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

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.