Gas Fired Products

What Gas Fired Products does

Gas Fired Products, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned industrial manufacturer founded in 1949 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures gas-fired heating, tobacco curing, and fire suppression equipment through four brands — Space-Ray (gas-fired infrared heaters), SunStar (infrared ceramic and tube heaters), BulkTobac (tobacco curing systems, originally Gastobac), and Denlar Fire Protection (pre-engineered fire suppression range hoods, acquired August 2025). All heating and curing products are produced at the company's 156,000 square foot Charlotte facility completed in 2022, with a separate manufacturing location in Chester, Connecticut for Denlar products.

The company sells predominantly through channel partners: distributors serving commercial, industrial, residential, and HVAC/LP gas markets for Space-Ray and SunStar products (with reach across the US, Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia); LP gas companies and tobacco industry distributors for BulkTobac products; and fire safety/HVAC distributors for Denlar systems. Direct customer engagement is handled through Factory Representatives. End customers span commercial and industrial facilities, poultry and swine farms, residential consumers, LP gas companies, tobacco growers, student housing, senior living residences, churches, and government facilities. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined through direct inquiry with factory representatives.

The business is led by President Frank Horne, with no disclosed external investors or private equity ownership. Recent strategic posture is acquisitive: the company completed the Denlar deal in August 2025 and is publicly indicating interest in pursuing additional acquisition targets. Revenue, headcount, and financial details are not publicly disclosed, limiting external benchmarking.

Name

Gas Fired Products

Legal name

Gas Fired Products, Inc.

Website

https://gasfiredproducts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gas Fired Products is a fourth-generation, family-owned Charlotte, North Carolina manufacturer of gas-fired infrared heaters (Space-Ray, SunStar), tobacco curing equipment (BulkTobac), and pre-engineered fire suppression hoods (Denlar), selling via distributors and factory representatives across commercial, industrial, agricultural, residential, and institutional markets in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Heating Equipment

NAICS

Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Heating Equipment, Except Electric & Warm Air Furnaces (3433)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Gas & Air Separation Equipment (ASU, PSA, Cryogenic Systems) (IMAHAEAI)

Keywords

• Gas infrared heaters
• Tobacco curing equipment
• Fire suppression hoods
• Commercial heating solutions
• Agricultural heating systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Heating Equipment Sales: Design, manufacture, and sale of gas-fired infrared heaters under Space-Ray and SunStar brands for commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential applications. Products sold nationwide and internationally through distributors and directly to end users.
2. Fire Suppression System Sales: Sale of Denlar pre-engineered fire suppression range hood systems to student housing, senior living, churches, and government facilities. Acquired in August 2025 as the company's fourth brand.
3. Tobacco Curing Equipment Sales: Sale of BulkTobac branded gas-fired tobacco curing equipment to LP gas companies, tobacco companies, and farmers in the Southeastern U.S. and internationally.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gas Fired Products designs, engineers, and manufactures gas-fired infrared heating equipment under the Space-Ray and SunStar brands for commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential heating needs. Through its BulkTobac brand, the company produces gas-fired bulk tobacco curing systems sold to LP gas companies, tobacco companies, and farmers. Through Denlar Fire Protection, acquired in August 2025, the company manufactures pre-engineered fire suppression range hood systems for residential ranges in commercial non-profit settings such as student housing, senior living, churches, and government facilities.

Product overview

Gas Fired Products operates as a fourth-generation family-owned manufacturing company established in 1949, producing heating equipment, fire suppression systems, and tobacco curing equipment. The company manages four distinct brands: Space-Ray and SunStar (commercial, industrial, and residential infrared heating solutions), BulkTobac (tobacco curing equipment dating to the company's founding), and Denlar Fire Protection (fire suppression range hoods, acquired in August 2025). All products are designed, engineered, and manufactured at the company's 156,000 square foot Charlotte, North Carolina facility, with distribution across the United States and internationally in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Space-Ray: Infrared heaters for commercial, industrial, residential, and agricultural heating needs. Products are sold nationwide and internationally in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
• SunStar
• BulkTobac
• Denlar Fire Protection

Products and services

• Space-Ray Infrared Heaters Gas-fired infrared radiant, tube, and broiler heaters designed and manufactured for commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential heating applications. Certified for reliability, safety, and efficiency, and sold in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia.
• SunStar Infrared Ceramic and Tube Heaters Infrared ceramic and tube heaters manufactured for business, industrial, restaurant, and residential applications and serving the HVAC and LP gas industries. Designed for efficiency, reliability, safety, and longevity.
• BulkTobac Tobacco Curing Equipment Gas-fired tobacco bulk curing systems and accessories sold to LP gas companies, tobacco companies, and farmers in the Southeastern United States and internationally. The company's original equipment line, originally branded as Gastobac.
• Denlar Fire Protection Pre-Engineered Fire Suppression Hood Systems Pre-engineered, fully integrated fire suppression kitchen range hood systems for residential ranges in commercial non-profit settings, including student housing facilities, churches, EMS, fire and police buildings, and senior living residences. Manufactured at Denlar's facility in Chester, Connecticut.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Denlar Fire ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2025Gas-Fired Products acquired Denlar Fire Protection on August 14, 2025, adding it as the company's fourth brand. Denlar is an established manufacturer of pre-engineered fire suppression kitchen hoods based in Chester, Connecticut. Denlar initially invented and now manufactures the pre-engineered fire suppression range hood systems used in student housing facilities, churches, EMS, fire and police buildings, and senior living residences. The acquisition is described as being in keeping with the company's commitment to delivering high quality products that are safe, reliable, and efficient.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Infralia: Manufacturer of infrared heating solutions for industrial and commercial applications. Overlaps with Space-Ray's commercial/industrial infrared heater offerings but with a smaller, more focused product footprint.

Direct peers

• Gaylord Industries: Manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation and fire suppression hood systems. Directly competes with Denlar in fire suppression range hoods for institutional and commercial kitchen installations.
• CaptiveAire: Leading U.S. manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation systems, many with integrated fire suppression. Directly competes with the newly acquired Denlar brand in pre-engineered fire suppression range hood systems for non-commercial/institutional cooking facilities.
• TPI Corporation: U.S. manufacturer of electric and infrared heating products for commercial, industrial, and residential applications. Overlaps directly with SunStar's commercial and residential infrared heater lines and competes for similar distributor channels.
• Seeley International (AmbiRad): Australia-headquartered HVAC manufacturer whose AmbiRad brand produces gas-fired infrared radiant heaters. Directly competes with Space-Ray in agricultural, commercial, and industrial infrared heating in international markets.
• Roberts Gordon: Manufacturer of gas-fired infrared heating equipment including low-intensity and high-intensity radiant heaters. Competes head-to-head with Space-Ray in commercial and industrial infrared heating applications.
• Detroit Radiant Products (Re-Verber-Ray): U.S. manufacturer of gas-fired infrared radiant tube heaters serving commercial, industrial, and agricultural markets. Directly competes with Space-Ray and SunStar in gas infrared heating for warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and animal housing.
• Schwank: German-based global manufacturer of gas-fired infrared heating systems and warm-air heaters. Competes with Space-Ray and SunStar in the commercial, industrial, and agricultural infrared heating market with strong presence in Europe and North America.

Broad incumbents

• Modine Manufacturing: Established U.S. manufacturer of heat-transfer and HVAC products serving commercial, industrial, and vehicular markets. Competes with GFP in industrial and commercial heating, though its portfolio is far broader than GFP's gas-fired infrared focus.
• Ansul (Johnson Controls): Fire suppression systems manufacturer owned by Johnson Controls. Competes broadly with Denlar in commercial kitchen fire suppression, though as part of a much larger fire safety portfolio rather than a niche hood specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gasfireproducts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gas Fired Products