Going Green With Burke: We're Giving It 100%!
A few years ago, we started to purchase clean energy to power our factory in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Starting with purchasing 12% of our energy consumption through wind and other renewables. Earlier this year we increased it by 20%.
Through the Alliant Energy Second Nature™ Program, we purchase 20% of our energy from wind and other renewable sources. For more information visit www.alliantenergy.com/secondnature.
Now, we are very excited to announce that we are now able to obtain 100% of our electricity from renewable sources, positioning Burke as a leader within the playground industry!
Stay tuned for more details on this exciting new development!
We’ve also partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partnership Program. Through this partnership, we meet specific goals for green energy use and report to the EPA on our usage each year.
When it comes to keeping our operations green, more than just energy has to be considered. That’s why we also have high standards for the use of recycled content for everything from the steel used in our playground equipment to the paper we print our catalogs on. We also recycle materials that we use and have invested in energy-efficient lighting to cut our energy consumption by 16 percent.
Learn even more about BCI Burke’s commitment to a sustainable future by visiting www.bciburke.com/green.
2011 Year In Review
By Tim Ahern
IIt's hard to fathom that 2011 has come and is almost gone. At BCI Burke, it seems like only yesterday that we just turned the calendar into this year, and here we are, doing it again into 2012. The past year has certainly been a busy one for us here at Burke, with new product announcements, new partnerships and the addition of new representatives.
What motivates us to continually improve all areas of our business, is that the commitment to our customers is as intense as it was back when Burke began in 1920. Our Reinventing Play™ philosophy means that we still thrive on building the best quality playground equipment, providing exceptional personal service and promoting safe play for kids. We still use their imagination as inspiration to create phenomenal play spaces that our kids will play on for generations. And we still back it with a warranty that stands alone in our industry—the Burke Generations Warranty™.
Some highlights of our year at Burke include:
- We launched exciting new products including the innovative RockItTM Climbing System, Alpine Climber, Step 'N' Scoot Plus and Kiddy Korral Plus Early Play Centers and, expanded swing options, rockers and interactive play panels
- We partnered with School Specialty, a national education company that provides innovative products, programs, and services to help schools and educators engage and inspire students of all ages and abilities
- We engaged a new GSA representative to strengthen our collaboration with the government markets
- We strengthened our Going Green with Burke initiative by boosting our electricity use from wind and other renewable sources to 100%. Now that is green!
- We joined forces with new representative firms that match our passion for play:
- MFF Group-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Site Horizons-Florida
- Snider & Associates- Indiana, Michigan, Ohio
- Sun Country Systems- California, Arizona & Hawaii
- Wayne Davis Playgrounds-Arkansas
As 2011 comes to a close, we look forward to 2012, and the fact that as we continue to do business the Burke way, through a continued tough economy, we are as strong as ever. The easy part for us is that we will continue to provide high-quality Burke Built playgrounds backed with epic customer service for a long, long time. And, the kids we build playgrounds for will fuel us with the enthusiasm to reinvent play every day.
Thank you for your business and entrusting your kid’s play to Burke!
Over 20 New Products Released in 2011.
We can't wait to show you what's coming for 2012!
2011 has seen a whirlwind of new product announcements at Burke. Some of the product highlights this year have included:
• All new RockIt™ climbing system
• Single Post Adaptive Swing Bay and Seat
• Step ‘N’ Scoot Plus and Kiddy Korral Plus
• A brand new line of HealthQuest Fitness stations
• Two-seat, four-seat and standing Rockers
• Interactive Play Panels
• Alpine Climber
• The Comet playground spinner
…and more! Check them out at www.bciburke.com/newproducts.
The innovation at Burke will keep going full speed as we head into 2012. Stay tuned to see some fantastic new products in the coming year!
Quality Products and Great Service Make the Difference for Virginia Playground Services
With a combined 30 years of experience in the playground business, Virginia Playground Services, Burke representative for the state of Virginia, has a deep understanding of what their customers need. Owner Bob Charles is a former parks and recreation director himself and has also previously served as a consultant for the Virginia State Parks.
Serving such a diverse state with both rural areas and dense, urban centers has made for “some interesting playground sales,” according to Charles.
After representing another manufacturer and being disappointed, Charles chose to work with Burke because “Customer service and quality products was what I was looking for and that is what Burke has provided” and that is not the case with every playground manufacturer.
Charles’ customers are especially excited about unique Burke motion-oriented play events like the Energy Orbiter and KidForce Spinner. Charles says the employees at Burke are “Good people to work with – always friendly and helpful.”
Virginia Playground Services is headquartered in Ashland and can be contacted at www.vaplaygrounds.com.
BCI Burke and the US Play Coalition
BCI Burke is a proud sponsor of the The US Play Coalition which is a partnership to promote the value of play throughout life. It is made up of individuals and organizations that recognize play as a valuable and necessary part of a healthy and productive life.
For more information about The US Play Coalition please visit usplaycoalition.clemson.edu.
