pacific playground

What pacific playground does

Pacific Playground is a privately held, full-service commercial playground design, construction, and installation company founded in 1998 by Doug Gourley, a 30-year veteran contractor, and headquartered in El Sobrante, California (previously operating as Doug Gourley Playground Design). The company designs and builds custom playgrounds for schools, parks, homeowners associations, apartment complexes, churches, and commercial clients across the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding California markets (San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, Los Angeles, Stockton, Fremont). Its product portfolio is organized by age group — Infant (0-2), Preschool (2-5), Elementary (5-12), and multi-age community installations — and complemented by a full suite of surfacing solutions including poured-in-place (PIP) rubber, engineered wood fiber, synthetic turf, rubber mulch, and rubber tiles, plus shade structures, site amenities, and dog parks.

The business operates on a project-based pricing model with custom design consultation, free on-site site evaluations, in-house CAD mock-ups, equipment supply, and full professional installation delivered through a sales-led, direct field-sales motion. Revenue is generated almost entirely from one-time project contracts across five customer verticals, with multi-year contract cadence noted in pricing. The company maintains five regional offices with dedicated phone numbers (El Sobrante HQ plus San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland) to support local field coverage and is entirely founder-owned with no disclosed outside investment.

The firm appears to be a small regional operation (11-50 employees) with no public revenue disclosures, no funding history, no AI/technology platform, and no mobile or SaaS product surface. Its competitive differentiation rests on 27+ years of regional experience, full-service delivery (design through installation), proprietary surfacing expertise meeting ADA and ASTM compliance standards, and a localized sales footprint. Core risks include geographic concentration in Northern California, dependence on municipal and institutional capital budgets, key-person reliance on the founder, and the absence of recurring revenue or technology-enabled scaling levers.

Name

pacific playground

Legal name

Pacific Playground

Website

https://pacificplayground.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pacific Playground is a California-based, privately held full-service playground design, construction, and installation company serving schools, parks, HOAs, apartments, churches, and commercial clients across the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding California markets, founded in 1998 by Doug Gourley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

El Sobrante

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Playground Design and Construction: Full-service playground design, equipment supply, and professional installation services. Projects include custom design consultation, CAD mock-ups, equipment procurement, site preparation, and complete installation including related construction.
2. Playground Surfacing Services: Installation and maintenance of playground surfacing including poured-in-place rubber, synthetic turf, engineered wood fiber, rubber mulch, and rubber tiles.
3. Shade Structures and Site Amenities: Supply and installation of shade structures, shelters, and site furnishings for playgrounds.
4. Free Site Evaluation and Consultation: Complimentary on-site analysis and consultation of proposed playground areas including efficient design addressing potential safety issues. This is a lead generation service rather than a revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pacific Playground designs, supplies, and installs custom commercial playgrounds and related site amenities for schools, parks, HOAs, churches, and community organizations. The company delivers end-to-end projects covering age-segmented playground equipment (infant, preschool, elementary, multi-age), proprietary surfacing systems (PIP rubber, engineered wood fiber, synthetic turf, rubber mulch, rubber tiles), shade structures, shelters, and dog parks, supported by complimentary site evaluation, CAD mock-ups, and professional installation.

Product overview

Pacific Playground is a full-service playground design and construction company offering a comprehensive portfolio of physical products and services. The core offering includes age-differentiated playground equipment spanning Infant (0-2), Preschool (2-5), Elementary (5-12), and multi-age Commercial/Community playgrounds. These are complemented by a full range of surfacing solutions including Poured-in-Place Rubber, Engineered Wood Fiber, Artificial Turf, Rubber Mulch, and Rubber Tiles. Additional products include Shade Structures, Shelters/Site Amenities, and Dog Parks. Services encompass free site evaluation, CAD design mock-ups, and complete installation. The company positions itself as a 'one-stop partner' providing everything from initial design through final construction for schools, parks, HOAs, churches, and commercial properties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infant Playgrounds Custom playground equipment designed for infants ages 0-2, featuring low-height structures, sensory play panels, and safe exploration elements to support developmental milestones.
• Preschool Playgrounds Custom playground equipment designed for preschool-aged children ages 2-5, incorporating interactive panels, climbing structures, and sensory elements to support cognitive and physical development.
• Elementary Playgrounds Custom playground equipment designed for elementary school children ages 5-12, featuring dynamic elements like climbing walls, monkey bars, and challenging structures that promote physical fitness and social interaction.
• Commercial Playgrounds Full-service commercial playground design and construction for public spaces, schools, parks, and community areas, including custom designs and complete installation.
• Apartment, HOA, and Church Playgrounds Custom playground solutions for residential communities and faith-based organizations, serving children ages 2-12 with tailored designs for diverse needs.
• Poured-in-Place Rubber Surfacing Seamless rubber surfacing made from high-quality non-porous TPV rubber granules that are UV-stable and resistant to color fading, providing exceptional impact absorption and ADA-compliant accessibility.
• Engineered Wood Fiber Surfacing Natural playground surfacing made from 100% virgin wood, fully ASTM and ADA-compliant, providing a stable, cushioned, wheelchair-accessible surface with eco-friendly biodegradable properties.
• Artificial Turf Surfacing Advanced synthetic turf systems featuring 3D curvy W-fibers for superior resiliency, with perforated backing providing drainage rate of over 400 inches per hour, UV inhibitors, and non-toxic lead-free materials.
• Rubber Mulch Surfacing Eco-friendly rubber mulch made from 100% wire-free recycled rubber, offering excellent shock absorption, durability, and resistance to decomposition and insect attraction.
• Rubber Tiles Interlocking rubber tiles providing exceptional shock absorption and fall protection for geometrically defined spaces, with replaceable individual tiles for simplified long-term maintenance.
• Shade Structures Custom sunshade solutions including umbrella cantilever squares, rectangle hip shades, triangle sails, hanging cantilevers, and custom designs to keep playgrounds cool and protected from UV rays.
• Shelters and Site Amenities Pavilions and site furnishings to complement playground installations, providing additional outdoor functionality for community spaces.
• Dog Parks Custom dog park design and construction services including fencing and surfacing solutions for pet-friendly community spaces.
• Playground Installation Service Complete installation services covering all related construction work and classroom remodeling for educational facilities, bundled with every playground project.

Quantifiable outcome

• All designs guaranteed to meet federal safety guidelines
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GameTime: Commercial playground equipment manufacturer offering design, equipment, and surfacing solutions for schools, parks, and churches — directly comparable product and customer overlap.
• Landscape Structures: National playground equipment designer, manufacturer, and installer serving schools, parks, and communities. Direct peer operating at a larger national scale with comparable full-service design-and-build model.
• Little Tikes Commercial: Commercial division focused on early-childhood and preschool playground installations; overlapping preschool/elementary customer segments and turnkey installation services.
• Miracle Recreation: Commercial playground equipment designer and installer with comparable custom-design and turnkey installation capabilities for municipalities and schools.
• BCI Burke: Playground equipment manufacturer with full design-and-build services for schools, parks, and community recreation; comparable age-segmented product lines and ADA-compliant surfacing.
• Playworld Systems: Commercial playground equipment manufacturer and installer targeting schools, parks, and community spaces with age-differentiated product lines similar to Pacific Playground's offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Kompan: Global playground equipment manufacturer with installation networks; broader geographic footprint and product portfolio but overlapping core offering in custom community playgrounds.

Regional players

• Cunningham Recreation: Regional playground and recreation equipment supplier/installer serving the Western U.S. with similar full-service model and municipal customer focus.
• Ross Recreation Equipment: Northern California-based playground equipment supplier and installer with comparable regional service model and overlapping Bay Area municipal and school customers.

Emerging players

• RecTec Industries: Smaller emerging commercial playground and recreation equipment installer with comparable turnkey design-build offerings for community and educational facilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about pacific playground