JCC Outdoor Products – Wilmington Grill

3314 Enterprise Drive, Wilmington

Number of employees: 10
Year founded: 2002-03
Top local official: Jon Barber, general manager
Company description: The Wilmington Grill brand has been around for about two decades. The company had two previous owners before 2011, which is when Barber’s family took ownership of the brand. They added the JCC Outdoor Products name, which now is the overall company name.
Products made locally: Barber: “We are a manufacturer of stainless steel gas grills, and we produce close to 15 different models. We make a full line of grilling accessories as well as fire pits. Everything we do is around stainless steel, and everything we manufacture is made locally.”
Product distribution: Barber: “Our products are sold primarily in the Southeastern U.S. through specialty hardware stores and propane dealers. We’re very strong in the Carolinas, but we also have dealers in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia. We also have dealers in the Midwest. Our farthest-away dealer is in Vancouver, Canada.”
What’s your target market? Barber: “Our grills are expensive, ranging from $1,000 to over $2,500. Our end customer is usually a homeowner who is knowledgeable and wants to have a lifetime grill, who’s tired of buying a grill every year, especially here at the coast. That customer wants something that’s going to last.”
What made the company decide to make its products locally? Barber: “The company has always been here in Wilmington. The gentleman who founded the brand had a business here in town. One of the great things, when my family purchased it, my parents moved to Wilmington from South Carolina. A couple of years later, my family and I moved down from the Chicago area.”
What’s planned next? Barber: “We always strive to continue to grow and meet those challenges a small business always faces, especially over the last three years. We want to put programs in place to sell more grills, expand our distribution network, take care of our employees and continue to be a good, growing company.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: To be considered for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal’s MADE feature, contact [email protected].