The History Of Valor Fireplaces & Miles Industries

Have you ever looked at your Valor Fireplace and wondered where it all began? The cozy warmth of your fireplace comes with an exciting and strong Canadian story. Miles Industries was created in 1977 in North Vancouver, British Columbia by Gary and Martin Miles. The Miles family created a strong connection with a major British fireplace manufacturer, Valor Heating, and from there, they decided to create an unstoppable plan that would bring natural gas fireplaces into Canada.

With a little research, they realized that Canadians would be open to the idea of bringing an efficient gas heater into their home, as long as it met their consumer heating needs and was sold at an affordable price. By 1984 the Miles family had obtained the exclusive Canadian distributorship for Valor products and the first Canadian Gas Association (CGA) Certified products arrived for sale on a national basis. From there, Paul Miles joined the company and took the chance to move over to Ontario to further expand the Eastern markets.

Have you ever looked at your Valor Fireplace and wondered where it all began? The cozy warmth of your fireplace comes with an exciting and strong Canadian story. Miles Industries was created in 1977 in North Vancouver, British Columbia by Gary and Martin Miles. The Miles family created a strong connection with a major British fireplace manufacturer, Valor Heating, and from there, they decided to create an unstoppable plan that would bring natural gas fireplaces into Canada.

With a little research, they realized that Canadians would be open to the idea of bringing an efficient gas heater into their home, as long as it met their consumer heating needs and was sold at an affordable price. By 1984 the Miles family had obtained the exclusive Canadian distributorship for Valor products and the first Canadian Gas Association (CGA) Certified products arrived for sale on a national basis. From there, Paul Miles joined the company and took the chance to move over to Ontario to further expand the Eastern markets.

In 1986 Valor Fireplaces designed and sold the very first direct vent room sealed fireplace which instantly took off in the Canadian markets. Following that very successful year, Valor created the first power-vented gas fireplace which allowed gas fireplaces to be installed almost anywhere in the home. From there, Valor was able to hone in on the design and look of the fires, making them perfect for any home or setting.

In a matter of 5 years, Valor Fireplace sales had increased from 100 fireplaces in a year to selling 10,000 units per year and quickly started expanding into the American market. Valor Fireplaces rapidly grew more and more until it was time to consider moving the manufacturing from the UK to North America. As of 2001, Valor Heating and Valor Fireplaces signed an agreement allowing the Miles family to design and manufacture Valor products for both Canada and the USA. Since then, Valor has grown into an even larger company developing and selling many different models and units, providing its customers with efficient, radiant heat and comfort.

For more information on the History of Valor please watch our informative video or visit our Valor Fireplaces history page.