The History of Breeo
Here at Breeo, innovation is expected. “Living against the grain” is how the company started, and we keep experiencing the journey of live-fire. For Breeo, the adventure began when two innovators began wondering if fire could be experienced in a new way.
In 2011, the first ever smokeless fire pit was created by Andy Kaufman and Jr. Troyer. These men were committed to pioneering the best way to enjoy wood burning fire. Andy started Camp King Fire Pits in Apple Creek, Ohio, where the first smokeless fire pit was introduced to the marketplace.
In 2013, Jonathan Miller, a young man in Lancaster, PA with a passion for living against the grain, met Andy and was introduced to the product and the idea of smokeless fire pits. This new innovation aligned with Jon’s desire for off-the-grid living, childhood experiences with live-fire cooking, and his background in marketing. Together, Andy and Jon became business partners and created Breeo Industries in 2014.
Following the creation of Breeo Industries, the Ablaze fire pit was launched and won the Vesta award in Salt Lake City at the Hearth, Patio, & Barbecue Association Expo in 2014. Jon was committed to pushing the product to reach its full potential. On Christmas Eve, 2014, Jon and his wife, Janessa, moved out of their apartment in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, sold what furniture didn’t fit in their ‘96 Casita Travel Trailer, and Jon became Breeo’s first full-time employee.
In 2015, Jon and Janessa hit the road on the “Rethinking Fire Tour,” where they toured the US and Canada in their Casita Trailer, debuting the Ablaze smokeless fire pit for the next two years. Breeo’s fire pits were unique, high quality, and built in America. Not only were Jon and Janessa committed to selling the product, they lived off of it. They cooked as many meals as they could on the original, black, 15-inch Double Flame, all the while marketing and selling the product they believed in and creating relationships with the customers they met daily.
Finally in 2017, Jon and Janessa returned to Pennsylvania. After gaining 7 employees committed to introducing people to the future of live-fire, it was time for the company to take root. Manufacturing was moved from Ohio to Lancaster, Pennsylvania where PennEagle Fabrication, owned by Amos Stoltzfus, started building Breeo fire pits. Soon, these two companies dissolved into one as Andy was ready to sell his share of the company. Amos became Jonathan’s new partner, and Breeo Industries and PennEagle Fabrication became Breeo, LLC. The same year, Breeo released their first stainless steel fire pit, and the company continued to grow as new product designs were released.
In 2019, the Phoenix (now known as the X Series) was launched, followed by the release of the Outpost grill in 2020. After fantastic growth for 5 years, Breeo reached a new level in 2020 as people searched for a new way to enjoy outdoor living and live-fire cooking.
2021 marked ten years since the birth of the first smokeless fire pit and brought more new and exciting things for Breeo as the X Series Expansion was launched. The release of the largest smokeless fire pit currently on the market, the X Series 30, brought bigger and better smokeless experiences to the customer's backyard. New features were added to our site that allowed Breeo lovers to customize their own pits for the first time.
In 2022, we reached new levels of innovation. We launched the portable Y Series Fire Pit, an entire Fireside Furniture Collection, and several essential fire pit accessories like the Heat Deflector, Breeo Base, and 304 Fire Poker. In just one year we launched more than 15 products which led to a groundbreaking year for Breeo.
And that brings us to the current day.
We remain committed to continuous improvement and developing others. As a team, we value innovation and the quality assurance that building our products right here in the USA gives us. Exciting things are always in the works here at Breeo and we invite you to join the journey and experience where live-fire continues to take us!