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Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is a privately-held manufacturer of luxury residential outdoor kitchen cabinetry, grills and pizza ovens with a production facility in Kalamazoo, MI and a headquarters in Chicago, IL.1

History

Founded in 1906 as Kalamazoo Sheet Metal by Lewis Bullard, the company manufactured custom sheet metal products for the dairy and pharmaceutical industries.2 In 1998, Bullard’s great-grandson, Geoffrey renamed the business as the Kalamazoo Grill Company and began building grills for outdoor cooking. In 2005, after being bought out of bankruptcy by Chicago-based businessman Pantelis A. "Pete" Georgiadis, the company was renamed Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet and expanded its product offering beyond grills to outdoor cabinetry, countertop pizza ovens, refrigeration, freezers and dishwashers.3

Industry Innovations (Better Header for this?) - Have to answer the so what, who cares about each product. What demand did it satisfy

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is credited with introducing several "first-of-its-kind" products to the outdoor cooking/kitchen industry, contributing to the expansion of the outdoor kitchen category. As the Kalamazoo Grill Company, in 1998 the business introduced the Hybrid Fire Grill which gave outdoor cooks the ability to cook with gas, charcoal and wood simultaneously or separately.4 Outdoor cabinetry was introduced in 2003. It remains the only outdoor cabinet maker to feature a "rain-gutter" that channels water around door and drawers openings, keeping cabinet contents dry.5 A gas-fired Artisan Pizza Oven was brought to market in 2006 as the industry's only countertop high-temperature pizza oven6; it was replaced in 2010 with a Artisan Fire Pizza Oven, a model that featured higher heat and increased temperature control.7 Under an agreement with Perlick Corp of Milwaukee, WI, in 2006 Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet began offering the first pieces of outdoor-specific refrigeration that were rated "food-safe."8 Designed in partnership with Swedish appliance maker ASKO, the first outdoor-specific dishwasher was introduced to the market.3

Ignore all of these.... 2011 - Outdoor Dishwasher3 - Created in a partnership with Swedish appliance maker ASKO, it is the first dishwasher specifically designed to operate and remain outdoors.

2010 – Artisan Fire Pizza Oven4 - Introduced the first liquid propane- or natural gas-fired countertop pizza oven utilizing two independently-controlled burners. to cook any style of pizza and breads and roast meats and vegetables. Achieving a top temperature of more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit, it cooks Neapolitan-style pizzas in less than 3 minutes.

2008 – 15” Outdoor Refrigerated Drawers5 - Kalamazoo offers the first outdoor refrigerator of this size with a glass door that safely stores food and beverages during hot summer days.

2007 – “Forced-air” Refrigeration6 – Designed to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the refrigerator’s interior, even during summer heatwaves, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, in partnership with Perlick, was the first to bring this type of refrigeration to market.

2006 – Outdoor Artisan Pizza Oven7 - Designed to come up to temperature quickly, it delivers a broad temperature range from 250-800°F for baking everything from deep-dish to Neapolitan-style pizzas. An integrated smoking drawer adds wood-fired flavor. This product was replaced by the Artisan Fire Pizza Oven.

2003 – Weather-tight Cabinetry8 – Assortment of cabinetry that features rain gutters around each door and drawer opening, keeps water out of cabinet interiors.

1998 – Hybrid Fire Grill9 that has the ability to cook with gas, wood or charcoal, either simultaneously or separately.

References [1] Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, maker of high-end grills, says it's having best sales year ever. Kalamazoo Gazette/mlive.com, June 27, 2010, By Alex Nixon. Here is the link to the story: http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2010/06/kalamazoo_outdoor_gourmet_make.html

[2,3,4] Owner, others fired up about high-end outdoor grill company. The Argus-Press, May 26, 2002, By James Prichard Associated Press Writer. Here is the link to the story: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1988&dat=20020526&id=4ngiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Aa0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1305,2131276

[5] Weather-tight Cabinetry, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet website, http://kalamazoogourmet.com/products/cabinetry/

[6] Patio Daddy-O: Keep summer sizzling with the best in backyard gear, Forbes Life, May 31, 2007, By Richard Nalley http://www.forbes.com/forbes-life-magazine/2007/0618/124.html

[7] Kalamazoo Artisan Fire Pizza Oven Brings Homemade Pizza to the Backyard, justluxe.com, April 8, 2010, By Carly Zinderman http://www.justluxe.com/lifestyle/home-decor/feature-502426.php

[8] Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet’s Wine Chiller, patioandhearthproductsreport.com http://www.patioandhearthproductsreport.com/index.php/view/kalamazoo_outdoor_gourmets_wine_chiller

[9] Innovations: A dishwasher for outdoor kitchens. Los Angeles Times, May 27, 2011, By Mary MacVean http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/27/home/la-hm-outdoor-dishwasher-20110527