Empire Comfort Systems

What Empire Comfort Systems does

Empire Comfort Systems is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of gas-fired heating appliances, fireplaces, and outdoor cooking products, headquartered and produced at two facilities in Belleville, Illinois. Founded in 1932 by the Bauer family and operating continuously under their ownership since, the company sells under nine wholly-owned sub-brands spanning the hearth, heating, and grill categories: Empire Hearth, American Hearth, Montigo, British Fires, Empire Heating Systems, Empire Stove, Broilmaster, Primo, and HearthRite. Its technology base is mechanical and thermodynamic: vent-free, direct-vent, and B-vent gas burners; refractory and ceramic fiber log sets; cast iron and 5/16-inch steel stove construction; cast aluminum and stainless steel gas grills; and proprietary ceramic blends with a patented oval grill geometry. Empire holds several industry firsts, including the Oxygen Depletion Sensor standard on US vent-free heaters, the first 80-percent efficient gas-fired heater (1980s), and the first 90-percent efficient vented gas fireplace (2006).

The company generates revenue through hardware sales across heating, hearth, and grill product lines, distributed exclusively via a network of factory-trained independent distributors and specialty dealers across North America; it does not sell direct to consumers and does not publicly disclose pricing. Warranty coverage on key product lines requires professional installation by trained dealer personnel using factory-certified parts, which structurally ties the installed base to the dealer channel. Customer segments are predominantly residential homeowners (primary), with secondary exposure to luxury home builders and commercial spaces served through Montigo and British Fires, and a mid-market channel of independent specialty retailers across the US and Canada. Recent strategic activity includes the April 2026 launch of the British Fires Black Edition premium electric fireplace and ongoing investment in multi-brand dealer enablement via the Empire Insider portal.

Name

Empire Comfort Systems

Legal name

Empire Comfort Systems, Inc.

Website

https://empirecomfort.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Empire Comfort Systems is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer since 1932 of gas-fired heating appliances, fireplaces, and outdoor cooking products, distributed exclusively through factory-trained independent dealers across North America under nine sub-brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home Heating and Hearth Products

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment (IMAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Pits & Outdoor Fireplaces (HSAIACAG), Grills, Smokers & Outdoor Cooking Retail (Fuel, Accessories) (CRAIAIAH), Outdoor Heating, Fire Pits & Fireplaces Retail (CRAIAIAI)

Keywords

• Gas-fired heaters
• Hearth products
• Fireplace manufacturing
• Wood stoves
• Outdoor grills

Headquarters

HQ city

Belleville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Heating Products: Revenue from manufacturing and selling gas-fired heating appliances including vent-free heaters, wall furnaces, console heaters, direct-vent systems, B-vent systems, fireplace inserts, and cast iron stoves. Made in USA with domestic preference for North American suppliers.
2. Hardware Sales - Hearth Products: Revenue from manufacturing and selling fireplaces, refractory and ceramic fiber log sets, and outdoor hearth products under brands including Empire Hearth, American Hearth, Montigo, and British Fires.
3. Hardware Sales - Grills: Revenue from manufacturing and selling premium gas grills (Broilmaster) and ceramic grills (Primo). Includes multi-level cooking grids, infrared models, slow cookers, and charcoal grills. Broilmaster features lifetime warranty on most critical components.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Empire Comfort Systems designs, manufactures, and distributes a broad portfolio of gas-fired hearth products including fireplaces, gas log sets, vent-free and vented heaters, and wood stoves, as well as outdoor grills. The company sells primarily through independent specialty hearth dealers, factory-trained distributors, and LP gas dealers across the United States and Canada, marketing under multiple sub-brands that span entry-level to luxury price points.

Product overview

Empire Comfort Systems is a diversified manufacturer of hearth, heating, and outdoor cooking products founded in 1932. The company operates as a family-owned business distributing through independent dealers across North America. Its product portfolio spans multiple sub-brands organized by category: Empire Hearth and American Hearth fireplaces (gas, electric, wood-burning; indoor and outdoor; traditional and contemporary styles), Montigo premium/custom fireplaces for luxury residential and commercial spaces, British Fires luxury electric fireplaces, Empire Heating Systems and HearthRite heaters (vent-free, direct-vent, B-vent configurations), Empire Stove wood-burning stoves and inserts, and Broilmaster and Primo ceramic grills. The company manufactures at facilities in Belleville, Illinois, with American-made products prioritized.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Montigo: Custom and contemporary fireplace brand for residential and commercial spaces with innovative styles and design flexibility.
• British Fires
• Broilmaster
• Primo

Products and services

• Empire Hearth fireplaces Empire-branded gas fireplaces and hearth products for residential consumers seeking mid-market ambiance and supplemental heating.
• American Hearth fireplaces American Hearth gas fireplaces and logsets for residential consumers seeking value-tier ambiance and heating.
• HearthRite vent-free products Vent-free heating products under the HearthRite brand for residential consumers seeking affordable supplemental heating.
• Empire Heating Systems vented and vent-free heaters Empire Heating Systems vented and vent-free gas-fired heaters for residential and commercial space heating, including 80% efficient models with high-end features.
• Empire Stove wood and wood-burning stoves Empire Stove wood and wood-burning stoves for residential consumers seeking traditional wood heating and ambiance.
• Montigo Fireplaces luxury gas and electric fireplaces Montigo luxury gas and electric fireplaces for upscale residential and commercial projects, including custom and linear configurations.
• British Fires electric fireplaces British Fires electric fireplaces for premium indoor residential installations, including the new Black Edition model launched in April 2026.
• Broilmaster gas grills Broilmaster premium gas grills with stainless steel burners covered by a lifetime warranty for residential outdoor cooking enthusiasts.
• Primo ceramic grills Primo U.S.-made ceramic kamado-style grills featuring a patented oval shape for residential outdoor cooking and grilling.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Specialty Retail Stores (Dealer Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmpire distributes products exclusively through a network of factory-trained independent distributors and dealers operating specialty retail stores across North America. Dealers receive training, access to support resources, and factory-certified parts for warranty service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Twin Star Home: Identified as a key participant in the electric fireplace market alongside Empire. Manufactures electric fireplaces and home furnishings with strong retail distribution, directly competing with British Fires and Empire's electric offerings.
• Napoleon Fireplaces: Napoleon manufactures gas fireplaces, stoves, and heating appliances for the North American residential market with a comparable dealer distribution model and overlapping product categories (gas fireplaces, inserts, heating). Identified alongside Empire as a key participant in the U.S. electric fireplace market.
• Hearth & Home Technologies (Heatilator / Heat & Glo / Quadra-Fire): Subsidiary of HNI Corporation; manufactures gas, wood, and electric fireplaces, inserts, and stoves under multiple brands (Heatilator, Heat & Glo, Quadra-Fire, Majestic). Directly competes with Empire Hearth, American Hearth, and Empire Stove across gas, wood, and electric fireplace categories through similar dealer channels.
• Touchstone Home Products: Identified as a key participant in the U.S. electric fireplace market. Specializes in wall-mounted electric fireplaces, directly competing with Empire's British Fires electric line and online retail positioning.
• HearthStone Quality Home Heating Products: Manufactures soapstone and cast-iron wood stoves, gas stoves, and inserts with a focus on high-efficiency residential heating. Closely comparable to Empire Stove in product positioning, dealer channel, and target homeowner segment.
• Jøtul: Norwegian manufacturer of cast-iron wood stoves, inserts, and gas fireplaces distributed through specialty dealers in North America. Comparable to Empire Stove and Empire Hearth in cast-iron construction, premium positioning, and dealer-based distribution.
• Traeger Grills: Public pellet-grill and outdoor cooking brand competing with Broilmaster and Primo ceramic grills. Shares a premium positioning in outdoor cooking with Empire's grill portfolio, with comparable specialty retail and dealer distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Glen Dimplex Group: Global heating and fireplace incumbent (owner of Dimplex electric fireplaces and heating brands). Competes directly with Empire in fireplaces and heating, with substantially larger scale, broader international reach, and deeper R&D resources.
• Weber (Weber-Stephen Products): Global mass-market leader in gas, charcoal, and electric grills. Competes with Empire's Broilmaster and Primo brands in the U.S. outdoor cooking category, but operates at substantially larger scale and broader retail presence.
• Middleby Corporation: Diversified commercial and residential cooking, heating, and food-preparation conglomerate that owns multiple brands (including Lynx Grills, Char-Griller, and outdoor hearth brands). Competes broadly with Empire across grills and outdoor hearth through its portfolio of acquired specialty brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-comfort-systems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Empire Comfort Systems