The Soft Play Staff

Soft Play stands head and shoulders above its competitors, thanks in large part to its dedicated and eclectic group of employees, all focused on building the world’s highest quality, safest and most fun commercial playground equipment.

Take for instance Ken Schober, Vice President and General Manager of Soft Play, who has been with the company for 22 years. "Although we are always evolving, we never lose our focus on safety. That hasn't changed," Schober says. "And because our specialty is commercial playgrounds, we also keep our eye on product durability so that customers' operational and maintenance costs are kept to a minimum."

US Sales Manager Doug Dreyer says durability, safety and fun go hand-in-hand at Soft Play. "We build safe, durable equipment," Dreyer says. "And they are fun and cool to youngsters. Kids playing in our playgrounds create a social, creative world that is theirs and theirs alone.  There is something magical about that. Who wouldn't want to work in this environment?"

The company's Design and Engineering staff has a combined experience of more than 40 years in the Contained Play business. From innovative concept development through prototype testing and market introduction, this experienced staff ensures a high quality and safe product that can be trusted. 

Engineering Supervisor Brad Hobday has been with Soft Play for 12 years, and likes the challenge that the industry provides. "There are competing elements that we have to consider," he says. "We want to make sure that our playgrounds are fun for the kids, but we also have to ensure that we are complying with various safety standards."

Members of the Soft Play family have served on ASTM and CPSC boards, an indicator of its focus on child and product safety. Additionally, Soft Play is a member of the ASTM's Soft Contained Play Equipment (SCPE) committee, which helps determine industry safety performance requirements.

After Design and Engineering has developed safe components, they work with the manufacturing division to make sure components are consistently produced following quality standards. Soft Play's manufacturing facility in Monett, MO has achieved ISO 9002 Certification, a testament to rigorous procedures the company imposes to ensure every component and process is error-free. 

Nikolai Ugrinsky, Soft Play's CAD Supervisor, and his staff use the company's library of contained play elements to develop plans to show customers different set-ups to achieve their objectives. "We take safety very seriously but there must be a balance between safety and fun," Ugrinsky says. "Active fun - kids aren't moving anymore. They sit at desks, at computers, in front of TVs. So, it is gratifying that we're doing something to get them physically active, to get them moving again."

Sales Support and Technical Services Manager Win Cook started in 1990 as a contractor, installing Soft Play playgrounds. Today, he is in charge of recruiting and training contractors in proper installation practices.
"We have three groups to make happy: the person writing the check for the playground, the kids who want to have fun on the playground, and parents, who want to make sure the kids are safe," Cook says. "Many of our customers are in the quick serve restaurant business, so they want things fast tracked. We have a great team committed to delivering and installing a safe playground that meets all those needs."

Nineteen-year Soft Play veteran Jim Swintek, now the product manager, began his career as a playground builder. "I got hooked on this business then, seeing kids lined up in anticipation, waiting for the playground to be ready," he says. "There is no better marketing tool than a laughing kid. So, safety is job one. You have to make sure the kids can have fun, safely and keep laughing."