28 Patio & Hearth Products Report January/February 2012

outdoor GRILL ING

n 2009, when Duff Dixon, president ofOntario Gas BBQ (Concord, Ontario),

expanded the size of his business to over51,000 square feet, he also proclaimed his retailoperation to be the world’s largest barbecue store.He attempted to have the title accredited byGuinness World Records, but it does not includebusiness subcategories.

He did contact sales representatives from a num-ber of major manufacturers in North America to findout whether they knew of any grill retailer that waslarger. When no other showroom came close to thesize of his, Dixon felt confident in his proclamation.

Ontario Gas BBQ certainly lives up to its descrip-tion, with over 200 propane, natural-gas, and char-coal grills on display (including built-in models), aswell as a full range of components and outdoor-cooking islands. There are also portable and electricunits, along with smokers, ceramic cookers, and rotis-series. Outdoor fireplaces and heaters, firepits, refrig-erators, and any grill-related accessory that an out-door cook could ever desire are available, too.

Ontario Gas BBQ even features an entire separateroom—larger than many of its competitors’ entirefloor spaces for grills—dedicated to charcoal. Here,outdoor cooks searching for new flavors to add aunique twist to their grilling will find only premium-quality briquettes, lump charcoal, and wood chipsfrom countries around the world, includingArgentina, Guyana, Mexico, Paraguay, and Indonesia.

“We are a destination store,” Dixon says. “Anybodywith a passion for outdoor cooking who lives within

200 miles usually makes a point of coming by tocruise the showroom and pick up something. I amsometimes shocked at how far people will drive tovisit our store.” Located about 15 miles north of cen-tral Toronto, Ontario Gas BBQ serves a large base ofregular customers in Southern Ontario and hasbecome the grilling mecca for those who live outsidethe province.

Dixon founded Ontario Gas BBQ in 1981, whenhe was approached by Char-Broil, which was lookingfor a company to handle its warranty work inCanada. Within a couple of years, Dixon also beganreselling replacement parts throughout Canada, andhe decided to open a retail store.

In the past, wholesale distribution of grill partsrepresented a large part of Dixon’s business, but thatmodel has changed. “With the rise in imports, alongwith a change in the attitude of consumers (who nowconsider items to be disposable), the majority of ourbusiness is retail,” he says.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BIG BOX To maintain his retail leadership in the grilling

industry, Dixon has kept Ontario Gas BBQ categoryspecific. “This means no patio and no hearth: justbarbecue,” Dixon says. Because he maintains thefocus solely on grills, Dixon says, “Customers havecome to regard us as experts in the field.”

Due to the strength of the Canadian banking sys-tem (ranked by the World Economic Forum as themost sound in the world for four years in a row),many independent grill retailers in Canada did not

experience the same financial difficulties as theircounterparts in the United States, Dixon believes. “Itis still tough, however, for any small independent tosurvive—given the current economic climate, alongwith big-box stores rolling into every town,” he says.

Dixon comments that there will always be cus-tomers who go to a mass merchandiser to buy a dis-posable imported grill. “Those consumers are notpassionate about cooking, but at some point, whenthey become more interested in cooking and searchfor better-quality grills and the goodies that go alongwith them, they will seek us out and come to visit ourstore,” he says.

Dixon says that to survive against a big-box store,

I

Above: Duff Dixon

Top: Ontario Gas BBQ has over 200 grill models on display and a

separate charcoal room larger than most competitors’ showrooms.

a megastoreCustomers travel from far away to select from this store’s endless array of grills

and accessories. by KIMBERLY RODGERS photography by MIKE MCCOLL

D iversiTech (Duluth, Georgia), the creator of the Original

Grill Pad®, offers products designed for the holiday

season (such as the Christmas Tree Stand Mat™ and the

Holiday SurfaceSaver™), in addition to its patented grill

pads and deck protectors. These holiday products offer

superior protection against the surface scratches and water

damage that commonly occur in the course of trimming a

Christmas tree or placing holiday decor in homes, business-

es, and other settings.

The Christmas Tree Stand Mat, introduced to the market

about two years ago and manufactured in the United States,

is designed for placement under live, cut, or artificial trees to

protect carpets and hardwood surfaces from scratches and

water damage. If a cut tree’s water reservoir is overfilled, the

mat will prevent damage by absorbing four times its weight

in water.

Constructed from the same material as DiversiTech’s

Original Grill Pad, the mat has several advantages over simi-

lar products on the market. According to Ray Shelor,

DiversiTech’s national sales manager, other available tree

mats (especially imported products), have rubber backings

that don’t allow for the easy maneuvering that the Christmas

Tree Stand Mat provides. “I haven’t seen anything like this

out there,” Shelor says.

The tree mat, which can be purchased from various

dealers and hardware stores for approximately $20, is

currently available in a round style 30 inches in diameter,

with reversible green and red sides. Despite its recent

release, more than 100,000 Christmas Tree Stand Mats

have been sold.

The Holiday SurfaceSaver provides another level of pro-

tection against the stains, mildew, water marks, and scratch-

es sometimes caused by holiday decorating. The round,

reversible mat, 10 inches in diameter, offers protection simi-

lar to that provided by the Christmas Tree Stand Mat and can

be used under various decora-

tions, floral arrangements, and

food/beverage containers.

For more than 40 years,

DiversiTech has provided the

HVAC and refrigeration industry

with high-quality products.

Shelor says that the company

believes that it is possible to

create inexpensive, high-quality

products, and it strives to main-

tain that commitment to the industry.

Shelor began working for DiversiTech 15 years ago, as

product-development manager, and was instrumental in the

development of the Original Grill Pad. The flexible, durable

grill pad is composed of a cement mixture and flexible bind-

ing material that can tolerate a tremendous range of high to

low temperatures, while catching grease and sparks from

gas and charcoal grills.

The lightweight, heat- and weather-resistant pad protects

decks and patios from stains and is ideal for use with chime-

neas, fryers, grills, and smokers. Shelor notes that the pur-

chase of the Original Grill Pad is a convenient way to

upgrade standard grill grease pans for customers who expe-

rience problems with spills and sparks.

The dependability of the Original Grill Pad has made it

the flagship product of DiversiTech, which sells more than

250,000 of the pads annually—at retail prices of $29 to $35.

A versatile product, the grill pad is available in three shapes

(round, rectangular, and oval); five sizes (30-inch round,

30x42-inch rectangular and oval, and 30x72-inch and

30x84-inch rectangular); and four colors (earthtone brown,

berry black, garage gray, and brick red). The Original Grill

Pad deluxe edition provides protection for larger smokers

and grills.

Unlike the Original Grill Pad, which is

designed for use with both gas and charcoal

grills, DiversiTech’s Gas Grill Splatter Mat™ is made specifi-

cally for gas grills. The mat protects surfaces from typical

spills (such as grease, sauce, and beer). The mat’s materials

are recyclable; the Gas Grill Splatter Mat is also reversible

and is easily cleaned, extending its longevity.

DiversiTech’s grill pads and deck protectors are designed

for safe and reliable use on wooden decks, as well as on

those constructed of composite materials, which are prone

to retaining a lot of heat. “Our product is safe,” Shelor

says. “It won’t stick to composite decking.” Shelor credits

domestic manufacturing for the high quality of

DiversiTech’s products, adding that there is a high demand

in the industry for products made in the United States.

Shelor stresses that DiversiTech is continually seeking to

improve its current product offerings and to expand the

options available to customers. The company is already

gearing up for the spring and summer seasons, as well as

the 2012 holiday season, by planning to broaden the

Christmas Tree Stand Mat and Holiday SurfaceSaver lines.

Shelor says that the Holiday SurfaceSaver has the potential

to become a year-round product. More information about

DiversiTech’s future developments will be available at the

National Hardware Show (to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada,

on May 1–3, 2012).

30 Patio & Hearth Products Report January/February 2012

an independent retailer must offer a bet-ter product menu, backed by exemplaryservice. “We not only offer the selection,but also delivery, assembly, and hookup,and we check for leaks and fire test a grill,”Dixon says. “When we leave a home, thecustomer can put a plate of marinatingsteaks on the grill and hear the sizzle.”

Ontario Gas BBQ also provides aservice call—at no charge—within thefirst year of purchase for nearly anyproblem that a customer is having. “Wehave performed a service call to replacea battery that the consumer did notknow the unit had,” Dixon says.

There is no hard-close sales approachat Ontario Gas BBQ. Instead, the staff

prefers to educate the consumer aboutwhy a unit made in North America willgenerally outlast and outperform animport. “We want to sell customers thebest-quality units within their budgets,”Dixon says.

Ontario Gas BBQ represents a toplineup of products from manufacturersthat include Weber, Broil King,Napoleon, Primo, Fire Magic, CrownVerity, DCS, Viking, Chicago BrickOven, Big Green Egg, Lynx, andKamado Joe.

Although it’s perceived as a high-endshop, Ontario Gas BBQ offers a range ofhigh-quality grills (including many at theentry-level price point) to satisfy the

cooking requirements—and budget—ofalmost any customer. “I have a Canadian-made barbecue from Broil King, at $239,that will blow the doors off any import inthe $199–$499 range, in terms of qualityand performance,” Dixon says.

SENDING THE MESSAGE Dixon made the commitment to

double the size of Ontario Gas BBQ inMarch 2008, when the adjacent 25,000square feet of space became available tolease. “The economy fell apart inSeptember 2008, and I took possessionthat November,” he says. “I spent thewinter of 2009 growing some gray hairs,but I am very glad I did it.”

After the expansion, Dixon hired apublic-relations company to help getthe word out about his proclamationthat Ontario Gas BBQ is the world’slargest barbecue store. Advertising isdone primarily through radio, and inthe summer, vendors demonstrate theirproducts in the store’s parking lot.

Dixon promotes his store throughpress releases and by writing articles on arange of outdoor-cooking topics, fromgrilling trends and kamado-style cookingto the benefits of using an electric grill.The articles not only enforce Dixon’smessage, but also educate the consumerabout what is available at his store.

“As indoor chefs move their talentsoutdoors, they are going to want a bet-ter-quality unit—possibly a second orthird grill and all the gizmos and gadg-ets. We want to capitalize on that,”Dixon says.

Under the Grill (and Tree) by CHERISE FORNO

outdoor GRILL ING

The Original

Grill Pad™

The Christmas Tree Stand Mat™

“ We want to sell customers the best-quality units withintheir budgets.”