Warminster BBQ Guru Crowned Best Ribs

It takes a lot of luck and discipline to leave Las Vegas a winner. In the case of Bob Trudnak, his Sin City victory involved a lot of sweat and barbecue sauce.

Trudnak and the rest of his team from the Warminster-based BBQ Guru were crowned first place in the ribs category at the World Food Championships last weekend, according to his company's Facebook post.

The competition judged contestants in seven different categories, including brisket, ribs and pork, plus grand overall champion. Trudnak received $1,500 for finishing first in the ribs category.

Trudnak began competing in the barbecue circuit in 2004 as a fun way to market the products created by the BBQ Guru. The company was spun off from Therm-Omega-Tech, Inc., a manufacturer that supplies temperature control valves to commercial markets such as the railroad industry. It was founded in 1982 by the late Fred Pirkle, a prolific inventor who came up with a way to accurately regulate the heat in a grill.

The BBQ Guru was formed to market the first digital temperature control fans, which can supplement any grill, commercial or private. The device is placed against one of the grill vents, with the desired temperature set on the control panel. If the internal thermometer detects that the coals have cooled down too much, a small fan automatically activates and raises the temperature.