New Outdoor Benches Make Campus Stand Out

Steel Benches 

The changeable signboards on RJ Thomas’s durable steel benches and help add unique flair to many college campuses in the University of California System.

It's become increasingly clear that outdoor amenities and landscape design are playing a significant role on college campuses across the country. Across The University of California (UC) system, durable steel benches from R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. offer a changeable sign board that can be used in many different and beneficial ways. UC Facility Manager Floyd Lawson intends to promote campus events and various academic programs. “Our benches are an ideal tool to generate awareness,” he says.

The all-steel bench is powder-coated and thermoplastic-coated in your color choice. Behind the custom sign is a supporting piece of ¾-inch marine grade plywood. The backrest includes a lockable frame to secure your custom signage. Three bench and sign sizes are available — four, six or eight feet long. All signs are 24 inches tall.

Lawson went on to say, “We like the flexibility to change the signage as often as we want, and the backrest can be saved and reused again.”

The backrest sign is a durable .040 gauge aluminum laminate with a ¼-inch polycarbonate core. Any custom graphic will be digitally printed on 3M vinyl material.

R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. makes the Pilot Rock brand of campus, park and streetscape furniture. Made in the U.S. since 1959, their product line includes many designs of campus outdoor amenities including: park benches, picnic tables, bike racks, trash and recycling receptacles, and ADA-compliant wheelchairaccessible products.

www.pilotrock.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • University of Illinois Moves Forward with College Sports’ Largest Digital Scoreboard

    The University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., recently announced a series of upgrades to Gies Memorial Stadium that will include the largest scoreboard in college sports, according to a news release.