Kenneth Theobald, president and co-founder with his wife, Pamela, of the Waldoboro-based family business, Flame Grilling Products Inc., announced April 20 that the company has finalized its plans to open a satellite production and distribution center in Glennville, Ga.
“The market has been pressuring us to offer pecan wood and peach to our already extensive lineup,” Kenneth Theobald said. “Our business model has always been to be the manufacturer direct for all of our products. This allows us to control quality and maintain a competitive pricing structure to all of our customers.
“Obviously, pecan and peach are not native to Maine in the kinds of quantity that we need to supply our customer base. So, after researching the volume potential of these and other native varieties, a Georgia location is a perfect fit for our long-range plans.”
Glennville is in the heart of pecan and peach growing country. “We were fortunate to find a facility with drying, heat-treating, and shipping capabilities already in place,” Kenneth Theobald said.
Flame Grilling Products will produce and ship pecan and peach grilling chips and chunks. Also available will be certified heat-treated pecan, hickory, maple, and oak smoker logs by the case or pallet.
“We are excited about the response from our customers. Many have already placed opening orders for our new products for shipment in June,” said Dorie Clark, the company’s general manager.
Flame Grilling Products is one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of grilling and smoking woods to the retail and institutional markets. Flame produces 10 different varieties of grilling wood chips, chunks, oval oven planks, and traditional rectangle planks.
The Georgia location will add local pecan and peach varieties to its current varieties: wild apple, black cherry, white cedar, golden alder, mountain mesquite, Down East hickory, beechnut, red oak, sugar maple, and Atlantic olive.
(submitted article)
