After $350M in Sales and Retiring at 39, He Built Another Business to Make Cooking Safer: ‘A Guarantee for Success’

As the CMO and sole member of ZLINE Kitchen and Bath’s C-suite, Galen Bradford scaled the appliance brand from $6 million to $350 million in annual sales. 

Image Credit: Induction Hardware. Galen Bradford.

His success at ZLINE, coming after he founded a mobile software company in 2009, then helped several startups scale, inspired him to retire early — before age 40.

At that point, Bradford and his wife embraced the chance to pursue a lifelong goal: moving abroad with their two young children to the idyllic ski town of Chamonix, France. “ We lived the dream,” Bradford tells Entrepreneur. 

However, taking a permanent step back from business was easier said than done. 

“ Retirement is hard to do when you’re 39 and have all this energy left and desire to make the world a better place,” Bradford explains. 

Bringing induction appliances to the U.S.: Induction Hardware

During their year abroad, Bradford and his wife had a lot of exposure to induction cooking, which uses electromagnetism to heat pots and pans directly instead of heating the air or a burner. 

Induction had yet to catch on in the U.S., and with his appliance background, Bradford saw a major opportunity. 

What’s more, after a cooking-related wildfire erupted in the Nevada neighborhood where the couple still owned their home, Bradford was even more motivated to make the safer cooking method mainstream. 

“It turned into our life’s mission,” Bradford says. “We decided to ski later and build another business.” 

Bradford (CEO) teamed up with his co-founders Brian Pick (CFO/CLO), Eric Keller (COO) and Matt Biondi (CCO), all of whom he’d connected with at various points over the years, to start the founder-owned and funded business: Induction Hardware. 

Image Credit: Induction Hardware

Three years later, in 2026, Induction Hardware launched at The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, where its 48-inch professional induction range won in the sustainability category, and is seeing 150% month-over-month growth. 

Currently, Induction Hardware offers its outdoor griddle starting at about $3,000; a variety of indoor appliances, including ranges, cook tops, wall ovens and more; and cookware sets.

Pivoting from an initial product idea for mass market appeal

Bradford initially envisioned a portable grill for outdoor use, similar in size to a Coleman stove, about 20 inches or so. “Developing a product from the ground up is really a bear,” he says. “It’s a unique thing to do.” 

There are a handful of factories in the world responsible for original equipment manufacturing (OEMing) in the appliance industry, and most “product development” is aesthetic, swapping a specific handle or knob, Bradford notes. 

Despite coming up with several prototypes for the portable version, the production costs added up fast — the price to build landed between $800 and $900. 

“We’d have to charge $2,000 or $3,000 for this,” Bradford says. “No one is going to buy a portable grill for $3,000 that looks like a Coleman and is just electric. Even though there’s a ton of benefits, that’s not a mass market product.”  

Although Induction Hardware still has plans to release a comparable product down the line, the co-founders set the original prototype aside. Instead, they focused on a built-in, high-end induction grill to enter the market. 

Image Credit: Induction Hardware

“ Our company is telling the story of induction being a premium product over gas and having it be better in every way,” Bradford says. “Higher performance, safer, nontoxic, sustainable, more energy efficient, longer lasting.”

Solving problems and adding value as a recipe for success

At ZLINE, Bradford’s primary goal was to make the appliance brand a household name — and that’s exactly what he has in mind for Induction Hardware, too. 

Growing ZLINE from $6 million to $350 million in annual sales taught Bradford how to present and price products in the appliance industry, and how to make a product that’s not necessarily “cool” seem exciting.

Bradford’s experience at ZLINE and with his other companies has underscored the value in solving problems. 

“ My wife said something to me a few years ago that really stuck with me,” Bradford says. “She said, ‘You know, money is just a representation of how much value you add to the world.’ And I was like, ‘That’s awesome.’” 

Image Credit: Induction Hardware

With Induction Hardware, Bradford is trying to figure out the big issues his business is uniquely positioned to address.

“ A company with a mission, a company with a purpose, a company that solves problems and adds value to the world, is a guarantee for success,” Bradford says.  “All you have to do is just do it.” 

As long as an entrepreneur starts with a clear “why” behind their business, and has the passion to back it up, there’s no limit to what he or she might achieve, according to Bradford. 

“ I believe that the amount of success that you have in any venture, whether it’s kitchen and bath or anything else, is a direct proportion of how much value you can add to society,” he says.