Weber Grill was born in the suburbs

The world-famous Weber Kettle Grill and its inventor, George Stephen, can be given much of the credit for the popularity of outdoor cooking today.

Stephen, a Mount Prospect resident at the time, had developed a love for outdoor cooking while serving in the Army. However, he was frustrated with the open brazier grilling technique available at the time. He wanted to protect his food from the elements and seal in a tasty, smoked flavor.

At that time, Stephen worked for Weber Brothers Metal Works, which was manufacturing metal buoys for the Chicago Yacht Club. He crafted the first incarnation of the Weber Grill by cutting one of those metal buoys in half, drilling holes in both the bottom and the lid and adding two wire grates.

By 1954, Stephen was selling his grills in earnest, so he purchased the Weber Brothers company and renamed it Weber-Stephen Products. Over the years the product line evolved. They introduced the Genesis line of gas grills in 1985, which revolutionized the industry. In recent years, smaller Weber gas grills have become popular at sporting events and with city dwellers with small outdoor spaces. The company has also expanded into smokers and other outdoor cooking methods.

Weber-Stephen Products LLC is headquartered in Palatine where it now fabricates and assembles its Genesis and Summit gas grills, as well as some of the smaller Smokey Joe charcoal grills.

- Jean Murphy