Uniflame, marketed by Blue Rhino, started back in 1994 with a man named Billy Prim. An entrepreneur at heart, Billy wanted to take his convenience store business to the next level. He found what he was looking for on a trip to Paris: a propane cylinder exchange display at a gas station. Billy thought cylinder exchange might work in the states and he was right. It didn't take him long to convince a couple hundred stores in North Carolina to try it and sales were good. So he decided to start a national tank exchange company that would capitalize on gas grill sales, which were starting to grow dramatically. Still thinking big, Billy also decided he wanted to build a brand, not just some no-name commodity.
In 1994, Billy went on a photo safari trip in South Africa. Inspiration struck when Billy zoomed his camera in on a rhino. "'It's a natural!' he told his wife. 'He's tough, sturdy, and looks like a tank.' And the propane flame, he said, would make a perfect rhino horn." Adding the color blue -- the color of a propane flame -- brought it all together.
With that, Blue Rhino® came to life. A national distribution network was constructed, retailer partnerships were established and a new brand was born. Today, Billy Prim's vision is a reality. Blue Rhino is America's #1 propane tank exchange brand. But it doesn't stop there. Blue Rhino is also a leading designer and marketer of barbecue grills, outdoor heaters, mosquito traps, and other outdoor appliances. In fact, you will find a Blue Rhino product in the middle of half a billion barbecue events nationwide every year! Now with a unique story like that, Elite Home Style delights in featuring Blue Rhino's 'Uniflame' grills and fireplace units. |
