Webber Grills

Barbeque grills are as much a part of American life as 4th of July celebrations and apple pie, but there was a time when this was not the case. Webber Grills were not always the crème de le crème of the barbeque world.

Weber Stephens Products was started in the late 1800’s in Palatine Illinois. The company was a sheet metal industry that did a lot of custom work in the Chicago area. In the 1950’s the company’s co-owner George Stephen became frustrated with the uneven cooking and uncontrollable flame of the open brazier grills. He determined to build a better grill for his own backyard.

The company he worked for and owned had been creating half spheres that were welded together to form buoys that were used in Lake Michigan. Using this concept, he cut one of the buoys in half and then fabricated a dome shaped lid with handle for a cover. This would be the very first of the kettle Webber Grills. His neighbors affectionately called the creation Sputnik.

The popularity of this kettle grill took off faster than Stephens had anticipated and the units were selling quicker than he could build them. In 1952, he created the Webber Grills division of the company to supply the ever-increasing demand.

A few years later Stephens would buy the company from the Webber brothers and become sole owner at which time, he changed the name to Webber Stephen Product Co.

For the next couple of decades the Webber grill reputation and sales continued to grow. By the 70’s Webber Grills had spread from a simple Midwest product to a national one. Retail stores from around the country began selling these grills. Before long, the name Webber was a generic term for barbeque grill.

Today Webber Grills still hold a special place in the hearts of grillers everywhere. Though the kettle was, the first model grill time and technology have allowed the company to expand a bit. You can now purchase these grills in all sorts of shapes, sizes and fuel types. Charcoal, propane and even natural gas grills can all be found sporting the Webber name.

In the last few years, an interesting side business has begun to grow from Webber Grills that are the Webber Grill Restaurant. Wheeling Illinois built the first of these restaurants with three more popping up in cities around the state. By 2007, the franchise had left the state of Illinois with a grill being opened in Indianapolis.

Today 85 million people in the United States own a grill of one sort or another, but back when Stephens built the kettle it was a significant business risk. However as you can plainly see it is a risk that has paid off big time for both Stephens and his family.

At this point in time 10 out of 12 of his children and 2 grand kids have very important roles in the company. Webber Grills are a family owned business dedicated to quality products, which is evidenced by customer satisfaction and the longevity of the business.

Also, check out my other guide on weber performer grill and thermos grills

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