The Thanksgiving holiday that we celebrate here in the United States each November is known worldwide as an American custom. Its roots extend far back into history. According to historical sources, the Pilgrims originally never held an autumnal Thanksgiving feast. The Pilgrims did have a feast in 1621 near Plymouth, Massachusetts after their first harvest. This is a feast that people often refer to as “The First Thanksgiving,” but it was never repeated. Nevertheless the 1621 feast has become the model for the Thanksgiving celebration in the United States. In 1630 settlers and colonists from many continents brought customs of days of prayer and thanksgiving. Especially in New England, where the first Thanksgiving of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was observed on July 8th.
The first Thanksgiving in the new United States of America occurred in 1777 when General George Washington and his army stopped in bitter weather on their way to Valley Forge to mark the occasion. In 1789 Washington's first proclamation as the nation's president, declared November 26th as a national day of “Thanksgiving and Prayer.” The annual presidential thanksgiving proclamation ceased for almost 50 years during the early 1800's, until President Abraham Lincoln resumed the tradition in 1863.
It took until November 26, 1941 when President Roosevelt signed the bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. For the next 15 years some states continued to celebrate on the last Thursday in November, because two out of every seven Novembers have five Thursdays. However, Thanksgiving has been observed on the fourth Thursday of November by every state since 1956.

It sure seems like Thanksgiving Day went through an awful lot to get here as we know it today. So the least we should do is take a few minutes later this month to give thanks for all the opportunities we have here in the United States. Which many of our forefathers fought for and never got to enjoy.

I would like to thank you for your business partnership. From your business and ideas to the friendship you've bestowed upon us. We hope your Thanksgiving is filled with good food, friends and family and happy memories. On behalf of all of us here at Lindemann, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

The best affordable solution for saving energy dollars with a fireplace is to install a chimney top damper from U.S. Fireplace Products. These dampers have the best seal in the industry! The Energy Top and Energy Top Plus Dampers have a refrigerator type seal that is cushiony and conforms to the lid, creating a more effective seal than flat silicone gaskets.

The engineering considerations built into this damper don't require any kind of "chimney fire safety device" like some dampers. The spring effectively lifts this damper open, yet allows almost anyone to close the damper easily.

The Energy Top Plus Adds a stainless steel chimney cover providing superior spark arrestor and bird guard protection as shown above.

A fireplace with no damper or a damaged, deteriorated damper is like having a window open all the time. It is wasting "paid" heated and air-conditioned dollars. The Sealtight Dampers are engineered with a rubberized seal under the lid which is not viewable in the above photos. This pliable gasket effectively creates a barrier to cold outside air. Similar import dampers have a flat gasket seal that is installed on the top of the lid. This increases the odds of having the lid freeze shut. Since the Sealtight Damper gasket is on the underside of the lid, the odds of freezing are minimal. The Sealtight also has a gasket on the under side of the lid in the back. this is shown in the photo, above left.

Be cautious about installing a similar cheaper import damper. The openings in these dampers can actually restrict the draft, causing the fireplace to smoke. Sealtight dampers have larger openings and the likelihood of this happening with is greatly reduced.

By installing one of these top-sealing dampers with a premium seal, some homeowners have saved as much as 30% in heating/air-conditioning costs. Just as you wouldn't try to heat or cool your house with the window open, make sure you stop the energy thief in his tracks. Take action today.

Posted by Karen Lamansky, Director of Marketing

The Draw Collar is a very popular product amongst homeowners who have used it. Here is a testimonial from Lincoln and Jilene Card, shared with us from John LaMunyon, President of Stock Squared.
John,
February 1999 we purchased a wood burning stove from The Fireplace Place Inc. at 1678 N State St Orem, UT. After years of struggling with smoke from our stove we heard about the "Draw Collar" which had just been developed. It was installed and to our great delight there was no smoke problem. The fire started immediately and the smoke went directly up the chimney. We would recommend this "Draw Collar" to anyone who may be having problems with smoke from their wood burning stove.
Thank you,
Lincoln and Jilene Card

Cleveland Pope was recently featured in Pope Sweeps Problems Away by Elaine Brackin in The Dothan Progress. Homeowner Pam Godwin had lots of praise for Cleveland's professionalism, expertise, committment to education and his singing. In fact, Cleveland is so well liked by the family that the adult children often come over when they know Cleveland will be there cleaning the fireplace.

Congratulations to Cleveland for being honored in this article and thanks for promoting our industry in such a positive manner. Cleveland is the owner of The Chimney Sweeps, LLC.

To read the article on Cleveland, click here.

Dealing with a nasty blockage? We now carry this Chisel for breaking out blockages from below. Available with Large "European" Broom Threads or ButtonLok fittings. Heavy-duty construction built to take a beating. Catalog page 82, (Large Threads #505725). Catalog page 79, (ButtonLok Fitting #564725).

The Stubby II LED Light uses only .10 amps verses a 13-watt light bulb. These Long-lasting LED bulbs can save you approximately $21 a year! It incorporates 8 side LED's which are comparable to a 13-watt bulb and in addition to being a worklight, it has an open end so it can also be used as a flashlight. It includes an X-Treme Shield Case which is impact, scratch, and chemical resistant. No mercury to worry about. 25-foot power cord. Catalog page 76, #603028.

Here's a Lint Brush for multiple cleaning uses including dryer door lint traps. It's 14" overall and includes a wood handle with hanging hole. Catalog page 87, #563301.

The Smoke Chamber Brushes are Rotary Cleaning Brushes with a ButtonLok fitting. Makes cleaning smoke chambers an easier and relatively painless job. Reaches into corners, cracks and irregular surfaces. Flares out as it spins. Catalog page 80, (Light duty yellow #563734 - heavy duty black #563302).

By Karen Lamansky, Director of Marketing

What? You’ve never heard of the bungee theory? Possibly because it is one of my own, rather twisted, but weirdly true theories. You see, your bungee cords, (or lack thereof), tell much about you.

The first thing you need to know, in order to understand my theory is that bungees come in two distinctive types. There are those flat, black ones with the big “S” clip on the ends, and there are round ones with “J” ends. Now while I can’t tell which chimney cap you prefer, (HY-C, Gelco, ICP, or those inferior ones…), I can make some basic assumptions about you, and your style, from your tie down preferences.

The flat ones are great for holding ladders to your van, maybe even tying down a stainless steel liner to the roof rack, but they aren’t really good for tight wrapping, (and we all know I’m not wrapped to tight!). The guys that use these are straightforward down to business kind of people. What is my reasoning? Find any guy building masonry chimneys since he was seven, and he’ll use the flat ones. He doesn’t know there is another kind! His daddy used them, his first boss used them, so he does too.

Guys that use the round ones are carefree, adventurous, and fun loving. A little less demanding of perfection, but organized well. How did I come to this conclusion? Guys that ride motorcycles use the round ones to secure stuff to their ride. Guys who camp use them for gear. These guys have to love adventure. They are the ones standing on the crown just to enjoy the view!

How about the guys that don’t use bungees? You mean there are guys who don’t use them? These are the guys using old baling twine, a piece of clothesline, or an old sheet to secure their stuff? Easy. These are old dairy farmers who turned to sweeping when the milk prices dropped! (You know I’m right here!).

All in good fun, I hope you realize. Just hoping to bring a chuckle to your day. And by the way….

LINDEMANN SELLS BUNGEE CORDS! You’ll have what “type” we are.

Submitted by Chuck Phillips, Director of Operations, Northeast

The Chimney Sweep News is celebrating 30 years of bringing you the news of our specialized profession. A trade journal as unique as the trade it serves, The Chimney Sweep News was founded in October 1979 chimney sweep Dave Lamb and his wife, Darla. Current publishers Jim & Harriet Gillam ran a mom and pop sweep company for 18 years.

Dave wrote in the first issue, "SNEWS will not profess to know all the answers, but if every Sweep who reads this has one idea, suggestion or question, and shares it with SNEWS, we will all benefit".

“If The Chimney Sweep News does succeed in serving as a central clearinghouse for such information – we feel we have met our goal.”

Thanks to the contributions of chimney professionals all over North America and across the world, as well as the advertising support of the industry’s finest suppliers, The Chimney Sweep News continues to provide information that cannot be found anywhere else.

“How fortunate chimney sweeps are to have a magazine like The Chimney Sweep News,” writes John Gulland of The Wood Heat Organization (www.woodheat.org). “It is a rare business publication that is unpretentious and yet competent, and so clearly dedicated to serving the needs of its readers.”

We invite you to check out The Chimney Sweep News. Please visit our website at www.ChimneySweepNews.com, where trial subscriptions are available.

Now, more than ever, it's imperative to sustain your credible reputation. With the advent of the internet, one wrong move could be plastered across the nation.

Ethics start at the top and trickle down. You may be the most ethical business owner in your county, but if you don't have an policy in place, your employee could have other ideas about the fine line that is sometimes fuzzy where it separates right from wrong. If you haven't done so, be sure to communicate your ethics policy to all employees.

When you review your ethics policy make sure you present a clear, professional message. It should relate not only to your employees but should filter through to the public. Make sure your employees are aware of the expectations you hold for them.
Establish a customer service program and train each employee accordingly. Make sure the program covers basic expectations on everything from telephone courtesy to handling dissatisfied customers face-to-face. Let them know that there will be days when they just swept the last chimney, descended the roof, are exhausted, and then the homeowner goes ballistic about something completely unrelated to their work. Assure them you will be there to help. Most importantly, make sure you are there!
Emphasize how customer complaints can create an opportunity for them to shine. Perhaps the homeowner doesn't understand something and just needs more education or an explanation. Or, maybe it's a very real problem within your own organization and the customer just "held the mirror up" for you to see. Ask them to treat each customer fairly, demonstrate sound business practices and strive to resolve disputes in a fair and expeditious manner.
If you advertise about prompt service or special offers be certain that your advertising is clear and concise. Deceptive and misleading advertising will hurt your business and reputation.
Let your customer make product choices based on value and pricing. Be careful about creating expectations that the product or service won't cover. Give them the good, better, best alternatives and educate them. Then let them make decisions based on their finances and the knowledge you've given them.

One of the most precious things a business can offer today is a credible reputation. You will get praises not only from your customers, but also from many internet sites, such as Angie's List. On the flip side, if your company doesn't take care of mistakes or problems, guess where your future customer base will hear about you? Anywhere the angry customer cares to complain and that could be all over the internet or to anyone who will listen. Always seek the high road. It's not always the easiest way, but is the ethical thing to do.

[Note: Lindemann Chimney Service received the Angie's List 2008 Super Service Award.]

Posted by Karen Lamansky, Director of Marketing, Lindemann Chimney Supply

I'm proud to be a member of the chimney sweeping industry. Here, you can find a family like, tight-knit group who frequently lifts each other up as no other industry I'm aware of. But did you know that we have a famous family member amongst our ranks? Who is this mystery person?

Phil Coke spent one off-season sweeping chimneys, replacing 500 pound insert stoves and installing pools and hot tubs on one of his off-seasons. What season is the opposite of our busiest time of the year? America's best loved game; baseball.

Now Phil has moved on to pursue and achieve his dream of becoming a big-league player. He's the Yankee's rookie left-handed relief pitcher. To read more about Phil, his good heart and the kind of down to earth guy he is click here to read an arcticle by Gordon Edes, Coke jumps from chimneys to clubhouse, from Yahoo! Sports. Enjoy!

Posted by Karen Lamansky, Director of Marketing

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” said Alice
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to” said the Cat.
“I don't much care where—“ said Alice.
“Then it doesn't matter which way you go,”said the Cat.
“--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you're sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

One of my daughter’s favorite characters is Alice in Wonderland. Above is a section of dialogue from Alice and the Chershire Cat. The grinning cat was on to something.

I find this to be a common problem in our businesses. The owner generally has a vision of where he/she wants to take the company. They may even have a clear picture in their head. They know what the trucks will look like, they know what the office space will be like, they envision a great culture with exceptional people. Maybe they envision themselves operating in other regions of the county. Entrepreneurs usually have great vision, but they often lack the ability to articulate it to their staff.

Your employees and coworkers are the ones who are going to drive the bus to its destination for you. If you do not paint a clear picture of where you want to end up, chances are they won’t take you there. They’ll be like Alice, walking long distances, with no destination.

Do your co-workers know what success look like? Have you painted a picture of it for them? When they get done with their day can they feel accomplished that they reached it? Where do you want to end up at the end of this quarter? Where do you want to be in five years? If you are having problems answering these questions, your team may be wandering in the wrong direction. This is OK if you “don’t much care where” you go. But, if you want to reach a destination, the best plan is to clearly articulate exactly how each member of your teams needs to contribute to get you there.

Rob Lindemann, President, Lindemann Chimney Supply