In this first season of Swing Forward, co-hosts James Siegal and Jen DeMelo of KABOOM! speak with leading playground manufacturers in the US and around the world about the playground industry and advancing playspace equity. In this episode, we talk with Joe Palermo of PlayPower about how his company approaches building playgrounds, how children inform the playgrounds they build, and why that matters.
BIO:
Joe Palermo is the vice president of New Product Design at PlayPower, Inc., the world’s largest commercial playground and recreational equipment manufacturer. In this role, he leads a team of designers, engineers, and project managers bringing new and innovative play equipment to market under the Playworld®, Miracle® Recreation, and Little Tikes® Commercial brands. Prior to joining PlayPower, Palermo spent 20 years creating award-winning products for consumer product manufacturers, including Tomy International, Newell Brands, and Stanley Black & Decker. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Palermo has a passion for inclusion and resides in Massachusetts with his wife and seven kids.
PlayPower:
PlayPower, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of outdoor recreational products and is the world’s largest, fully integrated manufacturer of commercial playground equipment, surfacing solutions, floating dock systems and lifts for boats and personal watercraft, shade solutions, and site furnishings.
LINKS:
https://playpower.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/playpower-inc-/ https://www.facebook.com/PlayworldInc
https://www.facebook.com/ltcplaygrounds/
https://www.facebook.com/miracle.recreation.equipment.company
About Swing Forward
Swing Forward is a podcast series from KABOOM! on the future of playgrounds and playspace equity, co-hosted by James Siegal and Jen DeMelo.
About KABOOM!
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to create or transform 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that nearly 12 million kids have equitable access to the critical benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. In 2022, KABOOM! launched the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity to accelerate its mission in 25 high-priority locations over five years. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
