Newton man creates outdoor fireplace grill, which is now an entrant in Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest

Mark Allen not only had a good idea, he followed through with it and made it a reality. As a result, his invention — The Moose Fireplace Grill, which is touted as a new way to enjoy grilling, tailgating and camping — is nominated alongside more than 60 other products for Coolest Thing Made in Iowa.

To see his product alongside big name manufacturers and businesses like John Deere and Maytag Dairy Farms is overwhelming.

“It’s incredible that we’re even being mentioned on the same website as these companies that truly have such a wonderful history in the state of Iowa and have employed thousands of Iowans,” Allen said. “How cool would that be to have this thing grow and grow and maybe start employing more people and take off?”

Weighing a little over 70 pounds and standing about two feet tall, The Moose was designed from a real life experience Allen had of bouncing between cooking food on a grill and conversing with friends and family around a backyard campfire. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Allen let his mind wander.

“I thought there has got to be something out there that can at least encapsulate this experience where you’ve got the grill, you’ve got your circle of family and friends and you’re not running back and forth,” Allen said. “So literally the first drawing was on a napkin. Then it went to scratch paper.”

Shortly after, a prototype was built and tested. Allen spent considerable time cooking hearty, wood-fired meals on The Moose in different types of climates. The material held up, which led to more fireplace grills being produced by Red Oak Fabrication and put up for sale at select stores in Newton and West Des Moines.

“We’ve got some storefronts that have been just awesome stepping up and helping us out,” Allen said of Ace Hardware in Newton and BW Outdoors in Valley Junction. “It’s all encompassing. There are no moving pieces at all. You light a fire, let the flames get going and you can cook anything you want on this.”

Food can be cooked directly on the grill or in any kind of durable, heat-resistant cookware like cast iron. Allen said his family has enjoyed making chili, grilling pork chops and frying bacon and eggs on The Moose. The unit is compact enough for camping, but Allen noted he is working on a larger model.

Its name comes from Allen’s own nickname, which was given to him when he a kid growing up in Iowa City. One of his uncles started calling him Moose at the age of 2, and it just stuck with him for 54 years. To this day, he is convinced there are still people around that area who don’t know his real name.

By trade, Allen is a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Newton. He isn’t a metal fabricator, and he admits he knew nothing about patent law or welding before starting this journey. For some people that would be enough to dissuade them from pursuing or even developing an idea like this any further.

“I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” Allen said, noting it was a project that took over many evenings and weekends. “This was a complete leap of faith.”

Support from fellow community members, his family and the Small Business Development Center at Iowa State University, have helped fuel his fire. Kim Didier, executive director of DMACC Business Resources, took it a step further and nominated him for the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest.

“I was laying on the couch giggling like a 12-year-old when I saw that,” Allen said. “I still cannot believe what I’m seeing.”

Whether the idea crashes and burns (though Allen is sure it won’t) or flourishes into something bigger, he hopes his leap of faith inspires those to do the same.

“I just hope 10 or 15 years down the road and one of my kids comes up with a crazy idea and is wondering if they do it or do they not do it, I just hope they sit back and think, ‘Well, the old man did it. Why don’t we go ahead and give it a try as well?’ If that is what it develops into, then I’m incredibly happy,” Allen said.

To participate in the popular round of the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest, visit www.coolestthingia.com and cast up to four votes through May 7. To learn more about The Moose Fireplace Grill at www.themoosefireplacegrill.com.