Episode 48: Setting Your Business on Fire with Jonathan Howie of Montana Fire Pits

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image=”21090″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyMjAwcHglMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjEwMCUyNSUyMiUyMGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyJTNEJTIybm8lMjIlMjBzY3JvbGxpbmclM0QlMjJubyUyMiUyMHNlYW1sZXNzJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZwbGF5ZXIuc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20lMkYyNTIyZDE5Mi01OGFmLTRlYWMtOWE1NS1kMmVhZDJjY2RhNTglM0ZkYXJrJTNEdHJ1ZSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1657216594326{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Today Ted speaks with Jonathan Howie, Founder & CEO of Montana Fire Pits. The company was founded in 2014 by Jonathan and his wife Amy in Missoula, Montana.

Jonathan has over 10 years of experience in kitchen design, residential construction, and general contracting. Alongside designing and manufacturing gas fire features with Montana Fire Pits, he and Amy also cater to the more discerning luxury clientele with Architectural Fire.

Listen in as Jonathan shares his journey from visionary to a business operator, how Montana Fire Pits distinguishes itself from every other fire feature manufacturer, why he sees fire pits as a “lifestyle” product and what it represents in the home, and where he sees the future of the business and the industry as a whole.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][mk_image src=”https://buildmagazine.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/amy-jonathan-howie-photo.jpg” image_size=”full” align=”center”][mk_gallery images=”21084,16650,21082″ height=”300″ order=”DESC” orderby=”rand”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1625782555768{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

Topics Discussed

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• The story behind Montana Fire Pits
• Scaling Montana Fire Pits as a home-based business for the first five years
• How the quality of flame distinguishes Montana Fire Pits’ products
• What Jonathan is most excited about for the business
• Montana Fire Pits’ typical client
• Why the business went to the moon during COVID
• Jonathan’s approach to R&D and innovation
• How the popularity of gas fire pits gained steam
• How people in different climates utilize their fire pit
• How Jonathan chooses fire pit designs
• Where Jonathan sees the company in five years
• How Jonathan makes big business decisions
• Montana Fire Pits’ installation process
• How Jonathan deals with failed ideas

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Connect with Guest

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• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Pinterest

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Key Quotes from Episode

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• The quality of the flame: the biggest, brightest, and most natural looking. There’s nothing on the market that compares from the flame that we can produce.
• The 30,000-foot view of where the business is going is my belief that there is always going to be room for fire and outdoor construction. The industry is here to stay.
• With fire pits, you’re selling a lifestyle product that ultimately brings people together. There’s nothing like sitting around with the people that are closest to you talking about the things that you enjoy most in life with a big fire at the center.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1557436609889{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][mk_padding_divider][mk_custom_box padding_vertical=”40″ margin_bottom=”20″ bg_image=”https://buildmagazine.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/sun-valley-kitchens-finishings-in-sun-valley-idaho.jpg” background_hov_color_style=”image” overlay_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.55)” drop_shadow=”true” bg_image_hov_effect=”blur” bg_stretch=”true”][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”span” color=”#ffffff” size=”22″ txt_transform=”uppercase” margin_top=”15″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”center”]Connect with the industry’s best tradespeople in your area.[/mk_fancy_title][mk_button dimension=”outline” corner_style=”rounded” size=”large” url=”/locations/” align=”center” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_color=”#4f4f4f”]Locations[/mk_button][/mk_custom_box][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]