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Julie, his two sons, James and Steve, five grandchildren,and two dogs, Phoebe and Sarah.