Chris Wolf, PlayMax Surfacing, Inc.
My background in the safety surfacing industry goes back to the fall of 2000. Well, actually 1988 if you want to count early involvement with playground tile. By the end of 2003, I was General Manager of one of the major play surfacing companies in our industry, which I ran into 2013. Prior to that, I had extensive experience in the commercial rubber roofing, materials and construction industries going back to 1980. This experience helped land many rooftop playgrounds as well, as I could approach a project from both a roofing and a playground surfacing standpoint.
With over a decade’s worth of parks and playgrounds under my belt, plus the hundreds of commercial roofing systems I was involved with, and time spent as a Planning Commissioner reviewing city development issues here in Southern California, I decided to take it to the next level and investigate the development of an innovative and state of the art, high quality and fun playground surfacing company.
A get together with old friends over tacos and Margaritas made me soon realize I was not alone. It soon became clear that there was a lot of good we could bring to the business, new systems, new challenges, and service to an industry that we have devoted our careers to and love. All for the benefit and safety of children. PlayMax was launched to do just that.
We also enjoy the faith and friendship of people involved in the recreation and construction business, who know us, and who we have had the pleasure to have worked with over the past two decades, a few of you into the 1980's. Those of you know who you are, and we thank you for your continued input and support, which is of great value to us.
We endeavor to improve this industry with innovative new systems, technology, and quality installation. To those of you who know me, and who have worked with our team members over the years, and to our new friends, our dedication to quality will always be at the forefront of what we do.
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The story of the American safety surfacing scene traces roots to the 1940’s. Back then there were no real standards for playground surfacing, but this slowly changed into the regulated industry we have today. Increased safety standards and ADA compliance made companies like PlayMax possible. Over time, many companies have spun out of these humble roots, and now comprise an entire industry focused on child safety. PlayMax has some of the most tenured people from this industry, with sales and technical experts with experience going back into the 1980's. Today, poured-in-place surfacing is the favorite of most owners due to low maintenance and the great architectural fit with most parks and playgrounds.