HPBA 2012- Atlanta, Georgia
February 10, 2012
The HPBA show this year will be held at the GeorgiaWorld Conferencing Center in Atlanta, Georgia. This year Mason-Lite has chosen not to display our products. However, Bill Harris, Managing partner and our head of sales will be at the show to meet with our sales representatives to expand our presence in the east. Bill will be making his way through the show answering any questions people may have about our products. Bill is available to meet with you while you are at the show , just give him a call! Hope to see you there!!!
ASLA FALL 2011
November 18, 2011
ASLA ( American Society of Landscape Architects) San Diego, CA Oct. 31-Nov.1 2011
MASON-LITE had a great experience at the ASLA show this year. There was a lot of interest in our booth and our products. Our fire pit display for the show was purchased on the spot! (The customer picked it up after the show). Architects were excited to see a vast array of applications our product provides. Some of their favorite features included that each of our units are capable of both Indoor and Outdoor Installation. As well as the fact that ours islight enough to be installed on wood floors and second stories. Our new Fire Ring and 33” Outdoor Fireplace were hot topics for revitalizing a person’s outdoor living space. We also received some valuable feedback from both architects and customers on what their interests are and how to better fit their needs for their dream homes. For the cost weary,(sensitive) our Quick Installation Process and our Fire Brick Panels cuts down both difficulty and installation time significantly. We want to give a special thanks to all that stopped by our booth and gave us their time and attention.
JANUARY 2011-
August 10, 2011
MFI partner joins HPBA Board of Directors for the Pacific affiliate in California. Bill Harris has joined the board and sits on the government relations committee. He is slated to fly to Washington D.C. in May to be trained in the Government Affairs Academy. California has many challenges in dealing with regulations against fireplaces starting with the California Energy Commission (CEC), the Housing and Community Development Group who wrote the CalGreen building standards that have mandated direct vent only technology and the SCAQMD, South Coast Air Quality Control Management District, who have banned wood burning in Southern California. We felt it was important to be involved in the process and to try and control the regulation growth.
October 2010 – Maui, Hawaii
Our Distributor Anthony Amaral, a mason on the island of Maui installed an MFP49 for their customer Ron and Beth Daniels living on the Haleakala Highway. This was a first Mason-lite installation for MFI, so it was important for our training crew to fly over to supervise the work and make sure it was installed correctly. Pictured left to right is Bill Harris of MFI, Anthony Amaral and his Grandson and Son, all mason’s by trade, who built the Mason-lite and liked the experience.
NOVEMBER 2009 –
August 4, 2011
MFI has invested capital into new tooling to improve on the manufacturing of the firebox parts, in particular the sides and backs. The improvements include cleaner parts that have a rougher surface to allow the mortar to adhere better when laying the brick interiors. Improvements also include straighter sides so that shimming is not as necessary in most cases. These parts are also stronger with strength ranging around 3500 psi.
OCTOBER 2009 –
MFI joins Architect Industry Association (AIA) to provide training and continued educational units to their members. We are committed to educating architects in the new methods used with our products to install Mason-lite fireplaces on second story homes and on combustible wood floors. Our staff is trained to provide presentations to AIA chapter meetings. To schedule a meeting, please call Bill Harris at 800-345-7078.
JUNE 2009 –
MFI is announcing the release of their new smaller outdoor fireplace. With the growth in the outdoor business as more and more homeowners are staying in and improving their homes, there has been in huge upswing in outdoor fireplaces. To fill in the void at the smaller end of our line, the MFP33 is a winner! We are expecting the MFP33 to finish testing for indoor use later this year.
MFI to showcase new B-Vent Gas and Vent-Free Fireplaces at HPBA 2008
February 8, 2008
Atlanta, GA – February 28, 2008– We are happy to announce that we have a few new products coming out in the next few months that we have been working hard on over the last quarter. We will be introducing and showing our new 10″ B-vent Gas Fireplace and Vent Free Gas Fireplace that will be available by February 15th. We will also be showcasing our new MFP63 Mason-lite due out by the end of March and our MFP43ST See-Thru Mason-lite expected in May. We are also working on masonry chimney to help in outdoor installations that lend themselves to a clean masonry look.
This month represents our first full year of shipping the Mason-lite and we appreciate everyone’s excitement and help in promoting this new product line into your market places. We had a very successful year and expect 2008 to continue the growth we are experiencing. We have accomplished a lot in developing a new standard or acceptance criteria for International Code Council (ICC), along with passing the seismic standards in California.
We have added an additional supply of premixed mortar that we have selected as a premium mortar for indoor applications. This Alsey mortar is less messy to use and gives us an additional optiop.. for a quality application. We have added firebrick panels that are made to fit our standard MFP39, MFP44 and MFP49 Mason-lites. These panels help for a quick, no mason process with a hand-built look. The panels only come in a tan firebrick at this time, in both Split Herringbone and Full Running Bond.
To help differ adjustments in costs that we have experienced from our suppliers over the last few months, we are adjusting our prices 5% to keep abreast of these inflating costs. The enclosed price list dated March 1, 2008 reflects those changes. We will continue to serve you with the highest customer service we hope you have enjoyed over the last year.
We have recently added a new set of architect and sales binders to better assist you in attracting the interest with your local architects and builders. These binders have drawings of all the current units in them and will soon have the CD-ROM available to instantly add these drawings to their blue prints. These drawings are also available online in PDF, DWG and DXT formats.
Masonry Fireplace Industries will continue to help you develop your market by sending you Internet leads from architects, builders and consumers. We are looking forward to working with you and building your business with Mason-lite in 2008! See you at HPBA!
MFI passes strenuous seismic testing to complete the AC156 standards (ICC & FCFS)
September 18, 2007
Bellingham, WA – September 18, 2007– Masonry Fireplace Industries, LLC (MFI) has passed strenuous seismic testing to complete their AC156 standards for the International Code Congress listing for Field Constructed Fireplace Systems (FDFS). This was a new acceptance criteria developed by MFI over the past 8 months and approved unanimously by the ICC Review Board in June. This new acceptance criteria (AC375) has made MFI the first fireplace manufacturer to develop a standard of this magnitude. These approvals will allow MFI’s products to be installed in all applications involving seismic areas and will give MFI recognition with all building officials worldwide.
MFI is announcing news on three new models of dedicated gas fireplaces in a partnership with the RH Peterson COmpany. The new models give MFI their first gas appliances to be added to the line of Mason-Lite fireplaces. The models are ranging from the 39″ unit at 55,000 btu’s, the 44″ at 70,000 btu’s to the 49″ unit at 85,000 btu’s. These high end dedicated gas units are approved with 10″ b-vent pipe with the included RH Peterson gas logs.
MFI announces completion of new, state of the art, test tower at their California production facility. “This new tower will allow MFI’s test engineers the ability to develop new and exciting products in the coming months,” said John Hornsby, one of the partners of MFI.
MFI strikes new partnerships & plans for imporved designs
June 20, 2007
Santa Ana, CA – June 20, 2007 – Since the HPBA Expo in March, MFI has signed up a number of new sales partners; Skolnick and Associates in the New Jersey and New York area, Brian Richards in Oregon, Washington and B.C. and Chuck Tunnell in Virginia, North and South Carolina.
We have brought on several new distributors including Quality Stoves in Post Falls, ID who gave us an opening order right at the show. Our regional distributor, Arizona Fireplaces signed up two additional dealers; Alpine in Utah and Warming Trends in Ketchem, ID. We have also brought on our East Coast regional distributor, Masda Corporation in Whippany, New Jersey. They have already been successful in creating sales magic with Mason-lite in with their Berlin, New Jersey dealer, Fireplace People. Recently MFI has also passed compliance requirement in California and had signed Capo Valley Fireside in Orange County, CA as a sales partner. Capo Valley has landed multiple new construction projects and will be featured in our up coming “Installation Training Video” which we anticipate a delivery of early July. Please drop us an email if you would like to become a certified MFI Mason-Lite installer.
Also be on the look out for our Mason-Lite fireplace on national TV!. In mid May we shot an episode for HGTV in Knoxville, TN showcasing the Mason-lite modular fireplace.
MFI’s fireplaces have recently passed the freeze/thaw compliance allowing our products to be installed outdoors. We are currently in the process of developing new models dedicated for gas burning and larger wood burning fireplaces for use in indoor and outdoor applications. As we improve on our product offering, we are looking at ways to simplify the installation process, especially with the application of the firebrick. Look for more in the near future.
The modular concrete fireplace business is one of the fastest growing niches in the fireplace hearth industry. Outdoor fireplaces are becoming a must-have fixture in premium home.
We continue to open up new territory in rapid pace across the states. Please become a MFI sales partner and inquire today!
