History of the Sun Oven from 1986 through 2025

Sun Ovens were initially developed in 1986 by Tom Burns, a retired restauranteur from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who was very active with Rotary International. From his experience in operating restaurants, he knew a great deal about cooking and from his international travel he became aware of the ever-growing problem of deforestation.

1986 - 1997 Tom Burns Era of the Sun Oven

Tom took a concept that had existed for centuries and incorporated modern materials and design principles to create one of the world's most effective solar cooking devices. Drawing on solar-cooking principles and research that included work performed at Sandia National Laboratories, Burns refined the design that became the Sun Oven.

From 1986 to 1997, Sun Ovens were made and marketed by Burns Milwaukee, Inc. Thousands of portable models were shipped to more than 126 countries around the globe. Sun Ovens helped feed refugees in relocation camps, natives in remote Third World villages, workers at field sites, climbers on the slopes of Mount Everest, and soldiers during the first Persian Gulf War.

1997 - 2019 Paul Munsen and Sun Ovens International, Inc.

In 1997, Paul Munsen became involved with the company as Tom Burns prepared for retirement. When Burns retired in 1998, leadership transitioned to Munsen.

In an interview with Paul, conducted by the American Solar Energy Society, Paul said:

"When I learned how many children around the world died each year due to lung disease from cooking-fire smoke, I knew I had to get involved. To me it seemed like the perfect job to help people in the U.S. discover new, fun, and healthy ways to cook while making a difference in the lives of women and children, and all while helping the environment. So in 1998 when Tom retired, I stepped in."

In 1998, SUN OVENS International, Inc. (SOI) was formed. Manufacturing moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Elburn, Illinois, and Tom Burns officially retired from the business. SOI continued to expand Tom’s vision by licensing entrepreneurs in several developing countries to make and market Global Sun Ovens, while helping families in the U.S. discover the many benefits of cooking with the power of the sun.

SOI also manufactured large solar powered cooking ovens called Villager Sun Ovens. These ovens were designed for large-scale feeding situations that required cooking great volumes of food, and could bake, boil or steam food. Up to 1,200 meals per day could be cooked and/or hundreds of loaves of bread baked each day in a Villager Sun Oven.

Villager Sun Oven demonstrated by Paul Munsen

SOI had developed a program to assist orphanages around the world to harness the sun to become more self-sufficient. Villager Sun Ovens were utilized in orphanages in three ways:

To cook food for the children without the expense of purchasing charcoal.
To bake bread between cooking for meals; the loaves can be sold to generate income for the orphanage.
To teach the children a usable job skill of making bread, which helps them earn a living when they reach adulthood and leave the orphanage.

SOI had also developed Sun Bakery programs to provide fresh baked goods while creating jobs and helping to curb deforestation. Over 250 Villager Sun Ovens were exported.

In 2013 SOI introduced the All-American Sun Oven and after 27 years of great success discontinued the sales of Global Sun Ovens in the U.S. Cooking in both ovens was the same, but the All-American Sun Oven was more user friendly.

Poverty Dignified Era (2019 – about 2022)

Based on the information that was publicly released at the time, Sun Ovens International underwent a significant ownership transition in July 2019.

On July 9, 2019, the company was acquired by Poverty Dignified, Inc., a publicly traded company focused on developing indigenous micro-businesses in emerging economies. The acquisition was presented as a natural extension of Sun Oven's long-standing mission of using solar cooking technology to improve lives in developing nations. According to the announcement, the new ownership intended to expand both the domestic consumer market and the company's humanitarian efforts abroad.

As part of the transition, founder and longtime CEO Paul Munsen stepped away from day-to-day leadership but remained involved in an advisory and mission-support role. Leadership of the company was assumed by Forrest Garvin, who had been involved with Poverty Dignified and expressed plans to build upon Sun Oven's reputation for American-made solar cooking products. The company emphasized that production would remain in the United States and that its core products would continue to be sold through the Sun Oven brand.

The acquisition marked a shift from a founder-led company to one operating within a larger social-enterprise framework.

While the Sun Oven product line remained largely unchanged, the new owners focused heavily on the technology's potential to support entrepreneurship and food production initiatives in developing regions. The transition represented the end of the Munsen era after more than two decades of leadership, while positioning Sun Ovens International as part of a broader effort to promote self-sustaining economic development through solar-powered cooking and baking solutions.

The Uncertain Years (2022-Present)

While the 2019 acquisition is fairly well documented, the subsequent ownership and corporate changes after Forrest Garvin's tenure are much less clear in public records.

By approximately 2022, Forrest Garvin was no longer publicly associated with the company. Communications from that period indicate that George Critz had assumed a leadership role within Sun Ovens International, although details of the transition were never publicly announced.

Sun Ovens International continued to manufacture and sell Sun Ovens, as well as produce and distribute the Villager Sun Oven, until early-to-mid 2025.

By early-to-mid 2025, Sun Ovens International had ceased active sales operations and its website (for the portable ovens) went offline. The Villager Sun Oven website remains active.

While no formal public statement fully explained the pause in operations, conversations within the solar cooking community and with individuals familiar with the company suggest that a combination of rising manufacturing costs, limited market size, and changing consumer demand likely contributed to the shutdown. According to statements made by company leadership, the cessation of operations was described as temporary while the company undergoes restructuring.

There has not been a detailed public statement explaining exactly why operations were paused. Based on public information, community discussion, and conversations with individuals familiar with the company, several factors may have contributed: