Fortus Flame History
Fortus Flame, previously known as Baird Built, was established in 2020 amidst the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns led to temporary and permanent closures, hitting our small business hard, and global supply chains were disrupted making it hard to find necessary materials and machines. Regardless of these challenges, our doors remained open and we marched forward working on building our company.
From 2020-2021 we functioned as a local metal sign shop using machines that we built with materials bought at our local hardware store. We bought some machines and although they were entry level quality, they got the job done and allowed us to make money necessary to continue to grow.
Somewhere along the way, still functioning as a metal sign shop and selling locally, we developed a six sided collapsible fire pit. We were fortunate to find our first big break with a national hunting organization. We immediately took every dime we made from this contract and invested it back in to our business, acquiring commercial machines, including cutting-edge fiber lasers and laser welders for impeccable welds.
Realizing the uniqueness of our product, we returned to the drawing board and innovated further, transforming our existing fire pit into the world's first collapsible smokeless fire pit.
The subsequent journey led to the rebranding of Baird Built as Fortus Flame. Today, our fire pits are distributed globally and cherished by thousands. Our story isn't extraordinary; it's a tale of hard work and determination, embodying the essence of the American dream. Recognizing a problem, we engineered a solution, and offering people a way to enjoy a product in a more compact form, creating a space efficient solution loved by many worldwide.