Hearth and woodstove retailer expands with Brunswick showroom and Yarmouth acquisition

A person stands in a big room with woodstoves and wooden chairs.

Photo / Courtesy The Hearth Doctor Robert and April Beardsley bought the Hearth Doctor in February 2024 and recently moved the showroom in Topsham to a larger space at 8 Gurnet Road in Brunswick. The landlord is Brunswick.

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By Laurie Schreiber

A retailer who sells fireplaces, stoves and eco-friendly heating solutions quickly expanded the business’s presence over the past year.

Robert Beardsley bought the Hearth Doctor in February 2024 from Bill and Kate Robinson, who started the business in 2001 to specialize in the sale, service and installation of fireplaces, inserts and stoves that burn a variety of fuels. Daniel Baber of Transworld Business Advisors of Maine facilitated the transaction.

At the time, the business had its showroom in a 1,300-square-foot lease at 11 Main St. in Topsham and a warehouse at 281 Washington St. South in Auburn.

With an eye toward expansion, Beardsley leased a larger space for the showroom in a 4,021-square-foot space at 8 Gurnet Road in the Cook’s Corner neighborhood of Brunswick. The landlord is Brunswick MZL LLC.

A person stands outside in front of a story entryway.

Photo / Courtesy The Hearth Doctor

Beardsley opened the Hearth Doctor’s Brunswick location, after navigating construction cost increases.

The transaction was managed by Derek Miller and Chris Romano of the Boulos Co.

Beardsley recently completed the showroom’s move from Topsham to Brunswick.

That deal was followed by the acquisition of a similar business, McVety’s Hearth & Home, at 893 U.S. Route 1 in Yarmouth.

Over the past year, Beardsley has grown the workforce from six employees to 25.

“Between expanding into a larger space and merging two respected Maine hearth businesses, this represents a strong local success story of Maine-based ownership, investment, and growth in the home-energy industry,” he said.

Veteran-owned

Beardsley is a U.S. Air Force veteran and real estate investor from Brunswick. He also has an entrepreneurial bent and was looking online for a sustainable business to buy. The Hearth Doctor caught his eye.

“The numbers looked good,” he said.

He didn’t have a background in the heating industry. But his military experience, he noted, gave him the ability to navigate the learning curve, supervise a workforce and build relationships. And he’s been able to rely on the expertise of two long-time members of the sales team.

Photo / Courtesy The Hearth Doctor

Robert and April Beardsley.

Beardsley paid $1.5 million for the business plus the Auburn real estate, tapping into business loan programs through the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments in Auburn and the Midcoast Council of Governments in Damariscotta.

Finding a larger location for the main showroom “was a process. A lot of back and forth,” he said.

Rising construction costs

The lease in Brunswick looked good, but construction costs rose precipitously in a short time.

“It went from an initial quote of $110,00 for build-out to $155,000 to almost $200,000,” he said. “The whole time I was cutting things. There were multiple delays. But now it’s done and we’re moved in.”

The move from Topsham to Brunswick more than doubled the showroom space.

The acquisition of McVety’s in Yarmouth gave him a third location that pretty much dropped into his lap. Peter and Susan McVety opened the Yarmouth location in 2011, according to the company’s website.

As someone who enjoys building relationships, Beardsley discovered the McVetys were interested in selling the business.

“I called him and said, ‘Hey, are you serious?’” Beardsley recalled of his conversation with Peter McVety. “He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘What’s your timeframe?’ He said, ‘Now.’”

Two people shake hands in front of a sign.

Photo / Courtesy The Hearth Doctor

Peter McVety, left, and his wife Susan sold their business to Rob Beardsley.

Beardsley acquired the business and its existing lease renewal options. The inventory was largely seller-financed at the start, with Beardsley planning to refinance.

Right now, the focus is on integrating the two businesses.

“After that, I’d love to be able to expand,” he said. “As I expand, I can add positions.”

Beardsley, 37, sees his entrepreneurial journey, through real estate investment and now business ownership, as potentially motivating for others.

A wall has a number of metal-framed glass display.

Photo / Courtesy The Hearth Doctor

Over the past year, Beardsley has grown from six employees to 25.

“I don’t come from money. I don’t have a college degree,” he said. “I started off slowly, then built up from that. It kills me when someone tells me, ‘There’s nothing I can do.’ I say, ‘If you try, you can get there.’”