Design Specialties Acquires Hearth Craft
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Design Specialties, LLC, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has acquired long-standing fireplace door manufacturer Hearth Craft. This acquisition will bring together the fireplace door and hearth accessory offerings of these two established brands. “The Hearth Craft brand and much of its product line will be retained as a separate brand, and the product line will be made available to complement our Design Specialties brand and products,” said Ralph Howard, president and CEO of Design Specialties.
Hearth Craft was founded in 1956, and the company has been active in the design and manufacture of fireplace enclosures ever since. Hearth Craft fireplace doors are produced with either aluminum or metal frames, and offered at attractive price points.
Design Specialties was founded in 1983. The company designs and manufactures custom, hand-built fireplace doors for masonry and factory-built fireplaces, screens, and hearth accessories, sold through a network of specialty retailers across the United States and Canada.
“The Hearth Craft operation will be moved immediately to our Design Specialties facility in Milwaukee, and we will be working diligently to minimize the disruption to Hearth Craft customers,” said Dawn Schefelker, CFO of Design Specialties, and Hearth Craft Brand manager. “We’re very excited to carry the legacy of Hearth Craft forward and strengthen it through association with Design Specialties,” Schefelker added.
