John Crouch Reflects on 35 Years on the Front Lines
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John Crouch Reflects on 35 Years on the Front Lines
Jason Perry
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It took a while for John Crouch to find his calling.
He has been the industry’s frontman on the front lines of all matters involving regulations for the past 35 years. Now 74 and easing into retirement, the HPBA’s director of public affairs has time to reflect on his decades of educating and advocating on the industry’s behalf. However, looking back, he admits it was never clear that this would become his life’s work.
But there were signs.
Perhaps it was in high school, when he participated in speech tournaments, his favorite recitation being a large portion of Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant,” a comedic classic that brought out John’s tilt toward public speaking and edgy wit.
Or perhaps it was in the ‘80s, when he ran a Colorado stove shop called Castle Rock Wood Stoves, and would regularly tack a sign on the front door that read, “Sorry. Off to Denver for an air quality meeting. Be back later.”
That was the kicker for him. “At that point,” he says, “I knew my heart was not into retailing. It was into public policy.”
“I knew my heart was not into retailing. It was into public policy.”
Mentors and Moments
Like many, John was helped and inspired on his road by others. Two stand out. “Robin Wells gave me a big break,” John recalls, noting that this head of Sierra Wood Stoves, an East Coast manufacturer, hired him to be the western regional sales manager. It was a good job, he says, and it included a fair amount of travel and interaction with stove and fireplace dealers throughout the western United States.
Over time, John got the reputation of knowing his stuff, especially in matters of regulations.
(History lesson: During the 1980s, wood stove emissions were recognized as a significant source of air pollution in particularly vulnerable areas, such as the high mountains of Colorado and the low river valleys of Oregon. Wood stove dealers were on the front lines, and they needed solid information that they could share with their customers. John was their man. “They’d call me,” John states simply.)
The other significant moment for John occurred at the 1985 Wood Energy Institute-West (WEI-W) Convention in Eugene, Oregon.
(Another history lesson: Back in the ‘80s, there were two hearth product trade groups and two annual trade shows: one hosted by the Wood Heating Alliance and the other hosted by the western WEI-W. These two outfits eventually merged and morphed into today’s Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.)
John was working that 1985 WEI-W show in Eugene. “The best part [of that show] was meeting Dan Melcon,” John recalls. At this show, government regulation was all the buzz, as state regulators were snooping around the outdoor burn area, taking pictures and taking notes. John and Dan read the tea leaves, saw what was coming down, and formed a long-term friendship. John notes Dan’s keen observation, uninhibited friendliness, and infectious enthusiasm as his most inspiring attributes.
(A third, and last, history lesson: Among Dan Melcon’s gifts was that of a writer, and his articles in hearth industry trade magazines were must-reads. In later years, Hearth & Home magazine, in its annual Vesta Awards, named its highest award for new product innovation in his honor.)
Hello, HPBA
The late ‘80s saw two things: the growth of regulatory attention toward wood stoves and the corresponding decline in the wood stove market. In 1989, John’s sales job with Sierra ended.
John was at a bit of a crossroads. Looking back, he likes to recall a passage in a career-counseling book called What Color Is Your Parachute that advised its readers to (1) volunteer in something you love; (2) create a role for yourself; and (3) figure out a way to get paid for it.
(1) volunteer in something you love; (2) create a role for yourself; and (3) figure out a way to get paid for it.
This article is brought to you by Associated Energy Systems (AES).
Well, that’s what he did. In 1989, the Wood Heating Alliance saw a need for someone to advocate and educate, and they saw John’s abilities as the perfect fit. “Carter [Keithley, former executive director of the WHA] gave me freedom, as long as I kept expenses to a dull roar,” he says (with an example of that John Crouch wit).
Wins and Losses
In terms of government regulations, John has seen the good and the bad.
While several decades of dealing with government regulators could leave one wanting to scream into a pillow, John holds many memories dear. Like the time, in Oregon, when he helped build a grassroots groundswell to oppose a proposed tax on firewood. John recalls getting dealers and manufacturers’ reps involved. “I was able to get through because I’d been a dealer,” he says.
Libby, Montana, was another example of a massive collaborative effort between industry and government agencies. John spearheaded a massive change-out program in which over 1,000 old stoves were replaced, significantly reducing emissions and earning EPA recognition.
However, John acknowledges it’s tough on dealers to be part-time advocates when they have day jobs to attend to. “The spirit is willing,” John says, “but the schedule is weak.” (There’s that John Crouch wit again).
Jill McClure, president and CEO of the Hearth Patio & Barbecue Association, appreciates John’s unique background and contribution. “John’s passion for public policy and grassroots advocacy helped shape how our industry engages with regulation,” she says. “From Crested Butte to Libby to Utah, his efforts have protected both our members and the families they serve.”
She also acknowledges John’s background in the industry, putting in time as a retailer and regional sales manager, as key to his unique contribution. “John gave a voice to independent retailers and small businesses in front of some of the most powerful regulatory bodies in the country,” she says. “That kind of advocacy can’t be taught—it’s earned through experience and relationships.”
“That kind of advocacy can’t be taught—it’s earned through experience and relationships."
The Next Fight
Keep an eye out for California. This next fight could be a doozy, John reports, because the attention will not be on hearth products at all. This next regulatory hot button in California will be on water heaters—not fireplaces—because water heaters use more gas. It’s a bigger fish.
The intention will be to cut demand, so that utilities will see insufficient need to expand or maintain natural gas access to new or existing homes. “It’s called ‘abandoning the lines,’” John says. Keep watch.
While the future of hearth product regulation may be ongoing—and may be disruptive and frustrating—it’s clear that John remains an optimist. Proof is to be seen at every HPBExpo.
While every HPBExpo has meeting rooms dedicated to heady conversations on regulatory matters, John will attend the ones he must and pass on the rest. Instead, he’ll prefer to be out walking the floor.
“There are fun innovations in this business,” he says, patiently going from booth to booth, adding, “I’m just a geek. It’s the old retailer in me.”
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Jason Perry
Jason Perry, a former editor of Hearth & Home magazine, is a national sales manager for Lexington Hearth.
