Georgetown Fireplace and Patio co-owners, Gene and Linda Henry, are high school sweethearts from Burnet, Texas. Gene takes on the role of entrepreneur and risk taker; Linda acts as the 'bean counter' and business partner.

They have three daughters; Kellie, Valerie, and Alicia; one son, Brad; and three grandsons; Logan, Caden and Luke.

The couple learned the value of hard work early on in life. Gene grew up with a background in farming and Linda in bookkeeping. The skills they attained served them well through the years.

Convinced that woodstoves were efficient heaters, Gene and Linda jumped in to the wood stove business in 1979. They launched their company with ten woodstoves and some pipe. They leased a dilapidated old building (originally a slaughterhouse) on Rock Street in Georgetown and named the business 'The Fire Poker'.

In 1981 they moved the business to Williams Drive in Georgetown and quickly began to outgrow the location.
They moved to Austin Avenue, across from Georgetown High School, and added a warehouse in 1984. They incorporated the business and changed the name to 'Georgetown Energy, Inc.' Still the current legal name, it reflected the direction they believed they were headed at the time - the solar business. They never sold solar products, but they did answer a lot of phone calls from people wanting their electricity turned back on.

1995 brought even more changes. In order to balance the seasonal fire on the hearth business, they began selling patio furniture. They created a dba (doing business as) 'Georgetown Fireplace and Patio'.

Approximately five years later, they were considering another big jump. The addition of patio furniture had caused them to outgrow their location. They were looking for an interstate location with more square footage. Being almost out of debt, they had to consider whether it would be wiser to take on more debt and grow or get out of debt and focus on the hearth business.

Once again, they jumped, this time into a brand new 28,000 square foot building on I-35 and a debt of $2.4 million. In October of 2001, just one month after 9-11, they opened the doors of their current location on Sierra Way.

Gene and Linda’s focus is selling high quality products while maintaining excellent customer service. They desire to be leaders that serve their customers, and by example, encourage their employees to do the same. They stress the importance of going the extra mile to help a customer; customer service is their #1 priority.

Georgetown Fireplace & Patio is a small, single-store operation with humble beginnings and a focus on family. ''We really are a family business and are always closed on Sundays,'' Gene says. ''We’d sell the business if they became a necessity.''