Bad News on the Harman End

[cimbo190]

If you read this article - dated July 18, 2008, you would like everything is great at Harman.

(broken link removed)

I am scratching my head bald as I ponder this.

 

[kilarney]

I was interested in this quote from the article:
"The company also is coming out with programmable thermostats."

I wonder if these will work with existing stoves.

 

[MainePellethead]

No, getting info from Harman is like pulling teeth. They have a bunker mentality. We do get info from the rep firm though. That info is always very late. We have learned that Harman is stock pileing stove in antisipation of huge demand in the west where they are on nat gas.

If that is true - it seems wrong! Nat gas is as cheap or cheaper than pellets in most areas, and on the ethical side of things it would seem wrong to turn away existing dealers and customers (with firm orders) to take advantage of a "hopeful" scenario in the west.

In the end, I think that bunker mentality will work against them. When another company comes along and builds a similar product....AND talks to their customers and dealers, it will be a breath of fresh air. In this case, no news is bad news.

I was giving Harman the benefit of the doubt up until about now......thinking that being part of a big company with a decent reputation would be a plus.

NG isnt so cheap in Maine and wont get any cheaper.....

(broken link removed)

 

[Shortstuff]

After paring its workforce from 350 to around 200, Harman Stove is now looking to add about 110 to 115 workers, Dane Harman said.

According to this statement made in that article, perhaps cutting their workforce may have contributed to the current lack of stoves available for purchase.

Steve

 

[MainePellethead]

After paring its workforce from 350 to around 200, Harman Stove is now looking to add about 110 to 115 workers, Dane Harman said.

According to this statement made in that article, perhaps cutting their workforce may have contributed to the current lack of stoves available for purchase.

Steve

I agree!....I am so so so glad I bit the bullet and had my Quad Castille installed at the first of last January. BEST investment so far.

 

[webbie]

NG isnt so cheap in Maine and wont get any cheaper.....

(broken link removed)

If you look at that article, the new higher (raised) prices will allow a household in Maine to heat, cook, have hot water, etc. for less than $300 a month. I doubt many Mainers are doing all those things 100% with a ton of pellets (1 1/2 bags a day in coldest weather?).....or, in any case, the costs are similar.

As far as Harman, watch that same business journal for a new article soon.......they called me both times and I think they follow the board.

 

[ugenetoo]

I was interested in this quote from the article:
"The company also is coming out with programmable thermostats."

I wonder if these will work with existing stoves.

been around a while anyway!

http://oatstoves.com/files/pellet_stove_tsta_tinfo.pdf

 

[sinnian]

NG isnt so cheap in Maine and wont get any cheaper.....

(broken link removed)

If you look at that article, the new higher (raised) prices will allow a household in Maine to heat, cook, have hot water, etc. for less than $300 a month. I doubt many Mainers are doing all those things 100% with a ton of pellets (1 1/2 bags a day in coldest weather?).....or, in any case, the costs are similar.

As far as Harman, watch that same business journal for a new article soon.......they called me both times and I think they follow the board.

NG is a joke in Maine anyway! They run the pipeline from Nova Scotia through Maine to get to Mass, but yet only about 26K households/businesses can access it, out of HOW MANY homes/businesses in Maine?

So NG is not a viable option or MOST of us Mainers!

 

[Steveo]

NG isnt so cheap in Maine and wont get any cheaper.....

(broken link removed)

If you look at that article, the new higher (raised) prices will allow a household in Maine to heat, cook, have hot water, etc. for less than $300 a month. I doubt many Mainers are doing all those things 100% with a ton of pellets (1 1/2 bags a day in coldest weather?).....or, in any case, the costs are similar.

As far as Harman, watch that same business journal for a new article soon.......they called me both times and I think they follow the board.

NG is a joke in Maine anyway! They run the pipeline from Nova Scotia through Maine to get to Mass, but yet only about 26K households/businesses can access it, out of HOW MANY homes/businesses in Maine?

So NG is not a viable option or MOST of us Mainers!

Very true! Unless you live in Portland, most of us can not get NG.

 

[nhdblfan]

as one of the ones that might be left holding the bag (ordered mine first week in June)

I can understand not being able to keep up with all the increased demand but according to the article the production did not increase at all infact it fell 78% ! (Gaslin was able to get 100 stoves last year and this year he expects only 22).I have one question;

What kind of idots are running that Harman factory when they are not only unable to take advantage of any increase in sales(forget about 1-2-300%) but can't even make 1/4 of the stoves they did the year before ?????


"He typically sells around 100 pellet stoves each year but had already sold more than 150 by the time April rolled around this year.

Gaslin stopped taking orders nearly a month ago when he reached the 350-stove limit Harmans set last spring.

But Gaslin, who has received just 16 stoves thus far, will get only another six before his supply is cut off for the rest of the year."

 

[slls]

Maybe getting ready to produce stoves in China, like the Quadra.

 

[gw2kpro]

NG isnt so cheap in Maine and wont get any cheaper.....

(broken link removed)

If you look at that article, the new higher (raised) prices will allow a household in Maine to heat, cook, have hot water, etc. for less than $300 a month. I doubt many Mainers are doing all those things 100% with a ton of pellets (1 1/2 bags a day in coldest weather?).....or, in any case, the costs are similar.

As far as Harman, watch that same business journal for a new article soon.......they called me both times and I think they follow the board.

NG is a joke in Maine anyway! They run the pipeline from Nova Scotia through Maine to get to Mass, but yet only about 26K households/businesses can access it, out of HOW MANY homes/businesses in Maine?

So NG is not a viable option or MOST of us Mainers!

Remember this come election time. Second highest tax burden in the nation and ZIP of that has gone into building the state's infrastructure. They have done a good job of making certain types of cigarette lighters illegal, though. Oh, and they spent a lot of time fighting the feds over the "ridiculous" request that people actually have to be a citizen in order to get a driver's license.

 

[ugenetoo]

NG isnt so cheap in Maine and wont get any cheaper.....

(broken link removed)

If you look at that article, the new higher (raised) prices will allow a household in Maine to heat, cook, have hot water, etc. for less than $300 a month. I doubt many Mainers are doing all those things 100% with a ton of pellets (1 1/2 bags a day in coldest weather?).....or, in any case, the costs are similar.

As far as Harman, watch that same business journal for a new article soon.......they called me both times and I think they follow the board.

NG is a joke in Maine anyway! They run the pipeline from Nova Scotia through Maine to get to Mass, but yet only about 26K households/businesses can access it, out of HOW MANY homes/businesses in Maine?

So NG is not a viable option or MOST of us Mainers!

Very true! Unless you live in Portland, most of us can not get NG.

PORTLAND isnt even in maine.

 

[hoverfly]

NG isnt so cheap in Maine and wont get any cheaper.....

(broken link removed)

If you look at that article, the new higher (raised) prices will allow a household in Maine to heat, cook, have hot water, etc. for less than $300 a month. I doubt many Mainers are doing all those things 100% with a ton of pellets (1 1/2 bags a day in coldest weather?).....or, in any case, the costs are similar.

As far as Harman, watch that same business journal for a new article soon.......they called me both times and I think they follow the board.

NG is a joke in Maine anyway! They run the pipeline from Nova Scotia through Maine to get to Mass, but yet only about 26K households/businesses can access it, out of HOW MANY homes/businesses in Maine?

So NG is not a viable option or MOST of us Mainers!

Very true! Unless you live in Portland, most of us can not get NG.

PORTLAND isnt even in maine.

Uhm my GF mother lives in South Portland....So the city north of it not Portland? Did you snuff some of the NG???

 

[Titus]

It's an inside joke....

See, Portland isn't part of the real Maine. (Note poster was in Northern Maine.)
i.e. It's just North Boston.

 

[trailblaster]

A.K.A. New Massachusettes(PORTLAND)

 

[ugenetoo]

A.K.A. New Massachusettes(PORTLAND)

in 1820 the people of northern massachusets in the area known as (the) maine decided that they no longer wanted to be associated with the state of massachusets and broke away to form a new state.
i think its time to do the same again!

 

[slls]

A.K.A. New Massachusettes(PORTLAND)

in 1820 the people of northern massachusets in the area known as (the) maine decided that they no longer wanted to be associated with the state of massachusets and broke away to form a new state.
i think its time to do the same again!

I was told you needed a passport to enter northern Maine.

 

[ugenetoo]

A.K.A. New Massachusettes(PORTLAND)

in 1820 the people of northern massachusets in the area known as (the) maine decided that they no longer wanted to be associated with the state of massachusets and broke away to form a new state.
i think its time to do the same again!

I was told you needed a passport to enter northern Maine.

NOPE!
nra proof of membership or concealed weapons permit.
proof of employment helps also!

 

[gangsplatt]

dang would not be good to be an exclusively harman dealer right about now. those guys are gonna take it in the shorts. hopefully most have other product lines that can pick up the slack but they will still be hurting as in most shops that carry harman , that is their "flagship " line. hadnt thought about that til just now, wow! gonna be a lean winter for a lot of dealers. that truly sucks. and in a year where a lot of dealers could have had record sales.

Funny you say that.......theres a place not to far from me that sells "eclusively" Harmons...he has refused to sell pellets to people that didnt buy their stove from him....he has a HUGE lot filled with pellets. He said he was saving them for promotional for the stoves etc....lol.....looks like he will have to sell the pellets seeing as the stoves are way behind lol.

Why would anyone sell just one brand of stoves? Seems like putting all your eggs in one basket.

 

[hoverfly]

It's an inside joke....

See, Portland isn't part of the real Maine. (Note poster was in Northern Maine.)
i.e. It's just North Boston.

Ahhhh!

 

[MoeB]

Portland is a suburb of Boston, isn't it?

Bangor has natural gas. I've just installed a Rinnai tankless water heater and furnace, natural gas. Bangor gas was here Friday. They've coming across the road to my house and have started the process. I'll give NG a try and let you know how it stacks up against wood pellets. I will go with whatever heats te house and water at the best possible price.

Moe

 

[slls]

Do let us know, I hear it is no bargain around here. I think the company is still too small to give good value. Did you go 90%+ on the furnace, condensing.

 

[MoeB]

So far, I've only converted my office, which has a totally separate heating and hot water system than the house. In the office, I installed the Rinnai tankless water heater and a Rinnai whole house wall heater, which everyone I've talked with tells me is top of the line. As soon as the gas is hooked up, I'll be converting the house to a condensing furnace and another tankless heater. I needed new oil equipment anyway so decided to go with NG. I have two Harman Accentra pellet stoves, as well. In the office, I was able to leave the oil boiler in place. In the house, I'll have to remove the old ( and I mean old) forced oil guzzling hot air furnace. I will also be converting my not-so-efficent LP Jotul stove in one of the fireplaces back to NG and turn off the pilot unless a storm is brewing and I want to be ready to use it for back-up. I'll try and remember to let you know how it all turns out price-wise. Can it possibly be worse than oil?

My prediction: Like four years ago, as November approaches and the upcoming elections, the oil companies will find a way to significantly reduce the price of oil. America has a short memory. Along about January, the price will go back up.

 

[thecoalman]

I'm also another one with four tons of pellets coming, but no stove to burn them in, yet. .

There's another twist to that scenario too, I had a forum member that had a coal stove then sold it after ordering new one only to find out his order wasn't going to be filled. Lucky for him he found another unit.