Page 3 - Commercial Site Furnishings

Commercial umbrellas made with marine-grade, anti-fade fabric at a tech park in Kingston, Jamaica

Commercial Umbrellas are an absolute necessity for any outdoor dining area these days.

With record high temperatures, today more than ever people need a place where they can take a break from the sun's unrelenting rays.

That's where commercial umbrellas come in.

Even in places like Kingston, Jamaica.

Just ask the folks at the 58HWT Project managed by the Stanley Motta company.

The complex is the largest business process outsourcing and technology park in the English-speaking Caribbean islands.

According to Property Manager Tina Smart, the company needed some umbrellas to keep workers cool at their outdoor picnic tables.

They chose the 7.5 Diameter Steel Umbrellas with the 8-Panel Sunbrella Cover from The Park and Facilities Catalog.

"The users of the site love the seating and umbrellas as they provide much-needed shade from the sun," she said. "We at Stanley Motta are very pleased with the

Aluminum bleachers at the Boy Scout Camp La-No-Che in central Florida

Aluminum Bleachers in 3, 4 or 5-row configurations are the simple solution for spectator seating, no matter how unique the event.

Safe and organized seating is not just something to offer for high school football games.

People attending events of nearly all types are better served with a set or sets of aluminum bleachers as opposed to them bringing their own lawn chairs.

Take the Boy Scouts of America Central Florida Council.

They regularly hold camps and events at Camp La-No-Che in central Florida.

This splendid location covers 1,480 acres of primitive land in the center of the state just south of the beautiful Ocala National Forest.

The huge campground is heavily used by Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, JROTC units and other groups.

There the youngsters participate in district and special events such as the Liger Growl and Superhero Weekend.

The place is perfect for scouts. It has two waterfront areas with docks,

Unique custom-made, commercial bike racks promote the Queen Bee Cafe in the Seattle area

Commercial Bike Racks with a logo is an inexpensive yet highly visible way to reinforce the brand identity of a company.

And for one business, a fantastic way to generate some buzz!

Just look at the Queen Bee Cafes and their unique custom bike racks for example.

The Queen Bee cafes are non-profit restaurants located in the Seattle area and managed by Aegis Senior Communities LLC.

They serve an interesting and fun menu of crumpets, sandwiches, paninis, muffins, and salads.

For drinks, they have a wide variety of coffees, teas, lattes and in some locations, beer, wine, and even mimosas.

Their signature sandwich is actually not a sandwich, but a "crumpwich," a delectable combination of the traditional British bread made with locally sourced (and very fresh) products.

The interior design of the store itself features octagonal shaped tiles. Those tiles create a cool "bee-hive-like" appearance that makes

Outdoor ashtrays can keep the harmful plastic from cigarette filters out of rivers, lakes, and oceans

Outdoor Ashtrays are becoming a necessity to combat the No. 1 source of litter and to prevent it from getting in our waterways.

How many times have you seen a Hollywood movie or TV show where the main actor tries to look cool as he takes a drag on a cigarette?  Then he flicks it off to the side.

Little do the directors of these movies realize they are promoting the No. 1 cause of litter in America - discarded cigarettes.

According to Keep America Beautiful, cigarette butts make up 38% of all litter on roads and 30% of all litter at transitions points.

More Americans, including smokers, are making a conscious effort to put litter in proper trash receptacles.

However, 65% of smokers still flick their used cigarettes to the ground.

This not only causes an unsightly mess on streets and in parks.

But cigarettes are one of the leading items found in storm drains. As everyone knows, water from

Concrete picnic tables offer welcome seating at the new Lafitte Drive-In Park in Abbeville, LA

The City of Abbeville in Louisiana just spruced up their newly opened Lafitte Drive-In Park with five brand-new Concrete Picnic Tables.

The project is reportedly under the direction of Councilman at Large Francis Plaisance and creates an appealing new attraction for picnic-goers.

The rectangular tables are located in an open grassy area, placed nicely under some sizable shade trees next to a large pond.

They call it the "drive-in" park. That's certainly, an interesting name.

The real story behind the unique name is because the park is located on the site of a bit of Americana that has virtually disappeared from the landscape - a drive-in movie theater.

The tie-in between the opening of this park and the theater is significant. Many Abbeville residents said they have fond memories of spending their nights in their cars there and watching a favorite movie.

The drive-in-theater might be gone, but

Assorted dog park equipment - tunnel, table and hurdles at The Gates of Cedar Hill Apartments

Dog Park Equipment is now becoming a hot amenity with multi-family communities as a strategy to keep both their residents and canine-friends happy.

Take The Gates of Cedar Hill Apartments near Dallas in northeast Texas.

This is a beautiful gated community in Cedar Hill that goes beyond what many communities offer by providing their residents with more than just a place to live.

The appealing community also provides a clubhouse, swimming pool, volleyball court, fitness center, business center, on-site laundry facility, controlled access security and carports.

There's more. Nearly half of the US population owns a dog. And that number is growing. According to Statista, in 2000 there were 68 million dogs in the US. In 2017, that number of household hounds grew to 89.7 million.

This is one reason why The Gates also promotes itself as a pet-friendly residence. They make sure to provide amenities for

Vintage photograph of the "Lunch Counter for Bears" once a nightly event featured at Yellowstone National Park. (Photo from National Park Service)

July is National Picnic Month and before you visit your favorite picnic tables in the park you might be interested in one of the strangest picnic rituals ever held in the US - the "Lunch Counter for Bears."

Back in the 1900s, before trash removal was a regular service, many campgrounds would dispose of their trash by feeding it to their hirsute neighbors - bears.

Bears are you may know, are omnivores. That means they can eat pretty much everything. And there was always plenty to eat in the garbage dumps.

These are very smart creatures. Once they find a source of food, they'll store it away in their memory and return for more. That's why the bear dumps were such a popular place for them to hang out.

In fact, at our nation's first national park, Yellowstone National Park, chowing down at the dump grew into quite a nightly event.

A crowd would gather

Adding more Commercial Trash Cans in strategic locations can help make a dent in the litter that floats down into our storm drains.

More and more photographs of trash, especially plastic debris, floating in rivers, bays, and oceans are becoming more prevalent.

All that litter starts somewhere. One key to stopping it is to capture these discarded items in proper trash receptacles, ash urns or recycling bins.

Here are some interesting findings from a study by Keep America Beautiful about the litter in storm drains.

More Commercial Trash Cans means less trash in storm drains Pedestrians create most of the storm drain litter. One might think that people tossing garbage from their cars is the leading source of litter that ends up in storm drains, but according to KAB it's actually pedestrians. They are responsible for an estimated 60% of that litter. This creates a big window for prevention. Provide enough commercial trash cans at key transition points where pedestrians are walking and give

There is a new friendly park bench movement taking place that encourages people to meet and chat

Park Benches have many purposes.

One might be to relax and take in the greenery, fresh air and sunshine.

Another is to socialize with friends or relatives.

The challenge today is that many people don't have someone to talk to. This is especially true for the elderly, handicapped, people with learning disabilities or mental illness.

While we live in an electronic society where people from different parts of their county can meet and converse on a computer, there is a giant void out there in the real world for people to meet in person.

Some people want to change that. There is a new movement popping up to provide "chat" or "friendly" park benches in local towns.

The concept is modeled after the "Buddy Bench" which has soared in popularity at schools over the past few years. That concept basically tells students if they feel lonely or bullied, to walk over and sit on the "Buddy Bench."

The other

Buddy Bench at the Crosspointe Elementary School in Boynton Beach, FL

It's heartening to see how one simple piece of outdoor furniture, a "Buddy Bench," is having such a positive impact on alleviating loneliness and bullying in schools across America.

Crosspointe Elementary School in Boynton Beach, FL is the latest school to add a Buddy Bench supplied by The Park and Facilities Catalog.

"The kids love it," said Courtney Roper, Parent Liaison at Crosspointe, which has 721 students in grades K-5.

She said the bench is very effective because the children know this is the place to go if they feel lonely "without having to verbalize it."

The bench was donated to the school by the Boynton Beach Mental Health Committee with the help of  Brighter Tomorrows. That organization was started to help spread the word about the benefits of "Buddy Benches" and has been involved in helping several schools add them to their locations.

"Through a very large donation from a client of mine, we were able to

Metal picnic tables offer more versatility in terms of design, color, durability and easy maintenance

Advances in the design of Metal Picnic Tables have resulted in many variations that are different than your traditional triangular table designs.

For establishments such as parks, restaurants, malls, coffee shops and businesses, these exciting new configurations of commercial picnic tables are worth exploring.

Here are some metal picnic table options to consider:

Seat backs: Want to make your picnic tables super comfortable for your visitors or customers? How about adding seats with backs?

Take our Metal Picnic Tables with Contoured Seats.

This metal picnic table displays an inviting appearance. For one, the seats are super-simple to get to. There is no frame to step over. The frame that holds the contour seats runs along the ground, allowing easy access.

The seat backs themselves are contoured, with a rolled top edge that is easy on a person's back.

You can order this stylish picnic table

Space-saving wall-mounted bike rack

Wall-mounted bike racks for buildings are unique in that they need to be manufactured with a minimal design to accommodate space constraints.

Square footage is at a premium in apartments buildings, office buildings, hotels, and even parking garages.

When adding indoor bicycle storage, it's smart to use wall space…and go vertical.

Here are some options:

Wall-mounted bike racks take up less space but keep bikes secure

Bike Hook with Loop Lock - This unique commercial bike rack is made with steel with a black powder-coat finish.

The wall-mounted bike rack can easily be installed into a concrete wall, concrete blocks or wood. Use either drop-in anchors, drive-in anchors or lag screws.

Included with the Wall-mounted bike racks is a 48-inch locking cable to keep the bike protected from theft.

The main benefit of the Bike Hook with Loop Lock is space-efficiency.

The piece is only 10 inches deep and 3.5 inches wide. The very small footprint with

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New recycled plastic benches installed on a Madeline Ferry Line boat

You may have noticed that the commercial site furnishings business is seeing a major shift from traditional wooden benches to the use of innovative and environmentally-friendly Recycled Plastic Benches.

This is taking place for a number of reasons.

Here are some of them:

Advancements in Recycling Technology: When manufacturers first started reusing plastic scrap and building products, there were many issues. The plastic sometimes would have a chalky surface. Or, the materials would start to flake and peel. And then there was the issue of durability. Many products made with plastic scrap would not last very long and essentially, deteriorate back into scrap.

That was the old days.

Today, remanufactured products such as recycled plastic benches are phenomenal. Advancements in the manufacturing process using recycled plastic scrap have come a long way. In addition, the manufacturers who tried to get by with inferior mixtures

Commercial park benches are now reaching the market in new contemporary designs, such as this Pasadena Bench

Commercial Park Benches are pushing new boundaries when it comes to innovative designs for outdoor environments.

Now might be a good time for landscape architects, designers and facility managers to take a look at some of the options available to them.

Let's start with design. A park bench doesn't have to look like an old-fashioned park bench. One example of the classic look is the Art Deco World's Fair park bench you might find in Central Park. Those benches display a more traditional Victorian appearance with wooden slats and iron hoop armrests.

Commercial park benches with contemporary designs

Augusta Benc

Try something new. Check out our Augusta Commercial Park Bench (Model No. 398-9000) - this sleek metal bench has a contemporary, triangle design you don't see in traditional park benches. That's what sets it apart.  It comes with options for armrests and backless bench.

Speaking

The Newport Recycled Plastic Bench. This bench will not splinter, crack or fade and comes with a 50-year warranty against rot, decay, and termites

To honor Earth Week this year, The Park and Facilities Catalog is offering sizable discounts on Recycled Plastic Picnic Tables, Recycled Plastic Benches and Recycled Plastic Trash Receptacles. In fact all 289-Series products.

As you may know, Earth Day was established back in April 1970. It is always held on April 22.

The concept behind the event is to show support for protecting the Earth's environment.

The day was founded by US Senator Gaylord Nelson and because of his efforts Congress established the Environmental Protection Agency. Nelson was later honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Complete the loop - Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

One of the ways to protect the planet is to recycle its resources, rather than keep digging up and wasting our current resources.

There's a big opportunity to do this with plastic. Plastic is everywhere.