| Weber-Stephen Products Co. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Founder | George A. Stephen, Sr. |
| Headquarters | Palatine, Illinois |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Products | Outdoor Grills |
| Employees | 1,050 [1] |
| Website | http://www.weber.com/ |
The Weber-Stephen Products Co. founded in 1952 by George A. Stephen, Sr., headquartered in Palatine, Illinois, is best known as a manufacturer of charcoal and gas grills, grilling accessories and other outdoor room products. A family-owned business for more than fifty years[1], Weber has grown to be a leading maker of barbecue grills and exporter of outdoor grills worldwide.[2]
Contents |
History
In the early 1950s, after he became frustrated with the uneven and uncontrollable flame of open brazier grilling at his Mount Prospect, Illinois, home, determined backyard griller George Stephen, Sr., set out to build a better grill with a lid that allows outdoor cooks to grill in all kinds of weather. Stephen worked at (and was part owner of) the Weber Brothers Metal Works, a Chicago custom order sheet metal shop that produced, among other products, half-spheres that were welded together to make bouys for use in Lake Michigan.[1] There, he cut one of the buoys in half and fashioned a dome shaped grill with a rounded lid, and the classic original Weber kettle grill was born. George's neighbors called it ‘Sputnik‘.[3] Suddenly George’s invention, which was first called, 'George's Barbecue Kettle', was in such hot demand he couldn’t make them fast enough.[4][1] Because the grill became so successful after he began selling it in 1952, Stephen formed the barbecue division of the Weber Brothers factory. In the late 1950s, Stephen bought out the Weber Brothers factory and became the sole owner, devoting all his professional time to manufacturing and selling the Weber kettle. Soon thereafter, Stephen changed the company’s name to Weber-Stephen Products Co.[5] In the 1960s and 1970s, Weber’s reputation grew beyond the Midwest as it became a nationally known brand with distribution in retail stores throughout the country. The product was so entrenched by now that "the Weber" became almost a generic term for barbecue grill.[1][6] In 1989, the company opened the first Weber Grill Restaurant in Wheeling, Illinois. Later, three more locations were built in Lombard, Illinois (1999), downtown Chicago (2002), and Schaumburg, Illinois (2005). Another Weber Grill Restaurant opened in Indianapolis in July 2007.[7] In March 2004, Weber-Stephen Products Co. acquired certain assets of Ducane and began redesigning and distributing Ducane grills in the United States and Canada.[7]
Today
More than 85 million American households own an outdoor grill,[5] so consumers are used to seeing charcoal and gas grills in hundreds of sizes, shapes, colors, and prices. But back in 1952, when Stephen started selling his kettle, it was a big business gamble. Stephen was always fond of pointing out that his company was a family business. Today, ten of his twelve children, and two of his grandchildren, have important roles within the company. His wife, Marge Stephen, having a blended sense of the company’s legacy with its vision for the future, is the company’s board chairwoman.[5]
Publications
- Weber's Art of the Grill: Recipes for Outdoor Living, Jamie Purviance and Tim Turner, ISBN 978-0811824194, 1999.
- Weber's Big Book of Grilling, Jamie Purviance, Sandra S. McRae, and Tim Turner, ISBN 978-0811831970, 2001.
- Weber's Art of the Grill Deck: Recipes for Outdoor Living (cards), Jamie Purviance and Tim Turner, ISBN 978-0811833363, 2002
- Weber's Real Grilling, Jamie Purviance, Mike Kempster, and Tim Turner, ISBN 978-0376020468, 2005.
- Weber's Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Cooking With Live Fire, Jamie Purviance and Tim Turner, ISBN 978-0376020475, 2007.
External links
References
- ^ a b c d e Weber-Stephen Products Co. Hoovers Profile. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ Weber-Stephen Products Co. - Overview. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ Weber - A food love story. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ Weber Newsroom - Company History. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ a b c George Stephen, Company Founder and Inventor of the Weber Kettle Grill. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ List of generic and genericized trademarks. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ^ a b Weber-Stephen Product Co. Corporate Fact Sheet. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
