PALATINE, Ill. — For thousands of avid Weber grill users, the question isn't really gas or charcoal. It's how to fit multiple versions of each on their back patios.
John Gerald Gleeson has four Webers on the deck of his home in Gaylord, Mich. -- from Weber's humble charcoal kettle to a $2,200 stainless steel job with six burners. His specialties include a slow-cooked ham braised in a bourbon-brown sugar glaze.
"I've used other grills in the past, before I saw the light," the retired attorney said.
Gushing customer testimonials are the norm for Weber, which has become an iconic American brand in the 55 years since founder George Stephen created his three-legged kettle -- a backyard oddity that his neighbors came to call "Sputnik."
As the image of Weber's apple-shaped kettle has endured, Palatine-based Weber-Stephen Products Co. has coupled it with a reputation for durability and simplicity that has fostered a cult-like following.
"You ask just about anybody who owns a Weber -- I don't think they ever have to buy another one," said Chris Schlesinger, owner of East Coast Grill & Raw Bar in Cambridge, Mass., and author of several books on grilling.
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of barbecue season: Fully 62% of grill owners say they barbecue then, second only to the Fourth of July holiday at 74%, according to a 2005 survey by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Assn.
Weber competes with W.C. Bradley Co., owner of the Char-Broil brand, for dominance in the U.S. grill market -- valued at nearly $2.3 billion last year, according to market researcher NPD Group.
It's a vast but saturated market, with 81% of U.S. homes owning outdoor grills in 2005, the barbecue association said.
The trade group also found that customers were buying larger, more sophisticated grills -- an indication that there is room for growth.
Neither company discloses sales figures; both are private and family owned. Columbus, Ga.-based Char-Broil says it has the upper hand in both revenue and unit shipments. Weber says the two are neck and neck and together account for about half of the U.S. market.
But few doubt that Weber enjoys an edge in brand recognition. For many, it has reached that rare status in which the brand becomes the product, like Tabasco or Coke.
