Purchasing any sort of large equipment can be a daunting task, particularly if you have very little experience working with the piece of equipment you’ve been tasked with sourcing. Generally speaking, bleachers tend to fall into this category of equipment that the general public doesn’t have a lot of experience with.
For the majority of us, purchasing something such as bleachers is something that might happen every once and a while (although for some, it becomes an on-going thing). As such, product education is something that becomes very important when making purchasing decisions.
When it comes to bleachers, it is important to get the basics right, hence why we put together this quick reference guide outlining the ideal bleacher purchasing process.
Follow along as we go start-to-finish through every step of the bleacher buying process and hopefully shed some light on the product, the people that build them and how to streamline the process for your organization moving forward.
Choosing a Manufacturer and Installer
This is the most important decision regarding your bleacher purchase. Like everything else on the planet, browsing the internet might have you believe that the options for bleacher seating are endless. While, on the surface, this might seem to be true, it’s important to note that not all bleachers are built the same and not all suppliers are manufacturers.
We’ll go ahead and say it: you should choose a supplier that is a manufacturer.
This not only ensures that you are very likely to get a quality product, but it also can provide some assurances that the company can confidently answer any questions you might have. They’ll also (hopefully) have a lot of experience in the field and can offer the right advice when it comes to your unique situation.
We’ve been building bleachers for the better part of 40 years and we feel like it shows. We not only manufacture the products we sell, we also offer professional installation services. Not only do you get the very best in support when selecting your new bleacher, you can rest assured that if our trained team is on-site to install them, it will be done correctly.
Knowledge of local or national code compliance is also an important factor to help you select the right manufacturer. Where some will sell any bleacher in any situation, we take the time to ensure that all of our bleachers are code compliant as far as national regulations go. We always invite customers to double check on any and all requirements that might be imposed by local governing bodies and municipalities. That said, most tend to comply with the safety code requirements on the national level.
Site Visit
So you’ve found yourself a trustworthy organization to help you with your bleacher seating. This is a great first step. The next step, in many cases, will be a trip directly to your location to assess the site, conditions and available space for the requested seating.
In the case of smaller bleachers, this step is sometimes unnecessary. Placing a bleacher that is 5-rows or under is much easier than placing a large, custom bleacher that will require a lot more detailed measurements.
On that note, this is when any customizable options are traditionally assessed, if not previously addressed during the consultation phase. It’s important to recognize early on in the process if what you are shopping for is something “out of the box” or something that is a little more custom.
A large portion of the bleachers we manufacture and install today are highly customized in nature. That covers everything from custom sizing and heights to custom cut-outs for wheelchair access, along with ramps and platforms for a completely barrier-free seating solution.
An on-site visit helps get us to the next phase, bringing your seating concept to life.
Drafting and Drawing
Once we have all of the measurements, details and customizations for the new seating structure, our engineering team gets to work doing what they do best. In this phase, they will design a 3D version of your new seating structure, including all parts - even the nuts and bolts.
It is here where you are able to see your structure come to life and further visualize it at your site.
Approval and Installation
Once drawings and drafts are approved by the customer, it is then sent to manufacturing to make it a reality.
Your bleacher is then loaded up on a truck and shipped to the intended destination. In some cases clients opt to have their bleachers pre-built at our factory to save time with on-site installation, but again, this is typically reserved for smaller models of bleachers.When it comes to larger structures, all of the final pieces are loaded on a flatbed truck and shipped directly to the site. There our installation team meets the shipment and gets to work getting the site and the structure underway.
The lines of communication should remain open throughout this entire process and we’ll often meet key stakeholders on-site to show off the bleacher in progress.
In Closing
When it’s all said and done, that is really about it. While there are certainly some complexities and questions that come up along the way, the above is set to serve as a general guide as to how the bleacher buying process works.
With our experience designing and installing these seating structures, it’s not hard to imagine why we’ve grown to be one of North America’s trusted bleacher and sports equipment manufacturers. If you’ve got a project that needs to get off the ground, reach out to a member of our award-winning team today.