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

  • Michigan District Breaks Ground on Sheridan Road School

    The Lansing School District in Lansing, Mich., recently broke ground on the new Sheridan Road School, according to a district news release. The school will measure 61,525 square feet and serve students in grades 5–8.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • DLR Group Announces New Mid-Atlantic Higher Education Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has promoted Principal Shawn Gaither, AIA, LEED AP, to the role of higher education leader in the Mid-Atlantic, according to a news release. Gaither has served with the firm for more than 20 years, most recently as the national higher education business development leader.