Landscape Structures

Landscape Structures Inc., founded in 1971 by Barbara and Steve King, is a playground design firm based in Delano, Minnesota.

Landscape Structures
TypeCorporation
IndustryPlayground equipment
GenreManufacturing
FoundedDelano, Minnesota, 1971 (1971)
FounderBarbara King and Steve King
Headquarters
Delano, Minnesota
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Steve King, Chairman
Pat Faust, President
ServicesPark & Playground Design
Number of employees
300
Websiteplaylsi.com

Landscape Structures has designed, manufactured and installed more than 80,000 playgrounds worldwide. They have installations in every state of the US plus Washington, D.C.; globally in Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay.

Originally manufactured of wood, now they primarily utilize steel, aluminium and polyethylene while continuing to develop products using recycled or reclaimed industrial and post-consumer waste.

Innovations
  • First fitness trail system, 1977
  • First enclosed-trolley Track Ride, 1980
  • First in industry PVC coated benches and tables, 1982
  • First transfer system for providing access to play structure for children in wheelchairs, 1993
  • First to use fully enclosed bolt links to replace S-hooks on swings, 1992
  • First segmented multi-directional open slide, 1994
  • First to use sliding footers on slides to allow plastic parts to expand and contract, 1994
  • First U.S. playground equipment manufacturer to achieve ISO 9001 Certification, 1996; Certified to ISO 9001:2000 standard, 2003 and ISO 9001:2008, 2009
  • First U.S. playground equipment manufacturer and seventh company in the state of Minnesota to achieve ISO 14000 Certification for conservation and recycling process, 1998, and the updated 14001:2004 standard, 2005
  • First to use injection molding around steel cables to produce flexible climbing material as part of a system, 1999
  • First to offer Recycled Permalene® panels with 73% post-consumer content, 2010

Awards
  • 1992, Barb and Steve King were named Minnesota's Entrepreneur(s) of the Year by Ernst and Young, Inc. magazine and the law firm of Gray Plant Mooty.[1][2]
  • 1994, Barb King, who served as president, was selected as the Small Business Administration’s “Small Business Person of the Year” for the six-state Midwest region.
  • 2004, was awarded Manufacturing Company of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Manufacturers.
  • 2005, Christian Peterson Award.[3]
  • 2006, Waste Wise Leader.[4]
  • 2007, received Active Workplaces Funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota for its healthy living initiatives.
  • 2007, King Pavilion at Iowa State University's College of Design was named for Barb and Steve King.[5]
  • 2008, MN Work-life Champions.[6]
  • 2008, received the Tekne Green Award for manufacturing environmentally-preferable playgrounds.[7]
  • 2009, High-economic vitality business of the year.[8]
  • 2010, named to Top Workplaces in the Twin Cities metro area by Star Tribune.[9]

Philanthropy

Co-founder Barbara King set up the Säjai Foundation to find solutions for childhood obesity using education and opportunity to encourage wise health and nutrition choices by children and adults in the community.

Notes
  1. "The Hottest Entrepreneurs in America".
  2. "Regional Entrepreneurs of the Year".
  3. "Christian Peterson Award". Archived from the original on 2012-04-03. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  4. "Waste Wise Leader" (PDF).
  5. "King Pavilion". Archived from the original on 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  6. "MN Work-life Champions".
  7. "Green Award" (PDF).
  8. "High Vitality Business of the Year". Archived from the original on 2011-10-22. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  9. "Top Workplaces".
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