The President’s Perspective: October 2025
The President’s Perspective: October 2025
Chris Schroeter
Share
Listen to the audio article.
As someone who travels extensively—visiting showrooms, designers, and building sites across North America—it’s clear that the hearth industry needs to change its focus. We need to stop selling nostalgia because consumers are already buying the future. While electric fireplaces once were the side show of our industry, they’re fast becoming the headliner. Urban buyers, renters, and multi-unit developers aren’t asking if electric will work; they’re asking which model looks best on their wall and how soon it can be installed.
We need to stop selling nostalgia because consumers are already buying the future.
“Plug and play” isn’t enough anymore. Innovation is reshaping the definition of what ambiance and warmth look and feel like. Advances in lighting, sound, and visual effects are pushing electric fireplaces beyond artificial looks into experiences that look authentic and at premium price points. The complete setup invites people to sit, stay, and impress their guests. The dealers winning today are the ones who let consumers explore the settings, moods, and media options. They’re not just selling fireplaces; they’re selling the feeling of home.
Wood and gas hearth products are like diesel and gas trucks, which will always have their place. But now the road is shared with electric vehicles. Dealers need to keep pace with innovation as the next five to 10 years will decide what consumers truly prefer.
The story of the outdoor room is no different. Fire pits, fireplaces, and heaters aren’t extras; they are where people gather, celebrate, and spend most of their free time. This outdoor living boom is our chance to show that fire is more than heat. We need to create complete experiences that combine design, cooking, warmth, and lifestyle. Those who will win are those who sell an experience, not a SKU.
The choice is simple: We either disrupt ourselves or watch someone else do it for us. The winners in our industry won’t be the ones clinging to tradition; they will be the ones bold enough to redefine what fire means in modern living.
The clock is ticking.
The choice is simple: We either disrupt ourselves or watch someone else do it for us.
Chris Schroeter
Chris Schroeter is CEO of Napoleon, North America’s largest privately owned manufacturer of hearth, grills, and HVAC equipment. Chris has been an active advocate for the hearth industry, through roles in HPBA in Canada and the US. He proudly continues a legacy of industry leadership that launched the family business 50 years ago.
