Small Business Owner Speaks From the Hearth

It's like stepping into a warm and inviting home with the glow from welcoming hearths in every direction.

It's a fireplace-lovers paradise.

If you feel happy and secure walking into Alber's Fireplaces on Route 22, it's not just a coincidence, because owner Loyd Miller designed the showroom with his customers' delights in mind—and it is this concern for the customer experience that is at the heart of his success.

Miller—who was born in Wiesbaden, Germany and is a blacksmith by trade—began working for Alber's Fireplaces in 1978, when he first arrived in the United States. The company was founded by Hans Albers in 1976, and, in 1986 Miller went into a partnership with Albers' daughter.

But in 2001, Miller purchased the business and became the sole owner.

"The last couple of years have been difficult, but we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

Having been through multiple recessions, Miller said he adopted an attitude that seems to be working for him.

"When everyone else retreats, I advance," he said.

At a time when other businesses were cutting back and curtailing spending, Miller said he made the decision to completely remodel his showroom.

"I decided at that point that I wasn't going to just sit still," he said. "I wanted to give my customers a sense of stability. I wanted to create an environment that makes people feel at ease when they walk in."

Miller said that customers are beginning to spend again, many of them motivated by an interest in cutting their heating oil bills. He said that in most cases, utilizing a wood stove often reduces a customer's oil bill by 50 percent.

While the average wood burning stove costs $2,000, depending on the existing condition of the hearth and the chimney, there could be additional costs involved that bring the initial investment up to $5,000 or more. Miller said sometimes it could take five to seven years to recoup one's investment.

But once the investment is recovered, the homeowner then has a reliable, efficient and cost effective heating system that can save $50,000 to $100,000 over the course of 20 or 25 years, depending on the size of the home.

Janice DiGiulio, of Somerset, who has been a customer of Alber's Fireplaces for decades, said she and her husband have been heating their home solely with a wood burning stove for 30 years. She said she rarely turns on her oil burner, only doing so normally if they leave the house for several days or a week in the winter.

Miller said he believes another factor leading to the success of his business is the attitude of his employees, whom he regards as family.

"We focus on giving our customers the best service possible," he said. "Often we respond and find a solution within 24 to 48 hours, and we love what we're doing and spread that sense of fun to our customers when they enter our store."

Work-life balance is something that Miller has practiced, and which he feels has helped him cope with the stresses of running a small business.

"When the day is over and I leave the store, that's it," he said. "I don't take it with me."

Miller admits, on occasion, that there are times when he has had to attend to a business matter after the workday, but that is rare.

"I take the time to enjoy my life and my family," he said, adding that he lives in Ringoes.

As for one of his greatest challenges, Miller said there are times when customers walk into the showroom, and they do not know what they want or maybe they've had a really stressful day. He said he loves the challenge and the opportunity to help them learn something new and emerge with greater understanding and clarity.

Miller also said he loves the challenge of transforming a confused or stressed out customer into a happy one.

And, Miller said, he is happy to report that he has a 99.99 percent success rate in this area.

"We have a lot of happy, positive people working here," he said, "and people can sense that when they walk in."