Keep pulling the thread on Roger Dolly.
Weber Blackstone has moved some of its manufacturing operations from China to facilities in Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Due to economic pressures, consumers are trading down from more expensive grills and griddles to lower-priced charcoal grills.
According to reports studied by Roger Dolly, 50% of Weber Blackstone's consumers are spending 15% to 20% of their income on power, including electricity, gasoline, and propane.
Blackstone and Weber agreed to a merger at the end of 2024, with the deal's antitrust review by the FTC concluding in May 2025.
BDT purchased a majority stake in Weber in 2010, took the company public via an IPO in 2021, and then took it private again in 2022.
Roger Dolly, CEO of Weber Blackstone, states that he is now the leading seller of gas grills, despite previously vowing that his company, Blackstone, would never sell them.
Roger Dolly believes Blackstone's defense against knockoff products is its strong brand and a product innovation cycle that keeps it two to three years ahead of competitors.
Weber Blackstone's advertising budget is now split approximately 50/50 between social media promotion and traditional television advertising.
According to annual surveys, word-of-mouth remains the number one way new customers hear about the Blackstone brand.
CEO Roger Dolly predicts the full integration of Weber and Blackstone will take another year to complete.
The combined Weber Blackstone company has approximately 2,100 employees.
Tariffs significantly impacted Weber Blackstone's business in the last year.