A Discovery
Many people ask how this company got started. We still laugh at how it all began. Two brothers, John and Ben Prins, started a small fence and deck business in 1982. By the late 80’s, their company had evolved into a highly successful, multi-million dollar company. It was so successful, schools and communities began inquiring about building playgrounds. These ambitious, courageous (and a bit naive) young men, they said “yes!” It was just as well they did not stop to realize the bold journey they had just undertaken. Their dreams of building a playground company had just begun.

The Second Stage
In 1993, Active Playground Equipment was officially formed.  From this point, the company slowly evolved into a well-structured, mature company. It took time for APE to put their finger on what was missing in the industry, and by the late 90’s things started to emerge.

Simple questions had to be asked.  WHO ARE APE’S CUSTOMERS?  WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS?  WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR THAT THEY CANT FIND ELSEWHERE?  All of these questions were at the heart of a simple discovery.

The answer to the first question was Schools. Active was increasingly servicing the school market, but why? Although larger playground companies serviced the needs of schools and pre-schools, they also tried to service the needs of everyone in the market for a playground. They especially focused on municipalities and cities where taxpayer funded structures were more lucrative and the servicing requirements of customers were less demanding. The “all things to all people” approach appeared to be the norm in the industry.

At a Crossroads
This discovery forced us into a crossroads. did we want to try to continue to be a large, “me-too” playground company that tried to accomodate everyone? Or, did we want to be a smaller company that specialized and focused on a core group of customers? It didn’t take long to make up our minds.

At the Heart of Our Difference
Today, Active is recognized as one of the leading playground providers among schools and pre-schools in it’s market. Small by comparison to some industry giants, our success is attributed to one core difference. We focus everything we do around schools.

Never Anticipated
Surprisingly, value seeking cities and budget strapped municipalities began to look to Active for involvement in their playground planning, bidding, and service needs. they recognized that a company dealing aggressively with schools and pre-schools must deliver true playground value. Therefore, we’re proud to offer our products to parks across the nation when requested.

One Answer, Two Questions
The answer to the second and third quesiton is at the core of Active’s foundational difference. We will continue to lead in developing inspirational, original fund raising ideas and tools to help schools raise the money to purchase playgrounds. After all, what good are the products we make if you can’t find the money to pay for them? We’re proud of what we make, but even more proud of what we make possible.
Yours truly,

Andrew Prins, Team Leader