Chuck Bergfeld, a.k.a. the Godfather of Playgrounds, knows playgrounds from the ground (safely surfaced, of course) up to the tallest turrets of the playsets. After initially focusing on commercial playgrounds, he expanded to back yards.
How did you get started in the residential market? In August 1984, a guy drove into our place with one of the new wooden swingsets and asked if he could unload it for the weekend. People went crazy for it. The phone rang nonstop all week. By the fall, one manufacturer after another called me to represent them. We set up at the St. Louis Home Builders Show and installed three more wooden swingsets for display on our lot. The next day, customers and kids were playing everywhere. I wrote orders until 7 o’clock that night. We were off to the races.
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What changes have you seen in playground equipment over the years? Accessible design. One of our latest commercial projects is the playground at the new Shriners Hospitals for Children–St. Louis. The entire structure is ramped, and it has pull-in spaces for wheelchair access, swings that work for all abilities, and safer slides. There are also safer trampolines now, and playset platforms are often transformed into pirate ships, forts, spaceships, and princess castles. One new thing I’ve seen—we don’t have it yet—is a swing that allows a parent and an infant to swing together.
You’ve been in business for 55 years. What’s your secret? We spend time with people to find what they need, and we encourage families to have fun on our equipment. We talk, they think about it—then we write the order.
Where to Buy Playground Equipment
- Bergfeld Recreation, 14100 Manchester, 636-394-4445.
- DreamPlay Recreation, 17373 Edison, 636-530-0055.
- SportsPlay, 5642 Natural Bridge, 800-727-8180.
