Pioneer in the Silicon Carbide Hot Surface Ignition Industry
How We Started
The first silicon carbide double helix gas igniter was developed by the Carborundum Company in the late 1960s. After Graphite Sales Inc. bought the silicon carbide/hot igniter business from the Carborundum Company in 1997, Surface Igniter, LLC was established.
Hot surface 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 1987 to 2002, we fabricated silicon carbide igniter elements and assembled them into more than 100 different configurations at our plant in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 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. From this location, we shipped most of our finished products to more than 100 customers in North America and Europe.
In 2013, we announced that we would be relocating 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.