Learn how BCI Burke is bringing communities together through play and keeping kids and families active, healthy and happy.
Founded over 100 years ago, BCI Burke’s (Burke) passion, mission and business has always been the same — bringing “Play That Moves You” to children, families and communities to help them find the best of themselves through play and movement, regardless of age or ability.
The commercial playground equipment company’s longevity and customer trust are attributed to the parings of Burke team members with representative partners. Together, they lead with customer service, innovation and creativity as core principles and play, fitness and movement as guideposts — all aspects that inspired the company’s CEO.
Prior to joining Burke, Mike Phelan was running the U.S. operations of an industrial products company that required extensive travel. At the time, his four children were very young and he felt he was already missing important milestones in their lives. His wife actually found the opportunity with Burke and they thought it looked like an exciting change for their family to consider.
This led Phelan to combine his background in manufacturing engineering and operations, and his passion for bringing people, materials and processes together to produce a great product. He officially joined the Burke team in 2012.
When Phelan first started, he was helping run the product development and manufacturing operations. Two years later, he became the president and CEO. “The more I learned about the recreation industry, Burke’s great products and the impact we could have on communities around the world, the more I was hooked,” recalled Phelan. “I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the past nine years and am even more excited about what the future holds. In many ways, I feel like we’re just getting started.”
A Pretty Cool Dad
Phelan’s four children grew up with the company, learning, developing and engaging through play. As such, Phelan said it made him what he considers to be a “pretty cool dad.”
Through Burke, Phelan added he’s experienced childhood with his children in a different way. “Intergenerational play and exercise are important, and I’ve been able to combine what I get to do for a living with the raising of my children,” he said. “I also personally enjoy fitness and the benefits it has on both mental and physical health. I love that I get to help spread this to communities around the world.”
For Phelan, it’s a fulfilling thing, impacting communities and his personal life in his day-to-day career. “Play and movement are healthy for people of all ages and abilities. Providing innovative products, playspaces, recreation spaces, fitness spaces and learning spaces for them is one of my favorite things about what we have the privilege of doing at Burke,” he said.
A Team of Burkies
Not only does being part of Burke allow Phelan to utilize his background in manufacturing engineering and operations — and make him a cool dad — but he also gets to fulfill his passion for developing people.
Helping his team grow and providing them the opportunity to find the best of themselves through work is something that motivates Phelan. His current role with Burke allows him to practice this each day.
“Burkies, as we call our team, and our representative partners are hard-working, fun, driven and passionate people,” shared Phelan. “Seeing them come into themselves through work is part of what brings me to work every day. We learn from each other, challenge each other, and at the end, we are all driving toward the same goal — helping communities grow their outside spaces with quality, innovative products and designs that foster true connection, keep people moving for mental and physical health, and help everyone spend more time together outdoors.”
Phelan added outdoor play and fitness are Burke’s passion, mission and business. Both Burkies and representative partners share this zeal.
Benefits of the Outdoors
Research serves as another component to the team’s success. Burke takes part in primary, secondary and observational research that helps develop innovative products and spaces where kids and adults can benefit from the power of play and movement when it’s infused into their everyday lives.
Burke’s research-based products and playspace designs apply the Principles of Universal Design to each and every one. These include equitable, flexible, simple and intuitive, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, size and space for approach and use.
“Our research isn’t just product-based — it has also influenced how we talk with recreation professionals about their spaces,” said Phelan. “We share the information we learn to help them advocate for more places and spaces to be outdoors.”
He said information about the benefits of outdoor spaces show how important they really are. Whether it’s lower blood pressure and higher graduation rates or lower obesity and higher property values, the positive impacts are many.
Burke also provides a community of people working together toward the same end goal — from the design team to product development and representatives to customer service. Phelan added the company strives to be easy to work with, solutions-focused and invested in the success of a project.
“We have an entire group supporting you,” shared Phelan. “When you ‘Join Our Movement’ and become part of the Burke family, we will celebrate with you. It’s a movement to get people outside together and it’s a passion we all share.”
Replay Value
No matter the size or scope of the project, creating engaging activities and spaces that keep people coming back is what Burke calls replay value — an integral part of space design and important for outdoor areas.
Along with replay value, Phelan emphasized another key aspect of Burke his children helped him to understand is intergenerational play. “The more people who can use the space and benefit from it, the more people will advocate and engage with it and see it as an added benefit to them,” he said. “Finding out who your primary users will be, and developing spaces and programming that fits their needs is key.”
Phelan suggested asking your members, students and community members or kids what they like and would use. This goes a long way to making people feel they are part of the process and can help get buy-in from them.
Lastly, a great example of groups using the same areas in different ways came from partnering with a YMCA that uses Burke’s ELEVATE Fitness Course. Phelan shared the Y uses the course for adult exercise classes in the early morning and later evening. Then during the day and in the Y’s afterschool programs, the kids ages five to 12, and ages 13 and up use it for exercise and play.
“Our ELEVATE Fitness Course, ACTIVATE Fitness Circuit and INVIGORATE Dynamic Fitness are all designed to get families and communities outside exercising together,” shared Phelan. “These great outdoor fitness products are all designed to help keep communities healthier, happier and more fit in a fun, approachable way.”
Produced in partnership with BCI Burke
To learn more, call 800.266.1250 or visit bciburke.com.
