Hearthlist Digest #416 - Thursday, February 24, 2000 Soul, Food for Thought by "Tex McLeod" <[email protected]> Scott Stove Pellet auger by "Rod Poplarchick" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: Soul, Food for Thought From: "Tex McLeod" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 08:55:24 -0500 --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1260721970=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii" ; format=3D"flowed" Greetings - first a brief item from the New York Times, then some comment, then a suggestion, and finally, a nomination. "Warning: if your product doesn't have soul, then your company doesn't have sales What do the Volkswagen Beetle, Nike sneakers and Body Shop soap have in common? According to a professor at New York's Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute, thay are all products with soul. Jeffrey Durgee, a RPI marketing professor, says there is a connection between soul and sale. Mr. Durgee agrues that more and more busineses are learning that soulfulness is "experienced in terms of warm, meaningful connections". Volkswagen draws on 60's nostalgia for the traditional "bug". Nike claims its products come "straight from the soul of sport". Mr. Durgee reserves his highest praise for those firms that actually walk the walk by giving back to their employees, the community or the enviroment. He notes the Body Shop's advocacy of recycling." Comment: I can't think of anything that can provide soulfulness, as defined above, "experienced in terms of warm, meaningful connections" as well as a beautiful fire. That said, show me some hearth companies with soul, ones that give back to their employees, the community or the environment. In today's Toronto papers the writers were waxing poetic about Dofasco, a local steel maker who handed each of their employees a cheque for $7,000. They had a good year and shared it with their employees(they number in the thousands). I'm not saying we don't have such companies in our industry but it's been a while since I've heard of one. Old VC probably had the most soul, or at least thats how I remember it. The way they picked the names of their stoves, used old engine blocks for castings, deciding not to use teak in their benches since it was cutting down the rain forest, and the "picnics". I was never at one but I remember the pictures in the VC newsletter. Proposal: let's ask Hearthlist subscribers to make nominations (we are a community, right) for the hearth company or individual with the most soul. Lets stick with the three categories mentioned above: employees, environment and community. The folks on Hearthlist nominate the companies or individuals and then tell us why, we decide who is most deserving and give them a framed certificate at the EXPO to hang in their booth or showroom. This kind of initiative moves us to tell our stories, it acknowledges good work, it inspires others to do the same, and it rewards them in a very public way. By the way, I'm making this up as I go along and Craig, I'm assuming this is okay. Part of my problem is I don't know enough of the stories , therefore I don't know who to reward for their "soulfulness" and reward them, is exactly what I am proposing we do. How to do it; tell us the category, the company and/or individual nominated, and why you think they deserve the award. My nomination (to get things started). Community / individual category - I would like to nominate Marshal Byle and his son Ayden. Marshal is a retailer in rural Ontario, The Stove Parlor and Gallery in Kincardine. Shortly after being diagnosed with diabetes Ayden announced his intention to run across Canada, from Vancouver to Halifax, to raise awareness of the disease and raise money for research. He completed his run in '98 , almost a marathon a day, without the support of a major sponser save what Ayden, Marshal, family, friends, neighbours and local businesses were able to raise in support of the effort. Ayden now runs a charitable foundation out of Toronto, www.cornerstone52.org Cheers, Tex. --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1260721970=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Content-Type: text/enriched; charset=3D"us-ascii" Greetings - first a brief item from the New York Times, then some comment, then a suggestion, and finally, a nomination. <bigger>"Warning: if your product doesn't have soul, then your company doesn't have sales </bigger>What do the Volkswagen Beetle, Nike sneakers and Body Shop soap have in common? According to a professor at New York's Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute, thay are all products with soul. Jeffrey Durgee, a RPI marketing professor, says there is a connection between soul and sale. Mr. Durgee agrues that more and more busineses are learning that soulfulness is "experienced in terms of warm, meaningful connections". Volkswagen draws on 60's nostalgia for the traditional "bug". Nike claims its products come "straight from the soul of sport". Mr. Durgee reserves his highest praise for those firms that actually walk the walk by giving back to their employees, the community or the enviroment. He notes the Body Shop's advocacy of recycling." Comment: I can't think of anything that can provide soulfulness, as defined above, "experienced in terms of warm, meaningful connections" as well as a beautiful fire. That said, show me some hearth companies with soul, ones that give back to their employees, the community or the environment. In today's Toronto papers the writers were waxing poetic about Dofasco, a local steel maker who handed each of their employees a cheque for $7,000. They had a good year and shared it with their employees(they number in the thousands). I'm not saying we don't have such companies in our industry but it's been a while since I've heard of one. Old VC probably had the most soul, or at least thats how I remember it. The way they picked the names of their stoves, used old engine blocks for castings, deciding not to use teak in their benches since it was cutting down the rain forest, and the "picnics". I was never at one but I remember the pictures in the VC newsletter. Proposal: let's ask Hearthlist subscribers to make nominations (we are a community, right) for the hearth company or individual with the most soul. Lets stick with the three categories mentioned above: employees, environment and community. The folks on Hearthlist nominate the companies or individuals and then tell us why, we decide who is most deserving and give them a framed certificate at the EXPO to hang in their booth or showroom. This kind of initiative moves us to tell our stories, it acknowledges good work, it inspires others to do the same, and it rewards them in a very public way. By the way, I'm making this up as I go along and Craig, I'm assuming this is okay. Part of my problem is I don't know enough of the stories , therefore I don't know who to reward for their "soulfulness" and reward them, is exactly what I am proposing we do. How to do it; tell us the category, the company and/or individual nominated, and why you think they deserve the award. My nomination (to get things started). Community / individual category - I would like to nominate Marshal Byle and his son Ayden. Marshal is a retailer in rural Ontario, The Stove Parlor and Gallery in Kincardine. Shortly after being diagnosed with diabetes Ayden announced his intention to run across Canada, from Vancouver to Halifax, to raise awareness of the disease and raise money for research. He completed his run in '98 , almost a marathon a day, without the support of a major sponser save what Ayden, Marshal, family, friends, neighbours and local businesses were able to raise in support of the effort. Ayden now runs a charitable foundation out of Toronto, www.cornerstone52.org Cheers, Tex. --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1260721970=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D--
(back) Subject: Scott Stove Pellet auger From: "Rod Poplarchick" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 08:56:06 -0500 Hi everyone it been a long time sense I have posted but It has been a Hard year. Anyway does Know where I can get a auger for a Scott stove? The fluting on the end of one of my customer that i service is worn down and it is = Grinding the pellets up into saw dust. Thats it for now See ya at the HPA show Rod P Climate Control Systems Oakhurst, Ca [email protected]