Ron Pihl began his masonry career as a hod carrier, also known as a hoddie, for Lee Colburn, a mason in West Yellowstone, Montana. Hod carriers carry materials like bricks, mortar, and other construction materials to the workers on the job. They may also mix mortar, wet mortar boards, and help rake out mortar joints. A hod, a three-sided box with a long pole, to carry the materials. The hod allows the carrier to rest the load on their shoulder. Hod carriers need lots of physical strength to mix, pack, and carry the materials.

Ron began laying stone for his employer Lee Colburn in 1975. Stonemason work is physically hard and requires mental resilience, as days can be long and conditions vary. But being in his twenties, the work was a perfect fit for Ron. Plus it was fortunate for him to be under the tutelage of a master mason to develop high quality skills.

Ron worked as a truck driver and heavy equipment operator at Canyon, Yellowstone National Park 7-8 months each year from 1976 to 1978. In his off season Ron traveled the country.

Between 1978-79, Ron tore down a fireplace and rebuilt it. This was no small undertaking. When you begin taking out the brick and masonry of a fireplace, it’s going to be a messy process. It can be dangerous if you are unsure of what you are doing, as any error during removal could affect your home’s structural integrity. As a testament to Ron’s skill and grit, that early fireplace rebuild still stands functional today.

Ron attended a masonry heater workshop in Montauk, Long Island, NY hosted by Albie Barden of the Maine Wood Heat Company. Albie had a significant influence on Ron at that time in his life. It was the turning point that catapulted Ron to greater knowledge and skill and ultimately Ron put out his own shingle.

Before Cornerstone and Warmstone there was Pihl Masonry, started shortly after Ron’s mentorship with the master mason Albie Barden. A Master Stonemason works with natural and artificial stone to build walls, floors, and exteriors for structures. They use traditional tools like hammers and mallets, but may also use digital design and computer-driven cutting machinery. Stonemasonry is one of the oldest trades, and the skills used today are similar to those used hundreds of years ago.

In the tradition of the master stonemasons, Ron hand builds his first three masonry heaters (brick and stone) in Paradise Valley, Montana. After forty years, these heater are still in use.

Ron spent three and half years in Maryland, building brick and stone heaters. Ron also spent two years building a $16 million stone house there, a 25,000 sq ft home with approximately 7,000 sq. ft. of stone work and another 7,000 sq. ft of brick work laid by another crew.

On his return from Maryland, Ron rebrands his business to Cornerstone Masonry, LLC. At this juncture, Ron begins to be proactive in developing customers. More and more people are discovering that Montana is great place to live. But they need to stay warm and Ron is the man they call to solve this problem.

NOTE: The cornerstone is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones are set in reference to this stone; thus, it determines the position of the entire structure.

Ron becomes a dealer for Tulikivi, a high quality soapstone masonry heater quarried and manufactured in Finland. Dale Hisler of Tulikivi trains Ron on the installation of his first Tulikivi. Cornerstone Masonry continues to expand adding Jerry Jessen to the team.

As Cornerstone continues to grow, Pihl Bullard is hired as a skilled mason. Today Phil is Crew Foreman and Co-Owner. Aside from being a gifted stone mason, Phil is most proficient with soapstone—whether creating one-of-a-kind soapstone heaters, building sinks, or installing tile and countertops, Phil demonstrates high quality standards. His 30+ years of dedication to WarmStone & Tulikivi heaters makes him one of the most experienced soapstone craftsmen in North America.

Ron was hosted by Tulikivi to travel around Finland and Germany to visit Tulikivi Distributors. In the same year Ron is selected to become a Regional Distributor for Tulikivi in North America.

In the year 1996 Ron installed the first TTU 2700 in North America with a bakeoven for architect, Rann Haight. The TTU 2700 Series is the heavyweight champion of masonry heaters. Weighing in at over 6,000 lbs. (2,700kg) – this popular model was born out of a necessity to include all the features North Americans want for the ultimate masonry heater. It can have a see-through firebox, handle large pieces of firewood, include a bakeoven, benches and be top vented. At WarmStone we have developed dozens of styling features for 2700s to blend with whatever home style you are creating.

By the time many thought the digital world would crash and all would be lost, Cornerstone Masonry had installed over 50 Tulikivi masonry heaters throughout a three state region. The most popular by far was the mighty Tulikivi 2700 Series because of its massive heating capabilities. In addition, it is a beautifully crafted and engineered fireplace.

Ron begins to extend the reach of Tulikivi by advertising in many local and regional publications. Since then, Cornerstone/Warmstone has placed over 230 ads in publications.

With the desire to keep his customers informed and up-to-date with interesting customer stories, fireplace maintenance and bake over recipes, Ron launches a newsletter called “WarmStone”. Seventeen issues were produced over a span of ten years. Many of those articles now reside in this website blog under the resources tab.

Ron launches dba WarmStone Fireplaces and Designs and opens a showroom in downtown Livingston, Montana. The showroom is a showcase for a large variety of Tulikivi fireplaces and and accessories. As well as other soapstone products such as sinks, countertops and tiles. Also offering design services to help clients, architects and builders plan and seamlessly integrate Tulikivi fireplaces into a home’s design. See Services / Design.

In order to fulfill their mission to heat up the entire northwest, WarmStone begins to offer fireplaces in different price ranges. This year began with the Heathstone line of products, offering a variety of “traditional” wood burning stoves. These can be reviewed under the Products / Wood/Gas / Heathstone. There are 21 models to choose from.

WarmStone has expanded its product line now to eleven manufactures. Even though Tulikivi remains our flagship brand, there are fireplaces for every budget, including Hearthstone, Rais, Morso, Hestia, Pacific Energy, Stuv, Forno Bravo, Maine Wood Stoves, RB73 and Kozy Heaters.