From Greenville,S.C. Just bought a MES 30 and I am seasoning it right now. Looking forward to smoking with it. I started smoking meats about 20 years ago on the brinkmann bullets then got a New Braunfel Bandera. It is a side-box vertical smoker around 17 years ago. I was looking at replacing the fire box that had burnt out and I opened up the door to look inside at the racks and it was rusted on the bottom and side next to the fire box. That is when I got to looking for another smoker and found the MES, With the insulated box and I was done looking. I am looking forward to using this smoker for all kinds of things.