Went to the Alaska Site in Bloomsburg, Pa.

My wife and I are moving so we decided to stop by the Alaska stove site in Bloomsburg, Pa. I was a little taken aback by a sign that said showroom and office that lead straight into the factory assembly floor area. There were only two people in view that were working and we were told the only rep was on the phone by a guy who was engrossed in hammering something. We were left to wander around the assembly floor between boxes, in an around and between shrink wrapped stoves (?) on pallets that I guess were waiting to be shipped out to somewhere. At least I hope they were going out and not coming in? There were around 50 or so stoves in different stages of shrink wrapping.

When the rep got off the phone he inquired about what we were looking for. I advised that we were interested in a coal stove in the 90K BTU range. He showed us three different stoves which were actually all the same stove with different trim. The prices were in the range which is about the same as everywhere else. About a quarter of the entire assembly area was taken up with a mound of boxes and paper which seemed to be thrown haphazardly around. By mound I mean empty boxes piled at least 6 feet high by at least 15 feet long.

I came across a couple of pallets with what looked like Heilkoil SS hot water coils. I asked and he verified that all the coils they sell come from them. They don't make their own.

Needless to say I was not impressed with the reception, the response, the way the so called showroom was set up between in coming and outgoing stoves, trash and boxes piled all around the shop area.

The stoves look almost exactly like leisure line stoves which I pointed out. He then had some uncomplimentary things to say about a guy who he said used to work for him and went to LL and copied HIS designs.

I'm going to look elsewhere for a stove. Alaska might have a good product but their factory assembly practices scare me. Maybe I was there on a bad Monday or something.

they have been AFU since the flood inundated their show room why don't you try a distributor's show room

I wouldn't want any of my money supporting a crook like Hilkcoil anyway. Long story ...

LOL... you should Keystoker, that's like going back in time.

Seriously, it's a manufacturing facility. I'm surprised they invite the public there at all, most manufactures don't sell directly to he public.

I have to say thier showroom was really nice and well stocked and laid out. they greeted you when you came in and are very good folks to deal with.
there was a very severe flood that ruined the show room and then a fire the next day or so.

what you walked into was in no way a real representation of the Alaska history.

its been a month of bad mondays since the flood, BUT they are getin er done and make a good product.

jim d wrote:they have been AFU since the flood inundated their show room why don't you try a distributor's show room

ahhhhhh that flood got us too, that's a bitch. Hope they had insurance. The house that burned down would have been in that flood, to quote the neighbor, "A least your house was gone". He actually had a really good point, that's a lot of work.

blrman07 wrote:
The stoves look almost exactly like leisure line stoves which I pointed out. He then had some uncomplimentary things to say about a guy who he said used to work for him and went to LL and copied HIS designs.

I'm going to look elsewhere for a stove. Alaska might have a good product but their factory assembly practices scare me. Maybe I was there on a bad Monday or something.

Unfortunately there is still some bad blood between Alaska and the old owner of Leisure Line. There is more to the story its not all black and white but not my place to post it. We ( new owners) get along fine with Alaska and have nothing but well wishes for them especially after what they have been through with the flood. There is a lot of differences to our products when you look closer. But they have a great product as well " Just not as good as ours " LOL

I have been in literally thousands of factories that were small, large, and mega-sized over the 27 years I worked as an insurance inspector. I have been in shops that were pristine and turned out garbage products. I have been in messy shops that turned out good products. More times than not a clean shop turns out a good product because the workers are proud of where they work and that translates into pride in their workmanship.... Under normal circumstances, and pre-flood, as an average Joe I would have probably never seen that shop floor. You can't blame trash accumulation in the shop on a flood damaging the showroom.

The cleanliness of a shop floor is usually indicative of the quality of workmanship turned out by the staff. Not having a pretty showroom is one thing and that is not what I am talking about. Allowing trash, boxes, and paper to accumulate to the point that it is over 6 feet high and close to 15 feet long is something else entirely.

Like I said maybe I was there on a bad Monday.

Personally, I'm a first impression kinda guy & am not wrong very often. If you're not happy where ya are, get some place else--it's not rocket science.

Alaska puts out a good product and they let you see everything. Their guys are manufacturers, not salesmen. To pass negative judgement on their products based on work floor trash accumulation would be erroneous. The same error occurs when you buy a product based on talking to a polished salesman in a clean organized showroom whose function is to sell you.

I am pretty sure that other manufacturers also accumulate work trash and clean it up (as Alaska no doubt did later on that day). The big difference is that you don't always get past the clean, organized showroom facade to see what you are getting.

That said, there are other good brands and it is your money, so you should get what you want.