<PAGE>   1



                                                                    EXHIBIT 24


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


         The undersigned director of Martin Industries, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints William H. Martin, III
and Roderick V. Schlosser, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys of
the undersigned to sign the name of the undersigned as director to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 of said corporation to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and to any and all amendments to said report.

         The undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys full power of
substitution, resubstitution and revocation, all as fully as the undersigned
could do if personally present, hereby ratifying all that said attorneys or
their substitutes may lawfully do by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director of Martin Industries,
Inc. has executed this Power of Attorney this 20th day of March 1998.


                                              /s/  WILLIAM D. BIGGS
                                   -------------------------------------------
                                                   William D. Biggs

<PAGE>   2



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


         The undersigned director of Martin Industries, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints William H. Martin, III
and Roderick V. Schlosser, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys of
the undersigned to sign the name of the undersigned as director to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 of said corporation to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and to any and all amendments to said report.

         The undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys full power of
substitution, resubstitution and revocation, all as fully as the undersigned
could do if personally present, hereby ratifying all that said attorneys or
their substitutes may lawfully do by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director of Martin Industries,
Inc. has executed this Power of Attorney this 22nd day of March 1998.


                                               /s/  JIM D. CAUDLE, SR.
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                                    Jim D. Caudle, Sr.

<PAGE>   3



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


         The undersigned director of Martin Industries, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints William H. Martin, III
and Roderick V. Schlosser, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys of
the undersigned to sign the name of the undersigned as director to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 of said corporation to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and to any and all amendments to said report.

         The undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys full power of
substitution, resubstitution and revocation, all as fully as the undersigned
could do if personally present, hereby ratifying all that said attorneys or
their substitutes may lawfully do by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director of Martin Industries,
Inc. has executed this Power of Attorney this 20th day of March, 1998.


                                              /s/  HERBERT J. DICKSON
                                   -------------------------------------------
                                                   Herbert J. Dickson

<PAGE>   4

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


         The undersigned director of Martin Industries, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints William H. Martin, III
and Roderick V. Schlosser, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys of
the undersigned to sign the name of the undersigned as director to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 of said corporation to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and to any and all amendments to said report.

         The undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys full power of
substitution, resubstitution and revocation, all as fully as the undersigned
could do if personally present, hereby ratifying all that said attorneys or
their substitutes may lawfully do by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director of Martin Industries,
Inc. has executed this Power of Attorney this 20th day of March, 1998.


                                             /s/  BILL G. HUGHEY
                                    ------------------------------------------
                                                  Bill G. Hughey


<PAGE>   5



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


         The undersigned director of Martin Industries, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints William H. Martin, III
and Roderick V. Schlosser, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys of
the undersigned to sign the name of the undersigned as director to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 of said corporation to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and to any and all amendments to said report.

         The undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys full power of
substitution, resubstitution and revocation, all as fully as the undersigned
could do if personally present, hereby ratifying all that said attorneys or
their substitutes may lawfully do by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director of Martin Industries,
Inc. has executed this Power of Attorney this 20th day of March, 1998.


                                               /s/  CHARLES R. MARTIN
                                       ---------------------------------------
                                                    Charles R. Martin

<PAGE>   6



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


         The undersigned director of Martin Industries, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints William H. Martin, III
and Roderick V. Schlosser, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys of
the undersigned to sign the name of the undersigned as director to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 of said corporation to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and to any and all amendments to said report.

         The undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys full power of
substitution, resubstitution and revocation, all as fully as the undersigned
could do if personally present, hereby ratifying all that said attorneys or
their substitutes may lawfully do by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director of Martin Industries,
Inc. has executed this Power of Attorney this 20th day of March, 1998.


                                            /s/ LOUIS J. MARTIN, II
                                   -------------------------------------------
                                                Louis J. Martin, II

<PAGE>   7



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


         The undersigned director of Martin Industries, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints William H. Martin, III
and Roderick V. Schlosser, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys of
the undersigned to sign the name of the undersigned as director to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 of said corporation to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and to any and all amendments to said report.

         The undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys full power of
substitution, resubstitution and revocation, all as fully as the undersigned
could do if personally present, hereby ratifying all that said attorneys or
their substitutes may lawfully do by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director of Martin Industries,
Inc. has executed this Power of Attorney this 20th day of March, 1998.


                                               /S/  JAMES J. TANOUS
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                                    James J. Tanous