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When it comes to creating a barrier that is safe for players and one that can keep the game contained, solutions vary. From netting to fencing products, there is no shortage of options on the market today that can keep pucks, balls and players inside a pre-determined field of play.

With a rise in organized street hockey tournaments, backyard games and other events, the need for a safe alternative to rigid fence barriers is now more apparent than ever. As parents, organizers and players aim to keep play as safe as possible, many have entered into the foray of custom padding barriers for their facility or event.

When shopping for any type of padding, whether it be for an athletic institution, for use on walls for protection or for tumbling exercises such as gymnastics, you have likely been met with some confusing verbiage.

As each type of padding is filled with a different type of foam, the materials used and the way in which it is constructed can vary widely depending on the intended use of that particular piece of padding.

When reading specifications, the “ingredients” used to describe what they are made of can elicit the feeling of ready obscure ingredients found in some of your favourite foods. For many of us, we are unsure of what exactly they mean, what they are made of and which are good for us.

Two such ingredients found in most of our padding are polyethylene and polyurethane. While somewhat confusing by name, their differences are quite important when selecting padding for your home or facility.  As such, we will break each down below and give a few examples as to which each is best suited for.

When it comes to our custom padding department, most often associate our products with the athletic market. While we undoubtedly specialize in that particular market given the complimentary products we carry and manufacture, the fact remains that our reach goes well beyond that.

With regards to padding, in particular, it has the most far-reaching capabilities among our growing product line. Given our ability to customize each and every order, our padding department services the health industry and has many applications in the industrial environment as well.

As large industrial facilities such as warehouses continue to push the envelope to offer their valued employees a safe work environment, padding has become a natural fit. As additional operators find new ways to keep their employees safe, they often lean on our expertise to get the job done correctly.

The sounds of our local parks and recreational areas are often found by following the joyful shrieks and giggles of happy children. As more municipalities across Canada and the United States continue to allocate funding to these outdoor areas, their popularity is growing in tandem with said investment.

Heading to your local park or playground is the best way to appreciate these types of investments. The design and quality of the equipment found onsite has progressed a great deal from what was being installed just a few short years ago.

Today’s playgrounds and recreational areas are built with safety in mind. Outside of the equipment, however, much attention must be paid to the amenities located around these areas as well. Posts, columns, trash receptacles, planters and other site additions must also be taken into account when assessing the overall safety of the recreational area.

Playing host to its second hosting of the U-18 Baseball World Cup, Thunder Bay, Ontario lived up to the hype and so much more in last month’s tournament. Acting as the governing body for the sports of both baseball and softball, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) was established in 2013 when the International Softball Federation and the International Baseball Federation merged to form one singular regulatory committee.

As such, the newly formed confederation organizes a series of World Cup events held in various locations around the world to test the fortitude of baseball players worldwide. The host city selection process can be an arduous one for applicants as the governing body evaluates every aspect of the host city’s application.

Looking west to the beautiful state of California, one of our most recent projects took place to the campus of Columbia College located in the heart of the state’s “Gold Country.”

Named after the miners from Sonora, Mexico who originally settled the city, Sonora maintains its historic charm while modernizing itself with museums, art galleries and a number of theatres. Located a mere 75 miles from Yosemite National Park, Sonora is also an outdoor recreationist’s dream. With access to hundreds of resorts, campground, lakes and National Parks, Sonora provides residents and visitors alike with ample opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.

Heading indoors, we were contacted by the instructional support technician at Sonora’s Columbia College who was looking for a padding solution to cover the entire gymnasium at the growing college. Kicking off a project that would end up being one year in the making, our team worked closely with key stakeholders at the college to ensure a smooth and efficient experience.

Heading back down to the United States, our team was recently involved in a project with the Oakland Board of Schools in New Jersey and with our partners at Tri-State Folding Partitions.

Having done business with the Oakland School district for many years, Tri-State has helped a number of schools in the area with annual preventative maintenance on all their equipment, including partitions, bleachers, basketball backstops, and climbing walls.

In addition to the maintenance, their team has also proudly installed a variety of new equipment including basketball hoops, fold-up divider nets, partitions, and wall pads.

On this particular project, the team at Tri-State worked closely with the Principal and head custodian of Manito Elementary School. As part of the Oakland School District in New Jersey, the school serves approximately 350 students in the close-knit community.  Constructed in 1961, the school has only seen three principals tenured in the institution’s front office since its inception, a credit to school’s long-standing commitment to student-focused education.

With the development of what is known as the Cross-Ice Hockey; a program recently initiated across both Canada and the United States by their governing hockey bodies, our research and development and design teams have been busy coming up with the best solution to making this program become implemented on a large scale.

What began as a pilot project, Cross-Ice Hockey was instituted and geared toward novice-aged players across North America. Requiring that the ice surface be divided in half,  this allows younger players the time needed to properly develop their skills as well as effectively utilizing available ice space in local arenas.

What they have found so far is that the program keeps younger players in a constant state of involvement in the game and hence, develops better camaraderie among players and enhances on-ice skills.

The strength forged between our organization and those involved in our extensive dealer network is formidable. Selecting from the very best organizations around the world, we have the ability to form partnerships with key industry representatives and pass the benefits along to our growing customer base.

As such, we proudly share our internal leads garnered through our extensive offline and online properties with those selected for our dealer program and one of our recent projects is the perfect example of that synergy at work.

One of our more popular products is our suite of custom wall padding solutions. These solutions range from completely padded rooms and gymnasiums to small padded areas strategically placed in high-impact zones such as beneath basketball goals.

While simple in theory, depending on the intended use of these padding solutions, they can become quite complex and customized. With doorways, corners, electrical outlets and switches all adorning wall surfaces in most buildings, each padding job entails certain nuanced design elements.