After growing up on a farm in Michigan, Cory Schafer missed working with his hands. So after a buddy encouraged him to pursue a career in the fireplace industry, he decided to take a chance.

In 2005 he started working as a subcontractor with Fireside Hearth and Homes. After noticing their supplier lacked the quality they wanted for the chimney products they were using, Cory began his own sheet metal fabrication shop in 2006.

By 2007 Cory began doing the specialty work for Glenco Fireplaces (They are still one of CCS’s largest clients.) It was at this time that he also trained as a CSIA chimney sweep.

In 2010 Cory and a business partner began Carolina Chimney Services and became a full-service one-stop shop for all your fireplace needs. Rock jobs, drywall, painting, full chases, they did it all. Eventually, they also took over all of Glenco Fireplace caps and install work, and only had a small 400 sq ft shop.

In February of 2018, Carolina Chimney Services purchased a 6,000 sq ft building. They began working with sheet metal, primarily making stainless steel chimney caps marketed to chimney professionals.

In 2021 after adding another certified chimney sweep to their team, Carolina Chimney Services opened their full-service chimney work. CCS now has two successful and vital divisions: quality in-home chimney care, and sheet metal specialty fabrication for service professionals.

Cory Schafer is president of the SC Chimney Sweep Guild.