Pioneer in the Silicon Carbide Ignition Industry 

How We Started

The Carborundum Company developed the first silicon carbide double helix gas igniter in the late 1960s. After Graphite Sales Inc. bought the silicon carbide igniter business from the Carborundum Company in 1997, Surface Igniter, LLC was established.

Silicon Carbide ignition was introduced as an ignition source for gas clothes dryers in the ‘70s, but its use quickly became widespread throughout the gas industry. After more than four decades, it is still the most dependable and cost-effective gas ignition method.

Surface Igniter LLC's Rapid Growth

From 1997 to 2005, we fabricated silicon carbide igniter elements and assembled them into more than 100 configurations at our Mayaguez, Puerto Rico plant. In 2003, we moved assembly operations to our sister company, Carbide Hi-Temp Materials (Shuzou) Inc., in Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China. At the same time, we opened a consolidation warehouse in Chagrin Falls, OH. We shipped most of our finished products to more than 100 customers in North America and Europe from this location.

In 2013, we announced that we would relocate our assembly production plant and distribution center to Maryville, TN. We completed the move in 2014. In that same year, we achieved the acquisition of CHT Ningbo, a spark electrode and flame rod manufacturer. CHT Ningbo helped round out our offerings to the OEM market. We also teamed up with the University of Tennessee to further our quality objectives in 2015.