About Us

R.F (Dick) Van Alstein & Packer Brown found Van-Packer Company by developing the first prefabricated “All Fuel” chimney.

Note of interest: An industrial chimney vent was also developed and sold primarily to Army Camps. Sales were considered to be an inconsequential volume, and not taken as a serious contender.

Van Packer was the first in the industry to provide a prefabricated, UL Listed, “All Fuel” chimney for the residential market place.

J.F. Schulz is a member of the Flintkote negotiating team. J.F. Schulz was placed in charge of all functions of Van-Packer Company, with the exception of sales. The Van-Packer Company developed such a great reputation in the industry for quality and service, therefore; Flintkote retained the Van-Packer name without modification.

J.F. Schulz began development of the Van-Packer Model HT refractory lined industrial chimney. Again, working with UL to develop the test procedures.

The MacArthur Company of St. Paul MN, owned by Mr. J.G. Ordway, a major stockholder and director of Minnesota Mining Company. Mr. Ordway recognizes J.F. Schulz had developed all the technology and was a respected, active member in all national committees associated with the technical aspects, codes and standards. Mr. Ordway requests J.F. Schulz’s retention with Van-Packer Company.

J.F. Schulz becomes the President with full responsibility over all functions of Van-Packer Company. Mr. Schulz appoints Paul Hodson as Vice-President and General Manager. Mr. Schulz and Mr. Hodson had worked in the Research and Development Department and together developed the industrial chimney product line. At this point, the only chimney offering by Van-Packer was the industrial chimney product line.

J.F. Schulz organizes a group of investors and purchases Van-Packer from MacArthur Company. Mr. Schulz’s son and daughter come on board.

C.R. Schulz had the vision to see that contractors were migrating away from the heavy refractory lined industrial chimney market. The double wall steel market was beginning to penetrate into refractory sales. The Van-Packer Model DW chimney was developed to compete in the double wall steel chimney market. It was tested and listed at the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in 1987. Shortly after, Van Packers DW, four insulated models were tested and approved by UL. In the early years, the DW product was successfully produced at an off-site location.

J.F. Schulz turns the company over to his two children who had worked under his guidance since the family’s acquisition of the company.

C.R. Schulz moves his vision forward by heavily investing in the Van-Packer brand. The decision to tool up and begin full production of the Model DW product line.

The DW product is tested at Underwriters Laboratories to the UL 1978 listing standard. Van-Packer hires a National Sales Manager to promote all of the Van-Packer products.

The changing marketplace spurs the need for Special Gas Vents for condensing appliances. Van-Packer’s Research and Development Department begins to research and physically test the Model CS chimney for the condensing boiler chimney market.

It is at this point that Van-Packer begins researching, designing, and physically testing various products and construction variations to move forward with testing and passing UL 1978 and UL 2221 Zero Clearance Rectangular Duct. This proves to be a monumental task.

The Model CS product line is introduced into the marketplace and production begins.

The Model GZ is tested at ETL (Intertek) to UL 1978, UL 2221, and ULC S144 standard for testing. The test documentation and listing becomes complete in 2013. This round product is the first Zero Clearance Duct Van-Packer has ever offered.

The single [mono] wall product for special gas vent appliances is tested to the UL 1738 & ULC S636, approved and listed in sizes 4” thru 36” diameters. Simultaneously, the CS product line is also tested to increase the range of approved diameters from 24” I.D. to 36” I.D. In addition, the CSplus products are tested to UL 1738 as well as ULC S636, approved and listed.

Due to field requests the CS, CSplus, and MW products are tested again to expand the product’s inside diameter to 48″. The manifolding of multiple condensing boilers has pushed up the maximum diameter requirements of this type of chimney.

GRZ product line is tested at ETL (Intertek) and approved as the first zero clearance UL 2221 rectangular grease duct. Van-Packer, was first in the market to successfully test and approve that a 6 to 1 height to width ratio. GRZ passed the most stringent testing required by UL 2221 and ULC S662. The GZ product is retested to reduce the wall thickness to 3” thick. The result of this is that the outer diameter is reduced by 2” total.

Van-Packer invests into state of the art equipment to ensure that Van-Packer can keep up with the high demand of grease duct. In addition, this is to provide our customers with the same quality, precision and efficient turnaround times that contractors have become accustomed to from Van-Packer.

The single wall grease duct Models GS (6” thru 48” ID) and GRS are approved at UL under test standards UL 1978 & ULC S662. The GS is pending UL’s final approval to label, coming soon!

We are happy to announce that the SW product is in the approval process at UL for listing under test standard UL 103, UL 2561 & UL 641 (6” thru 48”). SW is also pending UL’s final approval to label and will be available soon!