Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/1540543
12 In 1972, Lou Mazzini laid the foundation for a family business that has been keeping South Shore homes comfortable for more than 50 years. What began as a plumbing company has since expanded into multiple divisions, with Lou's sons carrying the torch into a new era. Today, his son, Mike Mazzini, runs The Fireplace Store in Marshfield, specializing in gas inserts, wood stoves, custom doors and outdoor kitchens, while his brother continues to lead the plumbing and HVAC side of the family enterprise. The pivot into this side of the business started slowly more than two decades ago. "We started doing gas fireplaces around 2002 out of our Quincy location in order to fill empty space in the building," recalls Mike. A sales rep planted the seed and Mike was skeptical at first, but his father encouraged the move. "My father said, 'I think that's a good opportunity. You should really look into it.'" And so, they did. Year one was lean with a single product line, but soon the momentum followed. "We ended up with about 12 to 15 different lines," explains Mike. "We started getting pretty big, pretty quick." Over time, the team refined what they carried. "We narrowed it down and kind of weeded out the ones that we didn't like and we ended up going with the Heat & Glo line, and we've been with them ever since." Today, The Fireplace Store focuses on real-world needs and reliable performance. The sweet spot? Converting existing masonry fireplaces to efficient, easy-to-use gas inserts. "That's probably 80% of our business," Mike says. "Being in the New England area, most of the houses are older, and most of the houses have fireplaces in them." Homeowners love the look of a fire, but not the hassle that surrounds them in terms of the cleanup. "The idea of a gas insert is appealing because it's very easy to use and there's no mess," he explains. These sealed systems have a remote and a blower, nice flames and logs, and they push heat where you want it. A gas fireplace gives the flexibility of having a fire year-round at any time and even for a short period. What truly differentiates The Fireplace Store from their competitors is that they are a one-stop-shop. "One of the benefits of using us is that we're also a plumbing company," Mike says. "A lot of the other stores… they can recommend a plumber, but we can do the actual gas work. We can do the permit and the inspection, too." If a project needs an electrician or specialized The Fireplace Store Story Written by Zoe Pirnie, photography by Andrew Mazzini COMFORT: S E 2014