Company type | Private |
---|---|
ISIN | US94770D1028 |
Industry | Manufacturing |
Founded | May 8, 1893 |
Founder | George A. Stephen |
Headquarters | Palatine, Illinois |
Key people | Alan Matula (Interim CEO) |
Products | Outdoor grills |
US$88.88 million (2020) | |
Website | www |
Weber Inc. is an American manufacturer of charcoal, gas, and electric outdoor grills with related accessories. It also owns restaurants and publishes cookbooks.
The company was family owned until it sold a majority stake to BDT Capital Partners in 2010. [1] In 2021 it became a publicly traded company until it was taken private by BDT Capital Partners which purchased all remaining out-standing stock in 2023. [2]
Weber-Stephen was originally incorporated on May 8, 1893, as Weber Bros. Metal Works. [3]
In 1951, the original round charcoal kettle grill was built by George Stephen Sr., a then part-owner of the sheet metal shop in Chicago who sought to improve on the brazier he had been using to cook with at home. [4] The grill was produced using two sheet metal half-spheres normally used as parts of buoys built in his shop. Shortly thereafter he began selling the invention, which he called 'George's Barbecue Kettle', for which there was considerable demand. [5]
One of the earlier nicknames for the grill was ‘Sputnik‘. [6] [7]
Because the grill became so successful after he began selling it in 1952, Stephen formed the barbecue division of the Weber Brothers factory. In the late 1950s, Stephen bought out the Weber Brothers factory and became the sole owner, devoting all his professional time to manufacturing and selling the Weber kettle. Soon thereafter, Stephen changed the company's name to Weber-Stephen Products Co. [8]
The Weber-Stephen company manufactures and sells outdoor electric grills, charcoal grills, gas grills, and charcoal smokers.
In 1989, the company opened the first Weber Grill Restaurant in Wheeling, Illinois, but in spite of a remodeling in 2000, this location closed in 2010. [9] As of August 2021, four additional locations are open in Lombard, Illinois (opened 1999), River North, Chicago (2002), Schaumburg, Illinois (2005), and Indianapolis (2007). [10]
While a majority share of Weber-Stephen Products LLC was sold to BDT Capital Partners in 2010, the acquisition did not include restaurant operations. While both the restaurants and outdoor cooking equipment maintain the Weber branding, two separate companies now exist. The restaurants remain solely owned by the Stephen family.[ citation needed ]
On December 12, 2022, Weber announced that BDT Capital Partners purchased all of Weber's remaining stock for $3.7 billion. Weber's stock was then suspended and then delisted on the New York Stock Exchange. [11]
The Ducane Products Company began as the Ducane Brothers Metal Fabricating in 1946. It moved three years later to Little Ferry, New Jersey and manufactured warm air furnaces. In 1968, the name was changed to The Ducane Company and moved the base of operations to Barnwell, South Carolina and in 1975, they started making Ducane gas grills. [12] Ducane filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and was partially acquired by Weber-Stephens at a bankruptcy sale in 2004 for $13.6 million. [13]
Under Weber's leadership, Ducane marketed propane and natural gas grills through big box home improvement and specialty outdoor product stores. In an effort to revamp the Ducane brand, Weber introduced the "Ducane Stainless" (2006) exclusively through Home Depot, the "Ducane Affinity" (2007) and the "Ducane Meridian" (2007) through multiple channels. [14]
In 2021, it was announced that June, a home automation company specializing in kitchen appliances including a "smart" oven, was acquired by Weber for $142.2 million. [15] [16] It exists as a “strategic business unit” within Weber. Co-founder Matt Van Horn is the president of June while the company's other co-founder, Nikhil Bhogal, is the senior vice president, technology and connected devices of Weber. Van Horn continued to focus on the June Oven while Bhogal works with Weber R&D programs and new products.
On July 12, 2021, Weber-Stephens Products LLC announced it had filed a Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to make a public offering of Class A Shares on the New York Stock Exchange with an expected ticker symbol WEBR. [17] [18] It began trading under symbol WEBR on August 5, 2021, opening at $17 per share compared to the IPO offering of $14 per share. [19]
Barbecue or barbeque is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that employ live fire and smoke to cook the food. The term is also generally applied to the devices associated with those methods, the broader cuisines that these methods produce, and the meals or gatherings at which this style of food is cooked and served. The cooking methods associated with barbecuing vary significantly but most involve outdoor cooking.
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat and vegetables quickly. Food to be grilled is cooked on a grill, using a cast iron/frying pan, or a grill pan.
Teppanyaki, often confused with hibachi, is a post-World War II style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan, the metal plate on which it is cooked, and yaki, which means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. In Japan, teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using a teppan, including steak, shrimp, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and monjayaki.
A barbecue grill or barbeque grill is a device that cooks food by applying heat from below. There are several varieties of grills, with most falling into one of three categories: gas-fueled, charcoal, or electric. There is debate over which method yields superior results.
The cuisine of California reflects the diverse culture of California and is influenced largely by European American, Hispanic American, East Asian and Oceanian influences, and Western European influences, as well as the food trends and traditions of larger American cuisine.
Kebab, kabob, kebap, or kabab (Kashmir) is roasted meat that originates from the Middle East. Many variants of the category are popular around the world, including the skewered shish kebab or souvlaki and the doner kebab or gyros with bread.
Kai yang or gai yang, also known as kai ping or gai ping, or pīng kai, is a Lao dish originating in Laos, but it is now commonly eaten throughout the whole of Thailand. The dish is a standard staple of street markets and readily available at all times. Being a typical Laotian dish, it is often paired with green papaya salad and sticky rice (Thai/Isan: ข้าวเหนียว, pronounced[kʰâːwnǐa̯w]; Lao: ເຂົ້າໜຽວ or eaten with sticky rice in bamboo. It is also eaten with raw vegetables, and often dipped in spicy sauces such as Laotian jaew bong.
Indirect grilling is a barbecue cooking technique in which the food is placed to the side of or above the heat source instead of directly over the flame as is more common. This can be achieved by igniting only some burners on a gas barbecue or by piling coals to one side of a charcoal pit. A drip tray is placed below the food to prevent fat from the food igniting and generating a direct flame. Indirect grilling is designed to cook larger or tougher foods that would burn if cooked using a direct flame. This method of cooking generates a more moderate temperature and allows for an easier introduction of wood smoke for flavoring.
Barbecue varies by the type of meat, sauce, rub, or other flavorings used, the point in barbecuing at which they are added, the role smoke plays, the equipment and fuel used, cooking temperature, and cooking time.
Benjamin O'Donoghue is an Australian chef.
George A. Stephen Sr. was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and the founder of Weber-Stephen Products Co., the company best known for the manufacturing of charcoal and gas grills. Stephen is credited with the invention of the Weber Kettle grill by cutting a metal buoy in half and fashioning a dome shaped grill with a rounded lid, which he began selling in 1952.
Korean barbecue is a popular method in Korean cuisine of grilling meat, typically beef, pork or chicken. Such dishes are often prepared on gas or charcoal grills built into the dining table itself. Some Korean restaurants that do not have built-in grills provide customers with portable stoves for diners to use at their tables. Alternatively, a chef uses a centrally displayed grill to prepare dishes that are made to order.
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, called charcoal burning, often by forming a charcoal kiln, the heat is supplied by burning part of the starting material itself, with a limited supply of oxygen. The material can also be heated in a closed retort. Modern charcoal briquettes used for outdoor cooking may contain many other additives, e.g. coal.
Barbecue chicken consists of chicken parts or entire chickens that are barbecued, grilled or smoked. There are many global and regional preparation techniques and cooking styles. Barbecue chicken is often seasoned or coated in a spice rub, barbecue sauce, or both. Marinades are also used to tenderize the meat and add flavor. Rotisserie chicken has gained prominence and popularity in U.S. grocery markets. Barbecued chicken is one of the world's most popular barbecue dishes.
Barbecue is an important part of the heritage and history of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It has resulted in a series of bills and laws that relate to the subject, and at times has been a politically charged subject. In part, this is due to the existence of two distinct types of barbecue that have developed over the last few hundred years: Lexington style and Eastern style. Both are pork-based barbecues but differ in the cuts of pork used and the sauces they are served with. In addition to the two native varieties, other styles of barbecue can be found throughout the state.
CADAC, a South African company headquartered in Johannesburg, is a marketer of a wide range of outdoor leisure and patio products designed for durability, portability and convenience.
Char-Broil is an American privately held manufacturer of charcoal, gas & electric outdoor grills, smokers and related products. Char-Broil is a subsidiary of W. C. Bradley Co.
Wolf Steel Ltd., better known as Napoleon, is the largest privately-owned manufacturer of fireplaces, grills, and gas furnaces in North America. Based in Barrie, Ontario, Napoleon began in 1976 as a steel fabrication business under the name Wolf Steel Ltd. In 1995, Napoleon was founded after the company diversified its production to include outdoor heating products.