In 1969, Wolfgang Schroeder and his wife Ingrid emigrated from Germany to Canada.
By 1976, Wolfgang was manufacturing steel railings in Barrie, Ontario, Canada at a small fabrication business they had started.
Wolfgang, who brought a technical engineering education from Germany, and his wife Ingrid built their first wood burning stove in 1979 using metal that Ingrid transported on the roof of her car.
By 1981, the name Napoleon was born and now, a few decades later, they are established as a global market leader in gas fireplaces.
In 2001, after perfecting the fireplace, Napoleon decided to set their sights on expanding the product offering into another segment of the gas-fired appliance market: gas grills.
By 2003, Napoleon had launched an entire new division dedicated to high-end gas grills and outdoor products. Again, Napoleon’s dedication to design and innovation allowed them to redefine the industry standard for what a gas grill looks like and what it can deliver to the consumer.
In 2011, Napoleon took a look at the HVAC market and realized that no company was making forced air equipment that lived up to Napoleon’s unrelenting standards for quality and aesthetics. Understanding how to bend steel, design heat exchangers, and control fire made the opportunity to build their own brand of furnaces a natural decision for Napoleon.
In five short years, Napoleon went from having no HVAC presence in Canada to securing a major segment of market share through uncompromising innovation.
Now, in 2016, Napoleon is still owned and run by the Schroeter family with the same passion and attention to detail that Wolfgang started the company with back in his garage in 1976. They are recognized worldwide for producing a wide variety of design driven consumer products such as gas grills, fireplaces, and now HVAC equipment with uncompromising quality and integrity.
The major element in Napoleon's success across markets is their dedication to craftsmanship. At the end of the day, Napoleon doesn't produce a product that Wolfgang himself would not be proud to put in his home. As a privately-owned company, Napoleon can prioritize design driven decisions that meet the unrelenting requirements for quality set by ownership. Buying into Napoleon isn't a one-way street, they have gotten where they are by being the best, not just selling the most.