Hardy Body

A Brief History of Hardy Manufacturing Company

 

Contents: 

The Early Years 

  It was 1976. The Arabs had a chokehold on oil. Energy prices  were rising. And no one knew what the future  held. 
  County agent Jerome Hardy had moved back to his hometown in  1970 to pursue his farming and cattle interests. To cut costs  he decided to put a heater vent in his  fireplace; but, wife, Margaret  vetoed the idea. She didn't want wood trash, smoke and ashes tracked  through the house. 
  So, Jerome tried a different approach. He began tinkering  with  the idea of putting the heating unit outside and moving the heat  to where it was needed. After a lot of trial and error, brainstorming  and improvising, his idea began to  take shape. 

 Jerome's initial effort was encouraging and his enthusiasm was  shared by neighbor, cousin and fellow cattle farmer Bobby Smith.  They put units in their  homes. Both families enjoyed an immediate  and dramatic decrease in heating costs and liked the fire outside,  making it safer, cleaner, and easier to service. 
  It wasn't long  before neighbors and friends became interested  and inquired about having one for their own use. 
  Jerome and Bobby looked after the farms and tended their cattle,  but continued  to tinker and experiment with the heater. By 1978,  Jerome had changed the design, taking it in a new direction and  raising its productivity potential to new levels. 
 

Groundwork Laid for the Future 

  Originally, it was a hot air design. The changeover to a water  based  system enabled the unit to provide household hot water and  was adaptable to forced air and hydronic systems that could channel  the heat to multiple locations. With each successful  step, the  pair felt more confident about making a unit for their neighbors. 
  Knowing they had a good idea, Jerome and Bobby began working  on a market plan. They exhibited The  Hardy furnace at fairs and  farm shows. They made a good pair. Jerome was overseeing construction  and manufacturing. Bobby took charge of the furnace tank welding. 
  In 1979,  Jerome applied for and received a patent on the heater  and the company began to take shape. It was the beginning of a  multi-million dollar, nationwide business and another  American  dream was born.

A Heating Furnace Pioneer 

 The development of the first Hardy put the company at the forefront  and made them pioneers  in an entirely new field of heating. 
  The Hardy outside wood furnace is designed to save energy and  provide comfortable heating. 
  Like most successful inventions, the basic idea  is simple and  the design is not complex. The Hardy uses a stainless steel tank  filled with water surrounding a fire box. 
  It is a non-pressurized boiler with an atmospheric  vent. Heat  is delivered by circulating water through pipes between the furnace  and a heat exchanger in the building. 
  It is equally efficient with a hot air duct system, water  baseboard  system, radiant floor heat, unit heaters or an existing hydronic  system operating at 180 degrees or less. The Hardy can provide  several hundred gallons of hot water  for domestic household needs.

Hardy Manufacturing Expansion 

  As sales increased it became inevitable that Jerome had to increase  his  workforce and bring in qualified people to help with the small  business that was rapidly turning into a multi-million dollar  company. 
  In 1986 Frank Moore, Hardy's son-in-law,  became president of  Hardy Manufacturing Company. Armed with an Engineering Degree,  he was a perfect match for a company which was continually testing  new materials, exploring  new concepts and monitoring the latest  technical advances. 
  The facilities were expanded to 35,000 square feet with a workforce  of 50 people. These changes, along with hard  work, quickly paid  off as sales climbed quickly toward $6 million annually. 
  Hardy Manufacturing is the largest buyer of 304 stainless steel  in the southeast. With sales  exceeding 2,500 furnaces a year and  over 55,000 furnaces previously sold, the Hardy claim of being  the No. 1 manufacturer of outside wood burning furnaces in the  world has no  challengers.

Research and Development Continues 

  In 1988 Hardy was approached by state officials on developing   a heater to give waste oil generators an alternative for disposal. 
  The idea of helping the environment by efficient use of a waste  product has become a practical reality in a furnace  developed  and built by Hardy Manufacturing. This is the first water-based  outside waste oil furnace on the market. The Hardy Outside Waste  Oil Furnace was patented on June 22,  1993. 
  More changes are in the works and new products still to come.  We're excited about an outside catalytic wood burning furnace,  in development since 1989. It uses catalytic  combusters to improve  efficiency and burn much more cleaner. Test models have been up  and running since 1991, and was introduced for market in the fall  of 1994.

Sales and Distribution 

  A critical element in the company's history of growth has been  its highly respected  sales and distribution capabilities. 
  The Hardy furnace is sold in the United States through a network  of 5 independent distributors and a nationwide network of 275 independent dealers. Through  this same network, sales are made in Canada, Europe, Asia and  Mexico.

Looking to the Future 

  While much has changed at Hardy since Jerome Hardy founded his  business in a backyard  shop in 1975, one thing has remained  constant. There has always been, and continues to be, an indomitable  drive for excellence. This excellence 
has been the company's  hallmark throughout its proud history. 
  Strengthened by this spirit, the people at Hardy believe their  best days are still to come as they pursue excellence and leadership  in  safe and economical heating appliances.

To Our Customers 

  With the knowledge and experience we've gained over the years  in developing our furnaces, Hardy  stays ahead of the competition  by offering the best products on the market. 
  UL Listed (Underwriters Lab), all stainless steel construction,  quality workmanship, a 500 member  nationwide dealer network ready  to assist customers, a product built to last and manufacturing  experience since 1976 are the qualities that make The Hardy the superior   product. 
  Our pledge to you is to provide the latest technology, quality  products and a commitment to customer service for the future. Customer  satisfaction remains the name of  the game. 
  If you can't reach a local dealer or distributor for your State,  we will be pleased to help you anytime. You will always be No.  1 to us! 

Frank L. Moore 
President
Hardy Manufacturing Company, Inc.

 
Bobby Smith & Jerome Hardy
www.hardyheater.com
Bobby Smith and Frank Moore
Heater Stock
Frank Moore
Jerome Hardy
H2

© Copyright Hardy Manufacturing Company, Inc. * 1-800-5-Hardy-5 * Phone: 601-656-5866 * Fax: 601-656-4559

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