Lifetime Products

Lifetime Products Inc. uses polyethylene blow-molding, metal forming technology, engineering expertise and extensive research and testing to create durable, everyday products for individual and commercial use.

Lifetime claims to be the world’s leading manufacturer of polyethylene tables and chairs and home basketball equipment. It is headquartered in Davis County, Clearfield, UT. Vertically integrated manufacturing facilities also reside in Clearfield, with international facilities in Mexico and mainland China.

Infobox_Company
company_name = Lifetime Products
company_type = Private
foundation = 1986
location_city = flagicon|USA Clearfield, Utah
location_country = USA
key_people = Richard Hendrickson president
num_employees = 2,200 worldwide
products = folding chairs
folding tables
basketball systems
sheds
trailers
homepage = [http://www.lifetime.com/ www.Lifetime.com]

History

In 1972, Lifetime Product’s founder, Barry Mower, set out to make a sturdier basketball pole for his backyard. He purchased a small length of heavy-duty used pipe, a piece of plywood, and a basketball rim, and built his own basketball standard. Seeing the potential in what he had constructed, he placed an ad in the local classifieds and made his first sale.

His backyard business eventually became a modest sporting goods store, and in March 1986, became Lifetime Products, a name inspired by the goal of building durable and lasting products. Shortly after, the research and design staff created the "Quick Adjust" basketball system. The concept of adjustable basketball systems transformed the market, making non-adjustable systems obsolete in mass-merchant chains. Shortly after, Lifetime Products became the second largest manufacturer of residential basketball equipmentFact|date=February 2008.

Lifetime Products was the first to provide a complete basketball system in one packageFact|date=February 2008, allowing retailers to conveniently stock, display and sell basketball equipment. The complete package concept now dominates the marketFact|date=February 2008. After expanding quickly in the first year, Lifetime began to focus on producing more durable basketball rims, and consequently developed a hoop that withstood twice the load of the nearest competitor’s rimFact|date=February 2008.

In the first three years, the company grew to 167 employees and occupied convert|120000|sqft|m2 of manufacturing, office and warehouse space. New equipment including an electrostatic powder-coating operation and a robotic rim welding system were installed to keep up with demand. A metal fabrication department was also formed to constantly update and improve presses and dies.

Lifetime went on to introduce a blow-molded folding picnic table in 1995, a folding banquet table in 1998, a steel reinforced blow-molded outdoor storage building in 2005 and the first of its kind fold-in-half trailer (folding to convert|29|in|mm wide) in January 2007. They continue to develop portable basketball systems, height adjustments, tables, chairs, outdoor storage sheds, outdoor fencing, and utility trailers.

Today, Lifetime has the largest single-point blow-molded plastics facility in North AmericaFact|date=February 2008, occupying convert|2200000|sqft|m2. Lifetime Products is the world’s largest manufacturer of residential basketball equipmentFact|date=February 2008, blow-molded polyethylene tables and chairs, and blow molded sheds. They have also expanded to acquire factories in mainland China and Mexico. Lifetime Products has now grown to over 2,200 employees worldwide, and is still led by its original founder.

ummary

Lifetime Products began as a backyard venture, and grew into a company with over 2,000 employees worldwide. It is still led by its original founder, Barry Mower. Lifetime was founded in 1986 as the maker of portable basketball systems. Shortly thereafter, Lifetime introduced the first mass-marketed adjustable basketball system, which was the first complete basketball system to be packaged in one box. Lifetime has grown to produce tables, chairs, outdoor storage sheds, in-ground basketball systems, and steel utility trailers. Lifetime Products produces the only folding chair to comply with the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (BIFMA) [http://www.bifma.org] which defines durability standards testing of commercial-grade chairsFact|date=February 2008. Lifetime also complies with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and their basketball systems are evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials International.

Geographic Product Distribution

Lifetime products are available in more than 50 countries. In the United States, Lifetime basketball systems are in sporting goods stores such as Sports Authority, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy Sports, MC Sports and Modell’s, as well as discount retailers such as Wal-Mart and K-Mart, and in wholesale clubs such as Sam’s Club, Costco, BJ’s and in regional stores. Lifetime tables and chairs are available at stores including Sam's Club, Costco, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s.

Products Manufactured

Blow-molded Polyethylene Tables & Chairs
*Folding Chair
*Stacking Chair
*Folding Tables
*Fold-in-half Tables
*Round Tables
*Card Tables and personal Tables
*Picnic Tables
*Camp and sport Tables
*Folding work centre

Basketball Systems
*Portable Residential Basketball Systems
*In-ground Residential Basketball Systems
*Bolt-down Residential Basketball Systems
*Adjustable-Height Basketball Systems (portable, in-ground, bolt-down)
*Rim and Backboard Stationary Combinations

Sheds
*8-foot, convert|11|ft|m|sing=on Storage Building
*8-foot, convert|11|ft|m|sing=on Storage Sheds
*Extension Kits and accessories
Trailers
*Fold-up trailer
*Utility trailer

=Lifetime Products' History of Patents [http://www.google.com/patents?q=lifetime+products&btnG=Search+Patents] and Innovations [http://www.lifetime.com/company/intellectualproperty.aspx] =

*1986 - Introduced and patented the first adjustable basketball pole on the market
*1992 - Introduced its line of portable basketball systems
*1992 - Invented and patented the friction weld joint for basketball poles
*1993 - Invented a blow-molded base that is airtight and watertight
*1995 - Invented blow-molded polyethylene tabletops
*1995 - Invented a fully-assembled, folding picnic table
*1996 - Invented the Power Lift, the first one-hand, pneumatic height adjustment mechanism
*1998 - Introduced blow-molded polyethylene folding banquet tables
*2000 - Introduced the first and only folding chair to meet or exceed BIFMA standards
*2001 - Introduced Mammoth Basketball Equipment, its line of professional-quality home basketball systems for aggressive players.
*2004 - Introduced the Shatter Proof Backboard, the first virtually unbreakable backboard made with Makrolon polycarbonate.
*2004 - Introduced a line of officially licensed NCAA tables.
*2005 - Introduced its multi-branded line of revolutionary outdoor storage sheds.
*2005 - Lifetime signs a license agreement with Reebok to manufacture and market Reebok and RBK branded basketball systems
*2006 - Introduced an innovative new line of steel utility trailers
*2007 - Introduced first of its kind fold-in-half trailer.

ee also

*Davis County, UT
*Clearfield, UT
*Blow molding

External links

* [http://www.lifetime.com/ www.Lifetime.com] , corporate website
* [http://www.BuyLifetime.com/ www.BuyLifetime.com] , online sales division
* [http://www.LifetimeMetals.com www.LifetimeMetals.com] , metals division
* [http://www.LifetimeContainers.com www.LifetimeContainers.com] , metal waste containers
* [http://blog.Lifetime.com/lifetime365 Lifetime365] , Corporate Weblog

References

* [http://www.bifma.org BIFMA] , The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association
* [http://www.ansi.org/ American National Standards Institute] official Web site
* [http://www.astm.org ASTM International]