Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary is a mark of genius shared by few. Being able to produce and market it is even more rare. Mark Georgantas, South Coast Entrepreneur of the Year, has done both.

Mark explains, "One night in 1996, after a toast with friends, we threw our glasses into the fireplace. Beyond the mess it made, I noticed how the glass sparkled before it degraded. I liked the effect, so I got some tempered furniture glass, broke it and threw it in the fireplace. I was amazed at how the flames danced on top of the broken glass.

"The bad news was that it got sooty and turned black, similar to a ceramic gas log. So I decided to try engineering the glass to create a product that wasn't sharp when broken, yet was immune to degradation from propane and natural gas. That's how Fire on Ice™ was born.

"I had a compelling reason to find a substitute for fireplace logs: my son, Behron. He was just a toddler at the time, and I wanted him to have the healthiest environment possible. I was concerned about him breathing the paraffin residue from molded pressed logs, as well as the risk of getting burned by flying embers from real wood.

"Since Fire on Ice™ is so easy to transport. I took it with me each time I relocated. Everyone who saw it wanted it, and finally the message sank in. I decided to produce and market it for sale to the public.

"First I patented the glass formulation and the application itself. Then I settled on calling it Fire on Ice™ and launched it in early 2000. I placed the first ads in March, and the phone hasn't stopped ringing since. Sales have skyrocketed with distributors in twenty states and three countries.

"As a matter of fact, people like the product so much, several customers have made serious inquiries about private placement stock offerings and investment opportunities. Based on the nationwide demand we're getting, I'm currently making investment opportunities available."

Sitting in Mark's living room listening to his story, I'm reminded of predictions about new technologies and products springing up at the turn of the 21st century as they did in the early 1900s. I am definitely impressed and conclude that he must be a "millennium man".

When I'm first ushered into Mark's home, it is just before dusk and there's a chill in the air. I keep my jacket on because the house is cool.

FireonIce™

He immediately turns on the fireplace with its beautiful Fire on Ice™ so I can see it firsthand. About 2 minutes into our interview, I peel off my jacket and ask if the fireplace is throwing out all that heat, or if it's my imagination.

"You're not imagining it," Mark assures me. "This product produces up to 600% more heat than gas logs, and it uses a third less gas."

Noticing the incredulous look on my face, he explains: "We make our own burner pipes, which contribute to the heat efficiency. Instead of using a single element with standard holes to conduct the gas and heat upward, we use a two-pronged element and drill V-shaped holes in both sides. This throws the heat outward into the room instead of sending it all up the chimney. Also the glass deflects and radiates the heat instead of blocking and absorbing it like ceramic logs."

"Is there any upkeep involved?" I ask, thinking there must be some drawback to putting glass in your fireplace. "None," he tells me. "The colorants in the glass aren't affected by heat and will last as long as your fireplace, so Fire on Ice™ never loses it's color, if you want to move the glass around, it's perfectly safe because it's not sharp and it won't cut you. You can pick it up, squeeze it, run our hands through it. I just rake it with my hand to clean it. It's similar to safety glass, but I've taken it a step further."

By now I'm a true believer, and I'm wondering why no one thought of it before. "Probably, " Mark explains, "someone did. But it's a modern science enhancement to standard tempered glass using spectrophotometers, high-level math, and other trade secrets, so it's unlikely that it would have been marketed earlier."

Has he always been an entrepreneur or is he basically an inventor? "I worked for several companies right after school, "he confides, "but I've never really been comfortable working for someone else. It feels like

there's a low clearance ceiling over my head. In 1992, I founded a company involving color measurement and spectroscopy, but Fire on Ice™ is my first invention. Maybe that's why I don't think of myself as creative in the classic sense. I didn't reinvent the wheel, I just made it a little rounder and a lot more efficient."

Where is Fire on Ice™ today? "It's taken off and ready for orbit," Mark grins. "We've installed thousands of units. Some have been very high-profile installations like Wayne Newton‘s home, and $5 million ”Street of Dreams‘ homes in Las Vegas. But the real beauty is that it looks good with any home style or décor. It's currently available in eight colors, and we're always looking for ways to expand and improve it.

"From listening to our clients' suggestions, we've developed an aromatherapy product that adds wood scents like pine and eucalyptus to enhance the mood created by your fireplace. And we've come up with a CD of fire sounds, so you can enjoy the crackle of wood without mess.“

How about future plans? "Eventually, after private placements for my customers, I'd like to take the company public," he answers. "I want to replace every gas log on the market and transform every fireplace into a showpiece instead of a pollution pit."

I can tell Mark Georgantas is not only serious, he's passionate. "That may sound like a tall order, but it makes sense when you realize that gas log manufacturers have taken traditional wood and replaced it with a product that creates not only odor and soot, but pollution too. Fire on Ice™, on the other hand, generates heat and warmth, and it's elegant, clean and environmentally safe.“