Schoolhouse Products Inc.:
Furniture. All kinds. Right here.
Schoolhouse Products Inc is Canada’s largest distributor of furniture and related products to the K-12 and postsecondary education market in Canada. When Schoolhouse Products began operations in 1989, its mandate was to bring unique, innovative, value-priced and durable products to the Canadian market. The first manufacturers represented by Schoolhouse Products were Artco Bell, one of North America’s largest manufacturers of classroom furniture, Mity Lite, the pioneer in light-weight folding tables, and Screenflex, the manufacturer of a unique range of moveable partitions and room dividers. All three companies continue to be represented by Schoolhouse Products – along with another 15 to 20 manufacturers of products ranging from library and office furniture to A/V support furniture, outdoor site amenities furniture, etc. Initially, Schoolhouse Products intro60
Ops Talk • Spring 2013
duced new types of chairs and desks to the B.C. market, products that had upgraded ergonomics for improved student comfort, improved aesthetics for better classroom appearance, and lighter weight to provide move flexibility to teachers and students. Yet the furniture was strong and durable, requiring little maintenance – and was backed by long warranties, generally at least 15 years if not longer. This combination led to strong initial sales and dramatic growth in the business. Almost every school in B.C. uses a range of folding tables and chairs to provide for occasional and special event’s usage within the school. Historically, these tables and chairs were heavy and hard for school staff to handle. Schoolhouse Products pioneered the use of lightweight ABS plastic folding tables that could be easily handled by one person without causing back strain. Today, plastic tables have become the standard
product in schools right across Canada, and Schoolhouse Products is the major supplier of these types of tables and accompanying folding chairs. The company’s early years coincided with the introduction of new flooring that had issues of maintenance as furniture was moved within the classroom. Rather than ignore this issue, or replace standard chair/desk glides with temporary solutions like felt-tipped glides that would need frequent replacement, Schoolhouse Products worked with furniture manufacturers to develope glides that solved the problem – including neoprene-tipped glides, floor-saver glides, and more recently Q-Ball glides. The new glides eliminated these issues for both a short-term and long-term basis – and made life easier for teaching and custodial staff in schools. As school programs have changed over the past 25 years, the requirements of school libraries have changed as well,
