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July 14, 2025
FOND DU LAC – Over the last two decades, the folks at Badger Masonry & Fireplace have seen many changes in the industry – from the gradual transition away from traditional wood-burning options to the integration of modern electric and gas versions.
Regardless of the style, President and Owner Randall Prost said Badger Masonry & Fireplace Supply has always been there for all the region’s fireplace and masonry needs.
20 years in business
Prost – a veteran and 100% disabled – said he has owned the business, along with his wife, Nan, for the last three years, taking over when the previous owner wanted to step away.
Badger Masonry & Fireplace, he said, focuses on American-made products – providing customers with the best products on the market.
“Because we continue to take care of the customer, referrals continue to be our best friend,” he said.
When he took over the business, Prost said he leaned into expanding the company’s visibility and bolstering its inventory – focusing on Badger Masonry & Fireplace’s growth potential.
With the two showrooms – one in Fond du Lac (N5887 County Highway K) and the other in West Bend (545 N. Main St.) – he said the main focus is to get and stay in front of customers.
As a full-service company, Prost said Badger Masonry & Fireplace specializes in brick and stone materials, as well as fireplace units and supplies.
Products, he said, are available in a variety of different options – from a traditional look to a more modern feel.
Though they don’t design the fireplaces themselves, Prost said the Badger Masonry & Fireplace team – many of whom are Hearth Experts™ – closely works with suppliers and guides customers through the entire process, from idea to installation.
He said this includes sending a team member to a customer’s house, free of charge, to determine which option works best for the desired location for the fireplace.
“A lot of times, that’s where the creativity comes in,” he said. “The vision of the customer needs to be communicated to whoever is putting the product together, and the masons we work with are excellent.”
In addition to standard fireplaces, Prost said Badger Masonry & Fireplace sells fireplace inserts, freestanding fireplaces, gas logs, outdoor products, stoves and custom mantels – which are available in wood and concrete.
To help further showcase its outdoor options, Prost said the team installed an outdoor showroom.
Some customers, Prost said, will walk into one of Badger’s showrooms simply saying, “We need a fireplace,” only to be overwhelmed by the options available – especially since the choices have changed so much over the years.
He said that’s where the Badger Masonry & Fireplace staff comes in, serving as subject matter experts not only in sales but also in service.
“That’s one of our biggest things we talk about – everything we sell, we [also] service,” he said. “Other companies will just install it, but don’t have a service team. We make sure we take care of the customer before, during and after.”
Prost said Badger Masonry & Fireplace’s service work varies throughout the year, depending partly on seasons.
During summer, he said the team particularly focuses on construction builds, while during fall and winter, the focus is more on homeowners needing fireplaces replaced.
A lot has changed
Not only has technology changed the aesthetics of fireplaces on the market today – many offering a more modern and sleek look – Prost said it has also impacted the units’ efficiency.
“The big, old-school fireplaces only run at about 5% efficiency,” he said. “The modern fireplaces are running at 95% efficiency. So, if you put a new wood-burning insert in an existing fireplace, you’re getting all that heat in the home instead of it going up the chimney.”
Furthermore, Tasha Hornburg – a Badger Masonry & Fireplace salesperson with 20 years of industry experience – said many of the newer style units are customizable.
“You don’t notice the changes from the outside per se,” she said. “What you will notice is they have larger viewing areas. They hide all the components, and they offer many more interior selections – so you can customize the inside of your fireplace, compared to the past where you’d get what you got, and that was that.”
Some of those customization options, Hornburg said, include choosing between a birch log, a traditional log, a brick or a reflective glass unit.
She said the new models also have a thermostat mode, which allows owners to operate the fireplace based on room temperature.
“You can also run it with the pilot always on,” she said, “or conserve fuel and set it to ignite only when electronic ignition hits.”
Hornburg said some people will do their own research before visiting the showroom.
Others, she said, come in knowing very little.
This is especially true, Hornburg said, with customers wanting to transition away from their wood-burning units.
She said many don’t know that in order to do so, they’ll need to decide between building an entirely new unit or replacing the fireplace’s insert.
The real challenge, Hornburg said, is resolving what customers want versus what will work.
This again, she said, is where technology, efficiency and space considerations come into play.
Increasing popularity
As the technological advances of fireplaces have and continue to increase, Hornburg said so, too, has the reassurance in their popularity.
“A lot of people love having a fireplace,” she said.
According to the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers, a fireplace can increase the resale value of your home by 6-12%, particularly in areas where it’s cold for a large part of the year.
For more on Badger Masonry & Fireplace, visit badgerfireplace.com.
