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ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: Corn-stove audience are all ears
The following is an article from the Grand Forks Hearld printed on October 17th, 2005. John Northagen is an SBDC client that recently received a loan to expanded his business with the help of Donovan Wadholm at the Grand Forks Small Business Development Center.
Thompson man reports sales increase after year's energy woes
By Susanne Nadeau
Herald Staff Writer
THOMPSON, N.D. - Sunday was a warm and breezy autumn day here, and despite the high temperatures outside, people flocked to the Northagen residence just north of town to get closer to one of the area's hottest alternative heating sources.
An open house to learn more about corn-burning stoves was held from about 1 to 5 p.m. in John Northagen's home near Thompson, and well over 40 people from the area attended.
Northagen, a local dealer who sells St. Croix high-efficiency corn-burning stoves, stood inches away from the lit stove, the one he uses in his own home, and explained how it works to several interested buyers Sunday afternoon.
Heat radiated through the shed where only the one stove was lit. Two other stoves and a furnace were on display.
Safety and costs
With a bit of perspiration beading his forehead, Northagen answered questions about safety and costs associated with the stoves.
One Grand Forks resident said that she was there with her husband, who was interested in the stoves as an alternative energy source. She said the extra cost of fuel sparked the search for an alternative heating source, but added that they hadn't decided to buy a corn-burning stove yet.
People were looking at style, heat output, safety issues, but questions about cost dominated conversation.
Northagen said the stoves, which ranged in price from about $1,825 to $2,389 depending on size and model, could significantly cut winter heating costs.
The largest stove he had could burn about 1˝ bushels during one day, keeping an area of about 3,400 square feet moderately heated over a 24-hour period, Northagen explained to potential customers.
"If you buy corn in bulk, you can get it for about $2 a bushel," he said. Some sellers are bagging the corn and selling it for about $5 a bushel, he added.
It's a deal consumers find appealing.
Sales increasing
Last year, from September to December, Northagen sold 12 stoves.
When asked if sales were up this year, he laughed.
"Immensely," he said. "Gas prices were going up continually through the summer, and then, when the hurricane season hit, everything skyrocketed."
Since September, Northagen said he's already sold 12 stoves and expects to sell more.
Many of the companies that sell corn-burning stoves are already out, he said. The company he deals with experienced shortages last year, he said.
"People were asking about the stoves last year, but even all distributors were out of the product by Dec. 1," Northagen said. "They were talking about making five times as many this year, to try to meet the demand for the stoves."
Northagen gets his stoves from a distributor out of Minnesota. Last year, the distributor ordered 800 but ordered 2,000 stoves this year, he said.
"And I think he's still going to run out," Northagen added.
Northagen said that he's already sold a corn-burning stove this year to a person who had wanted one last year.
"There are a couple of others who are still thinking about it," he said.
For additional information about corn-burning stoves, check out Northagen's Web site: Cornburners ND
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