Shortly after World War II ended, George A. Stephen began working for Weber Brothers Metal Works, which was managed by his father. While the job gave him plenty of experience shaping and fabricating metal parts and inventing products for the company, George’s passion was in outdoor cooking, a love he’d developed while in the Army.
At his home in Mount Prospect, Illinois (20 miles north of Chicago), he constructed a brick hearth in the backyard with an open grilling grate. But the winds blew ash over the food, and the cooking surface temperature was uneven. Controlling the flame of an open brazier needed more than just skill: George realized he needed to put a cover over everything, and control the heat.
By deconstructing the metal buoys manufactured at Weber Brothers for the Coast Guard and the Chicago Yacht Club, Stephen was able to hammer together the “Weber Kettle” grill that is familiar to everyone today.
“We were making dome shapes at the shop,” Stephen once said. “I took one of the domes, drilled some holes in the bottom and lid, welded supports to hold two wire grates, and gave my strange looking kettle-shaped grill a try. It worked great.”
At the time, his neighbors nicknamed the experimental grill “Sputnik.” Their enthusiasm for the kettle fed George’s desire to make the project a reality for every backyard barbecuer.
George’s greatest business talents were in his salesmanship. In 1952, Stephen formed the barbecue division of Weber Brothers, and took his concept on the road. He carried his kettles to various locations to demonstrate them himself in hopes of selling his idea.
“Dad would literally load the grill into a station wagon, go to a hardware store and set up a demonstration,” Jim Stephen, his son, recalled in an Associated Press interview. “He would cook a turkey or a pig or something, and people would be in awe.”
Shareholders in the company were skeptical the grill would catch on. At the time, the cost of a finished Weber grill was $50, or about $625 in today’s money. Seeing as most other grills in the 50’s sold for about $7, it looked to be a tough sell. The growth of the Weber was very much a grassroots phenomenon, first encompassing Chicagoland, then the Midwest and eventually the entire United States.
By the late 1950s, Stephen had successfully demonstrated the quality of his grill, and built for Weber the reputation of “the best you could possibly get.” He eventually bought out the company and became the sole owner, changing the name to Weber-Stephen Products Co.
George Stephen passed away in 1993 at the age of 71. Together with his wife Marge he had six boys and six girls and many grandchildren, most of whom currently have roles within the company. His presence is still felt around the Weber factory in Illinois, along with a saying of his: “God is Watching, So Give Him a Good Show.”
Don’t forget to enter the #WhatsGrillin contest!
This year there’s no photo needed, no purchase required—just some good old-fashioned summer fun! All it takes is a quick entry with a few fun questions and you’re in the running to win big from Porter’s. Winners will be drawn on Saturday, June 20 during Porter’s GRILLED Event in Riverton (but don’t worry, you don’t have to be there to win!).
