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<Paragraph>After more than two decades in the hearth and BBQ industry, Peter Schoenfeld had seen almost everything.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>He’d managed showrooms, supported dealer networks, and sat at buying-group tables across the United States — long enough to know what works, and what doesn’t.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph><Emphasis>“Most brands say they’re easy to work with,” Peter says. “But very few truly are.”</Emphasis></Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>So when he first encountered Escea, a fireplace company based 8,000 miles away in New Zealand, something about it felt different. It wasn’t just the technology — it was the attitude. A company that still builds everything itself, cares about the details, and treats customers like partners instead of numbers.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>Now, as Escea’s US Country Manager, Peter is helping introduce that difference to North America.</Paragraph>
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<Image format="landscape" file="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69294541b21cf576e68ed053/6a2a1e85009020acd4f74461_Peter%20S%202.jpg" description="Peter Schoenfeld at Escea factory in New Zealand" width="full">
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<Title>What He Found in New Zealand</Title>
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<Paragraph>On his first trip to Escea’s Dunedin, New Zealand headquarters, Peter found something familiar — the people, the landscape, even the way the business ran.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>“I was really surprised by Dunedin,” he says. “It felt a lot like where I grew up in Colorado — same kind of climate and trees. I felt at home right away.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>”Inside the factory, that feeling deepened. Designers, engineers, and craftspeople worked side by side under one roof — not as separate departments, but as a single, hands-on team rethinking the modern fireplace from the inside out.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph><Emphasis>“What really surprised me is how much is done in-house,” Peter adds. “Even the circuit boards have our own twist. Everything’s built right here in New Zealand — and that’s something special in this industry.”</Emphasis></Paragraph>
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<Paragraph><Emphasis></Emphasis>That start-to-finish approach defines Escea’s quality. Every model is designed, tested, and assembled locally before it ever leaves the factory floor.</Paragraph>
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<Image file="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69294541b21cf576e68ed053/6a2a1eb989c640b6f9915ea0_Escea%20Factory%20Shoot%202025-075.jpg" alt="escea factory" />
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<Image file="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69294541b21cf576e68ed053/6a2a1eb847071e9bbf95c519_Escea%20Factory%20Shoot%202025-095.jpg" alt="escea factory" />
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<Image file="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69294541b21cf576e68ed053/6a2a1eb9af5bb2a393303896_Escea%20Factory%20Shoot%202025-124.jpg" alt="robot in escea factory" />
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<Image file="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69294541b21cf576e68ed053/6a2a1eb97611142703e240f4_Escea%20Factory%20Shoot%202025-148.jpg" alt="escea factory" />
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<Title>Why it Matters for North America</Title>
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<Paragraph>For builders and designers, consistency matters as much as design. Peter believes that’s where Escea’s New Zealand roots translate directly into North American success.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>“Because everything is engineered and built by the same team, you know exactly what you’re getting. It means fewer call-backs, smoother installs, and happier clients,” he says.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>In a market where flexibility is everything, Peter believes Escea’s engineering gives installers more room to move. Power-venting allows longer flue runs and more creative layouts, while zero-clearance design lets materials come right up to the edge. And with the new LE Electric Range, the same precision applies to no-flue remodels and warmer climates.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph><Emphasis>“Architects are used to sacrificing something,” Peter says. “With Escea, they don’t have to.”</Emphasis></Paragraph>
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<Image format="landscape" file="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69294541b21cf576e68ed053/69f8201ae73f5e079bb079b5_LE%20-%20Tier%202%20-%20Effortless.avif" description="Escesa LE Series electirc fireplace" width="full">
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The Escea LE Series — a new generation of electric fireplaces, designed and crafted in New Zealand.
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<Title>A Partnership Approach</Title>
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<Paragraph>Escea’s fireplaces may be designed and built in New Zealand, but the support behind them is firmly rooted in North America. For Peter, that’s the difference that matters — pairing world-class engineering with a team that’s close to the market, understands local needs, and can respond quickly when projects are moving fast.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>“We want every customer to feel appreciated — to know we’re going to take care of them,” Peter says.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>From technical guidance to project support, Escea’s approach is simple: innovation only works when it’s backed by people you can reach, and a system that removes friction instead of adding it.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph><Emphasis>“Our goal is simple,” he says. “To be the easiest company you’ll ever do business with.”</Emphasis></Paragraph>
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<Title>Made in New Zealand, Designed for Everywhere</Title>
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<Paragraph>From New Zealand’s southern coast to showrooms across the US and Canada, Escea’s story is about more than geography. It’s about doing things properly — with craftsmanship, precision, and respect for the people who bring those fireplaces to life.</Paragraph>
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<Paragraph><Emphasis>“It’s not just about fireplaces,” Peter says. “It’s about the people who love them.”</Emphasis></Paragraph>
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<Paragraph>With Peter Schoenfeld leading the charge, Escea’s North American expansion isn’t just another market move — it’s a partnership built on shared values: innovation, reliability, and trust.</Paragraph>
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