2021 Contributors Team

Jim Adams

Spokane, Washington
Q (dot) Global Fire Investigations, Fire Investigator/Fuel Burning Appliance Specialist
fromthehelm@gmail.com

Jim has been in the hearth industry for over 20 years starting as a chimney sweep and working into installing, service, sales and finally as a territory sales manager for a wholesale distributor. His passion and knowledge of the hearth industry combined with his love of fire science has led him to his current position as an origin and cause fire investigator specializing in hearth and heating appliances. His desire is to see more hearth companies embrace education and pride in installation professionalism that will lead to fewer fires caused by improper installation and servicing of hearth and heating appliances. When not on a fire scene Jim spends enjoys time with his wife and 7 children hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors throughout the Pacific Northwest and is a captain on his local fire department.

Brion Barnhill

Lexington, Kentucky
Barnhill Fireplace and Chimney, Barnhill Chimney Supply, Owner
Barnhillchimney@gmail.com

Brion enjoys building and creating and sharing joy with great and like-minded people, whether at home with his family or at the show with his team.

Ryann Blake

Aberdeen Washington
Chimney Techniques, Owner
ryann@chimneytechniques.com

Ryann is a Second Generation Hearth Owner, MBA. She is a hiker, wanderer, avid reader, podcast consumer, dog lover, and horse lover.

Phill Connor

Minneapolis, Minnesota

CEO, Ignition Laboratories
phil.connor@live.com

Phil has been in the hearth industry for over a decade, supporting retailers, distributors, builders, and consumers in a variety of roles. His vision is to see every child in America get access to a fireplace, and his goal is to encourage you to be the very best version of yourself.

Grant Falco

Spokane, Washington
Falco’s, Co-Owner
grant@falcospokane.com

Grant Falco is the Co-Owner and General Manager of Falco’s where he helps 34 team members blow customers expectations out of the water as they invest in fireplaces and outdoor grilling. His attention to the details of his business combined with a servant’s heart have helped him grow team members along with profits. Falco’s has become nationally recognized as one the premier retailers in the hearth industry through Grant’s social media channels. He has been flown all over the country to teach businesses. Grant lives in Spokane, WA with his wife, Andrea, and three children, Louis, Theo and Ava James. After three decades in the business, he’s still the head-janitor.

Jenna Guldin

Telford, Pennsylvania
Salter’s Fireplace & Outdoor Living, VP of Sales
jenna@saltersfireplace.com

Jenna loves making the lives of her sales team easier with what they do, and she does that by creating simpler procedures, pricing templates, “cheat sheets” or just helping them with the day-to-day responsibilities. She does the same for her custom-home builders and is working on product portfolios for them to provide to their clients. Her aim is to make it easier to do business with together.

Casey Harvey

Baltimore, Maryland
Ray Murray Inc., Vice President of Sales
CHarvey@raymurray.com

Casey Harvey is the Vice President of Sales at distributor Ray Murray, Inc. Joining the hearth industry in 2008, he quickly realized that once you’re in—you’re in for life. Casey is passionate about sales, marketing, fire, family and guitars. He puts his degree in philosophy to work sitting by the fire pondering the big questions—like The Beatles or Stones, Gas or Wood. Casey is a proud father of two and occasional guitar slinger.

Lisa Mayer

Professional Writer

Lisa has been writing about the BBQ industry for more than 30 years—the last 24 for Hearth & Home magazine. She grew up in her family’s third-generation retail food business, and she was active in her community’s downtown special improvement district, so she understands firsthand the joys and challenges of being an independent retailer. Lisa and her husband, David, have two daughters, Emily and Hannah. She loves cooking (especially grilling!), gardening, walking in the woods, and reading at the beach. She never passes a lemonade stand—they are the retailers of the future!

Chris Neufeld

Walla Walla, WA
Blaze King, Vice President
CNeufeld@Blazeking.com

Chris is one of the foremost experts of wood burning in the fireplace industry and has worked tirelessly with government officials to fight for our products to exist. In his spare time, Chris loves to hunt and fish.

Sam O’Donnell

Portland, Oregon
Fireside Home Solutions, Retail Sales
odonnell_samuel@yahoo.com

Sam is in Retail Sales at Fireside Home Solutions in Portland, Oregon. He spends most of his spare time adventuring in the mountains and enjoying the beautiful Pacific Coast.

Peter Parsons

Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada
The Tin Man Inc., Owner
peter@tinmaninc.ca

Peter loves helping customers solve their problems when they come in to his store. When not selling fireplaces and stoves, he tends to put out a lot of fires as a volunteer firefighter at his local fire department. When duty isn’t calling, you can find him kicking up rocks on dirt roads in his UTV or carving fresh power in the backcountry on his sled.

Noel Putaansuu

Centralia, Washington
Smokeless Chimney, Owner
smokelesschimney@aol.com

Fire and air quality expert, product designer, rapid prototype, manufacturer. Warm homes and clean air for everyone.

Edmund Poplawski

Nicholson, Pennsylvania
Manufacturers Representative
roadwarrior9000@yahoo.com

Edmund is the President of All Fired Up Sales & Marketing in Nicholson, Pennsylvania. His company is the exclusive Manufacturers Representative for Kozy Heat Fireplaces and other premier hearth products. In his spare time, he enjoys all types of outdoor sports.

Tim Reed

Portland, Oregon
Reed Marketing, LLC & WhyFire, LLC, Owner
tim@itsfiretime.com

Tim Reed is the President of Reed Marketing LLC where he helps business leaders in the hearth industry win by simplifying their sales process. Now considered one of the most innovative minds and compelling communicators in the industry, Tim uses his platform to serve others, helping them create clear messages that are wildly compelling to their audiences. Tim lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Jessica, two children, Olivia and Luke, and his 90 pound Golden Retriever, Walter. He still plays guitar in a failing punk band.

Keith Richardson

Phoenix, Arizona
AF Distributors & Arizona Fireplaces, President
keith@afdistributors.com

Keith is the President of AF Distributors and Arizona Fireplaces in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bill Sendelback

Dallas, Texas
Professional Writer

Bill has been in the hearth products industry for almost forty years, working for a number of prominent manufacturers, serving on the HPBA board and as chairman and for the last decade as a writer for Hearth & Home magazine.

Peter J. Schoenfeld

Denver, Colorado
United Buyers Group – Dealer Support & Resources
Peter@United-Buyers-Group.com

Peter has been in the Hearth and BBQ industry for over 22 years, with positions in distribution, retail, and United Buyers Group dealer support. A native Coloradoan who loves to travel, he has a passion for working with business owners and finding best practices to help improve the industry. In his spare time, he enjoys being terrible at golf.

Justin Sundset

Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Glenn Dimplex Americas, Strategic Accounts Manager
justin.sundset@glenndimplexamericas.com

Justin is a second-generation hearth professional passionate about expanding the entrepreneurial and innovative culture our industry is built on. Hearth has given him so much over the years, most recently the opportunity to expand his career into the US. Exploring the incredible country and its diverse local culture has been a genuine honor. He is lucky enough to live in Canada’s playground so when he is not working you can find him enjoying the world-class recreation just outside his door with his wife and son; from sea to sky he is a proud British Columbian.