George Samaras (past Owner of Primo Ceramic Grills) completed his tour of duty as a pharmacist in the Greek military in 1986. Soon after, he found his love for the sea and began racing sailboats and captaining a yacht for tourist excursions throughout the Greek Islands. On one Thanksgiving Day, George's father-in-law introduced him to a kamado cooker. This is where George realized the amazing flavor and juiciness a ceramic cooker could give any food. He purchased his own and regularly cooked meals for his friends and family. George loved these cookers so much that he would ship them to Greece for friends and family. George quickly saw a niche in the market and decided that he would make his own kamado cookers.

In 1996, George founded and established Primo Ceramic Grills. Samaras chose the name, "Primo" because it means "the best" in Italian. His first manufacturing facility was a 700-square-foot warehouse space he rented. Due to the limited space, he could only make two grills at a time and he had to drive across town to a kiln to have them fired. As his business began to pick up, George continued to strive toward the best possible ceramic grill on the market, while maintaining manufacturing in the United States. George's love for improvement and innovation led him to discover that an oval-shaped grill offered greater cooking versatility and efficiency than a round-shaped grill.

The introduction of the patented oval-shaped grill in 2002 established Primo as a major manufacturer in the ceramic grill market. Today, Primo Ceramic Grills is known well across the industry as the only American-Made ceramic smoker and features the best cooking performance of any kamado-style smoker on the market.