Brochure
In 1995, George Samaras made the move from his homeland of Greece to the United
States. On Thanksgiving Day, George experienced a kamado roasted turkey for the
rst time and was amazed by the delicious avor. He was so impressed, he bought a
kamado for himself and cooked on it regularly. He told his friends and family about it
and began shipping kamados back to Greece. Soon after, George had over 80 people
in Greece requesting a kamado. George asked the manufacturer if he could begin
distribution in Greece, but they declined his request.
Not to be deterred, George began making his own kamado cookers. He was
told by many, including ceramic engineers, that it could not be done. He
persevered and spent a great deal of time developing and testing his
own formula for the refractory material to achieve the right blend.
In 1996, he was ready to sell his rst ceramic grills. His manufacturing
facility was a rented 700 sq. ft. space. Due to size restraints, he could
only make two grills at a time and had to drive across town to re
them in a kiln.
Over the next several years, Primo grills grew in popularity as word
spread about their quality and the fact they were the only ceramic
grill made in the U.S. In 2000, Samaras’ love for improvement and
innovation led to the introduction of the Primo 2000 - a combination gas/
ceramic grill. His idea was to use the superior heat and moisture retention
characteristics of a ceramic grill mixed with the convenience of gas. It was an
unrivaled product never before seen in the industry and over 700 were sold.
George soon discovered that an oval-shaped grill offered greater cooking versatility
and efciency. It forever changed the direction of Primo. The introduction of the
patented oval-shaped grill in 2002 established Primo as a major manufacturer in the
ceramic grill market.
Today, Primo is headquartered in a 92,000 sq. ft. facility in Tucker, Georgia and is
available in more than 38 countries around the world.
THE PRIMO
STORY