Corporate Responsibility
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Growing Sustainable Communities
Sustainability has always been an important part of our In 1998, we became the first commercial playground equipment manufacturer in North America to be ISO 14001 certified for environmental stewardship. culture, even before there was a word for it.
Today our mission of enhancing the lives of children through play while honoring the environment is more critical than ever as we address issues of environmental protection and childhood obesity that affect nearly every single community. We are committed to working side by side with you to foster healthier kids and families, a cleaner planet and vibrant, sustainable communities for the future.
Sustainable Products
Every Landscape Structures employee is committed to producing the highest-quality, most environmentally preferable products available, like our patented Evos® and Weevos® play systems and our recycled Permalene® panels. The result: longer-lasting, sustainable products that are built to last for generations to come.
Our kaizen process also allows us to produce the industry's highest-quality playground products with the least amount of waste. And that's good for everyone.
Sustainable Process
We began putting formal environmental processes in place more than 20 years ago, and continue them to this day while manufacturing sustainable playgrounds. Landscape Structures received the Tekne Green Award in 2008 for our commitment to sustainability, and we’ve been recognized as a Minnesota Waste Wise Leader for our outstanding waste reduction and recycling efforts.
Learn about our processes, people and products, and how they represent our commitment.
Sustainable People
Barb and Steve King have pushed the company toward sustainable manufacturing practices since we first opened our doors in 1971. The company is now known for the manufacturing of environmentally sustainable playgrounds and using sustainable manufacturing processes, to keep their company and the local community environmentally friendly.
All 400 employees—almost 100 of which have been here for more than 15 years—are employee owners. And we’re constantly working to improve and expand our company's sustainable manufacturing practices and programs.
Partners Working Together
We’re proud to partner with several sustainability organizations, working toward a common goal of honoring the environment. We support their organizations and initiatives because we believe in what they’re doing for the health and well-being of the earth.
Community Outreach
In order to build the healthy communities we want for our employees, clients and the children that use our playground equipment, we work closely with local neighborhoods, partners and organizations across the world to give back, such as Kids Around the World, a nonprofit organization that reuses our equipment for children who are victims of poverty, injustice, natural disasters and war. Learn more about our corporate responsibility efforts including local community outreach, global outreach and employee well-being.
Local Community Outreach
Our employees take our mission of enhancing children’s lives to heart! And one way we do that is by working closely with our local schools and community to promote healthy living. Whether it’s helping students and community members grow their own gardens, teaching kids the benefits of composting, sponsoring programs to encourage early education or participating in our local Adopt-a-Trail program, we embrace programs that benefit the health and well-being of children and their families.
Playground products shown in video may not be appropriate for every age group. Playsystems shown in video are for demonstration purposes only. Product configurations may vary.
Video features Landscape Structures celebrating the 2013 Green Apple Day of Service with their local Delano Elementary School.
[video: fade in the front of the Delano Elementary school entrance. Camera zooms in on the letter above the door entrance reading: Delano Elementary.]
[video: camera shoots up to a banner hung on the school lobby with a crouched Bengal tiger on the right side and the Minnesota School of Excellence logo with two children silhouettes holding up an apple with the Minnesota state shape in white behind them. The banner reads: Minnesota School of Excellence Award, “Leading the Way”, Delano Elementary School.]
[video: close-up view of a student made paper-mache tigers face art piece on the top of a book case in the school library. Camera pans across a class of children surround a table with a large banner laid out. Camera comes into focus on the children surrounding one of the corners of the table as they look down at the banner. Camera switches to a teacher as she talks to the class about composting.]
Teacher: Garden, you guys have a garden. So, the compost can go into your garden. Vegetables.
[video: camera views down to the end of the table while children listen to the teacher talk about the banner on the table.]
Teacher: Your signing in this green area here.
[video: camera goes in and out of focus while children choose their spots to sign on the banner. Camera switches to Corey Lahr as he speaks to the camera. A green banner with a lighter green apple silhouette slides in from the left corner of the screen with white text reading: Assistant Principal Delano Elementary.]
Corey: My name’s Corey Lahr I’m the assistant principal here at Delano Elementary.
Corey voiceover: Today we have Landscape Structures here promoting Green Apple Service Day and they’re also promoting composting.
[video: A woman unpacks a box of prepackaged green bags out onto a long table in the middle of a hallway. The camera zooms in on the woman’s hands as she places a cluster of bags onto the table. Top down view into a cardboard box packed with the green bags. The bags are printed with a white Landscape Structures logo with text below reading: Green Apple Day of Service, how will you take part?]
[video: camera pans across the large banner laid out on the table the class of children signed their name on. The banner has several images describing the process of how compost works in a garden. Christa Hague’s voice begins to speak.]
Christa voiceover: Good morning I am Christa Haeg and I at Delano Elementary today with a few other people from Landscape Structures to celebrate the 2013 Green Apple Day of Service. Today when your teacher brings you to the front hallway every student can sign their name on a large banner that shows the compost cycle. After you sign the banner you can pick up a gift inside a green lunch bag that includes an apple, pencil, temporary tattoo, and card with facts about how green Delano Elementary is.
[video: back view of a class of children as they listen to a teacher while they stand by the table with the compost banner. Camera comes into focus on a teacher and the school principal as they look down at the compost banner on the table. Camera comes into focus on a young woman wearing a red Landscape Structures t-shirt and back pack as she waves briefly at the camera. Camera switches to a view of the teacher as she talks to her class standing around a table. A class of children are ushered into to school lobby where the table with the compost banner has been set up. The teacher gestures to the children to find a spot to stand around the table. Scene switch to a view of the back of two boy’s heads as they stand at the table with their classmates. Camera pans up from the banner while children sign their names with black markers. Camera comes into focus with a view over the tops of children standing all around the table. Top down view of three girls as they sign their names on the banner. Camera comes into focus on a boy’s hands as he finishes writing his name “Jack” on the banner. Camera goes in and out of focus and a teacher hands out the green lunch bags to her class. Top down view of a teacher’s hands as she opens and takes an apple out of the green lunch bag resenting it to the camera. Top down view into the green lunch bag where a pencil leans on the top of an apple. Camera comes into focus on a teacher’s hand as they hold up the temporary tattoo inside the lunch bag given to the children. The tattoo has four arrows spinning in a circle color green and blue with a heart design like a globe. Camera comes into focus on a teacher’s hands as they hold up and point to a small flyer with green facts about Delano Elementary. Fade to black, fade in to next scene.]
Christa voiceover: Also, today a few Landscape Structures employees will be helping presort your lunch trays before you dump them. And finally, next week Landscape Structures will build and donate three more raised bed gardens to add to your current gardens. We are really excited to be with you here today and celebrate the Green Apple Day of Service.
[video: Two Landscape Structures employees stand behind several trash and recycling cans for children to separate they left over lunch scraps into. Camera pulls back for a full view of a line of children waiting to empty their trays into the compost bins. Camera switches to behind the bins facing the children as they walk up to empty their trays. Close-up of the tray drop off window as children stack their empty trays. Scene switch to view of three raised garden beds with growing plans. Camera angle switches to a side view of the three garden beds. Camera goes in and out of focus of a close-up of one of the garden plants as it blows in the wind. Camera does a close-up pan of one of the garden plants with small white flowers. Side view of the farthest garden bed as the camera pans and comes into focus on the middle garden bed plants. Scene switches to back inside the school where a teacher address her class standing at the table with the compost banner. Camera pans across three girls as they hold up their green bags and apple for the camera. Scene switches to Christa as she finishes reading her script and looks up to the camera and smirks. Fade to black.]
[video: fade in to a view of a line of children holding library books as they walk through a doorway towards the camera. Camera comes into focus as a crowd of children walk in all directions through the hall. View of a large class of children as they stand around the table with the compost banner. Camera angle switches to the far corner of the table where the children listen to their teacher explain the compost cycle. Another class of children quietly walk through the lobby to another hallway while the teacher speaks.]
Teacher: There’s a truck that comes and picks up all the compost, they take it to the truck and they haul it to a place where they put it in big piles.
[video: camera pans and zooms in on the children as they listen to their teacher. Close-up of two girls as they sign their names on the compost banner. A boy leans on the table watching them sign their names. Camera comes into focus on a girl as she signs her name on the banner.]
[video: camera comes into focus on a woman as she hands a boy his green lunch bag. Children stand all around the hallway looking onto their bags. Scene switch to Jennifer Verhey as she speaks to the camera in the school library. A green banner with a lighter green apple silhouette slides in from the right corner of the screen with white text reading: Jennah Verhey Media Specialist Delano Elementary.]
Jennah: My name is Jennah Verhey and I’m the media specialist at Delano Elementary.
Jennah voiceover: And this week we focused on composting in our library and I read with my classes some composting books especially composting stew.
[video: back view of children sitting in a group while Jennah sits in front of them holding up a book. Camera zooms in on the backs of the children’s heads as they look and listen to Jennah. Camera zooms in on Jennah as she talks to the class of children in front of her while she holds up a book titled “Compost Stew”. Side view of Jennah as she holds open the book for the class to see while she reads. Camera view just over the tops of the children’s heads of Jennah as she sits and listens to a child’s question. A young boy waits with his hand raised to be called on. Front view of the class as they look up at Jennah.]
Jennah: Aaden what are you putting in your compost stew?
[video: view of the backs of the children as Aaden responds to Jennah’s question. Camera pans to Aaden as he answers and looks at his friend next to him and smiles.]
Aaden: Uh, hamburgers and peanut butter.
Jennah voiceover: We did some composting activities where we put different ingredients into our composting stew.
[video: camera pans down the edge of a table where children sit and color what they want in their composting stew. Top down view over the shoulder of a young girl as she colors a brown oval on a piece of paper. Scene switch to a top down view of a young boy wearing a t-shirt the number twenty-two on it. He tells the camera what he has in his compost stew.]
Boy: I have worms and grass clippings.
[video: scene switch to another boy as he holds his paper up for the camera to see his drawing of compost stew. A young boy wearing a paper crown reading “Aidan” indistinctly mumbles what is in his compost stew. A young girl wearing a paper crown reading ”Addison” shows and tells the camera about her compost stew drawing.]
Addison: A lady bug, a worm.
[video: a boy and girl stand in front of the camera hold up their compost drawings and explaining their contents.]
Boy: I got a worm.
[video: close-up of a boy’s face as he looks down indistinctly mumbles about his drawing. Camera pans down to his drawing as he points to the different things in his stew. The young boy holds up his drawing and smiles for the camera. Camera back to the boy and girl as they mumble what is in their compost stew drawings. Camera zooms in on the girls face as she holds out her drawing and explains it. She holds her drawing in front of her and smiles. A young girl named Nora explains her compost stew.]
Nora: I put paper, worms, banana peel, apple core, seaweed, and a lady bug.
[video: Nora finishes talking about her paper waves and walks away from the camera. Scene switch to Sheri as she speaks to the camera in the school library. A green banner with a lighter green apple silhouette slides in from the right corner of the screen with white text reading: Sheri Brezinka Executive Director at USGBC Minnesota Chapter.]
Sheri: Hi I’m Sheri Brezinka, I’m the executive director for the US Green Building Council here in Minnesota.
Sheri voiceover: And I’m here in Delano Elementary School today as part of our compost to comprehension program.
[video: camera pans across a group of children as they stand around the table with the compost banner. A young boy in the crowd turns and waves to the camera. Camera pulls back for a full view of the children as the all surround the table. Camera zooms in the large class surrounding the table as they listen to a teacher speak. Four children lean on the table looking at the banner. Two girls on the other side of the table lean and look at the banner. Camera switches to different children as they look at the banner and listen to their teacher.
Sheri voiceover: And we’re really excited to focus on composting for kids. Our partner our community partner Target is donating five hundred dollars to each school to enhance their library and so that they can purchase environmentally focused books so, thank you Target.
[video: Sheri stands next to Jennah as she hands her a check in the school library. Camera zooms in on Sheri’s hands as she hands Jennah the check. Camera comes into focus as Jennah holds up the check. Camera comes into focus on a teacher’s hands as she hands out small cards to each child. Camera pulls back to show children running up to take the small cards from the teachers and volunteers. Camera pans Across to Landscape Structures employees as they hand out cards and the green lunch bags to students. Camera switches back to Sheri as she thanks Target, she giggles and smiles with excitement.]
[video: a group of boys inspect their bags in the school hallway. A woman’s hand reaches into the frame to hand a boy a green lunch bag. Camera comes into focus on a girl’s face as she thanks the volunteer for her bag. The volunteer says “You’re welcome” as they continue to hand out bags to more children. Camera close-up of a girl’s hands as she grabs a green lunch bag and walks away. Close-up of the back of a red t-shirt with the Landscape Structures logo and text below reading: Minnesota-Made Playgrounds.]
[video: camera zooms out from three woman as the smiles and pose for the camera. Camera focuses on a poster in a school display with images of compost with the words: We Compost! Different color squares with different words correlating to the picture next to them read: Sort, haul, compost, grow, eat.]
[video: a young girl reaches down into her green lunch bag and pulls out an apple. She continues to look into her bag as she holds out the apple for the camera. Fade to black, white text appears in the middle of the screen reading: Better playgrounds, better world. The text fades away and the Landscape Structures logo appears in the middle of the screen.]
Global Outreach
Not only are we focused on our local community, but we want to encourage healthy living around the globe. We collaborate with partner organizations like the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and Kiwanis International to build playgrounds with member volunteers. Even more, we’ve hosted contests to help deserving community groups and schools bring inclusive playgrounds to their communities.
Employee Well-Being
We know that when our employees feel their best, they perform their best. That’s why we’ve created a well-being program that focuses on these important parts of life: physical and mental health, health care, career growth and development, personal safety and financial well-being. We also encourage active lifestyles by supporting corporate-sponsored organized sports and recreation teams. The results are happy employees who continue to produce the best commercial playground equipment in the world.