Published: 31 May 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Locker Solutions

Choosing new hall lockers for your students? You certainly have your work cut out for you. Whether you’re designing a brand new building or you’re retrofitting an old one with a locker facelift, there are several things you need to do before you choose school lockers for your student body. This guide can help.

Step 1: Identify How Many Total Lockers You Need

Before you can even begin to consider locker design, you need to think about your population and just how many lockers you might need during the course of the year. Carefully consider how many students you have and whether your entire population will need lockers or if you’ll pair some students up with others, thus needing only a single locker for two students. Also, keep in mind that enrollment projections are often low, so you’ll want to go a bit higher than you expect to ensure you have the necessary facilities for all of your students.

Step 2: Consider Size

The next major consideration is the size factor. How much do your students have to store in their lockers? If you don’t have gym locker facilities for your student athletes, they may need more space than the average student. Likewise, if students carry a backpack from class to class, they may also only need a small amount of space. In the event you’re a fully digital school, book space may be unnecessary. Students may simply need a place to store a coat and a backpack for each class. Think carefully about what students store in their lockers, and you’ll better know whether you should move forward with a full size locker or something smaller.

Step 3: Consider Durability

Don’t forget to think about how durable a hall locker is going to be. Students often use them multiple times per day, and that can mean a serious beating. While you can buy a fairly light gauge locker, the chances are good that you’ll be replacing it far sooner than you want.

Step 4: Don’t Forget About Features

School lockers come with a number of different features these days, including shelves, colors, and a variety of other options. A student’s locker is like a home away from home, so don’t hesitate to make some upgrades and make it the best locker your students have ever seen.

To learn more about selecting lockers for your student body, contact us today.

Published: 25 May 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: laboratories

Designing that perfect lab for young scientists? It’s tough to balance the needs of young scientists with the realities of budgets and space today, but these laboratory design tips can help you get the science space you need now.

Don’t Forget to Build In Storage Space: If you want safe, effective science instruction for your students, you’re going to need a pretty solid amount of storage space. There are a number of ways to do just that. Add extra shelving to your design for glassware. Consider hidden storage spaces in cabinets. Think about adding a storage closet at the back of the room. Whatever you do, though, make certain that you add storage to your overall design from the outset.
Consider Your Work Surface Carefully: There are a number of different work surfaces to choose from, and the key to durability will be how yours is going to be used. The needs of elementary school science classes, for instance, are very different from the needs of high school science classes, so think about your work surface options before you make a final decision.
Think Utilities: The best science labs have a gas supply, electricity access, and good drainage systems. You may need to consider that as you build out that perfect lab design, particularly if you’re refurbishing an old space into a brand new lab.
Make it Inspirational: Don’t forget that you’re actually building out a classroom, so you need to consider that as you work toward the perfect layout. Add color, themes, and a bit of imagination to help better motivate students to learn.

Let us help you design the ideal science lab. When you choose Carroll Seating Company, you’ll work one-on-one with a project manager who will not only ensure you get that perfect laboratory design, but also great casework and equipment to ensure your classroom is second to none. Contact us today to learn more.

Published: 19 May 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Casework & Millwork

Images is everything in the world of business today, and whether you have a potential customer walking through the door or a potential employee, you want your environment to look nothing short of amazing, Planning a commercial renovation, though, isn’t quite like planning a home renovation. Instead, far more thought, planning, and help has to go into the process. Fortunately, we can help.

Office Spaces to Libraries

Challenges abound in almost any public space, and minimizing those is a must. After all, staying on time and on budget isn’t really optional. To get the best solution for your company, you need a well-managed, well-executed project that will actually create a more productive space, not detract from your business as it stands today.

Carroll Seating Company excels in commercial remodeling services. We’ll help you from design to completion to ensure the best possible results.

The Carroll Seating Company Difference

From a simple refresh of your current decor to a full transformation, Carroll Seating Company is the premier source for commercial renovations. Since 1954, we’ve been serving companies like yours, working to create some of the best looks in the industry. We incorporate the latest software tools and technology into the planning process to ensure even the smallest details look amazing. You’ll work one-on-one with a project manager to ensure things go as planned. We partner with the highest quality vendors so you get the casework and look you want most.

Our reputation is based on knowledge and reliability, and the skill of our tradesmen is second to none. We’ve worked in many different spaces in the past to help enhance space utilization and capacity, as well as aesthetic appeal. No matter what your final goal, we’re here to help you achieve it.

To learn more about our services, please contact us today.

Published: 13 May 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

Seating Options Make a Difference

One things is true of every event and venue across the country – the seating makes the difference in many things. Whether the seating influences the ticket price, creates value for the event, enhances the experience or brands your event, it plays a critical role in how your venue is received. In many cases, seating can mean the difference between a great experience or one that a customer will not return to. Take these ideas into consideration and then take a fresh look at your space.

First, give some thought to the kinds of events that you will need seating for. Sports events have a different level of wear and tear on seating than auditorium events will. Are you looking to repair the seating at an existing venue, or are you trying to create a new space for new events? If you are trying to generate interest in a rarely used hall space, then portable solutions may be your best option. Identify two to three key uses for your space and then determine what seating options you will need.

This is especially important for getting multiple uses out of one space. Seating can often make the difference between being able to have a variety of events in one location or being a “one trick pony.” Gyms are a perfect example. Seating along with other sports solutions for a wide variety of choices can increase usability. By simply investing in some divider curtains, wall padding and scoreboards, your gym or rec center can become a multifunctional space with ease.

Make a statement with specialized interior designs. High paying clients at events expect to be treated differently than typical bleachers, so personalized boxes, where possible, not only bring additional revenue in the way of corporate sponsorships, etc., but create a feeling of exclusivity for your clients. Even if you are looking at high quality portable seats on a lower budget, think about creating “ VIP tables” with upholstery and logos that stand in opposition to basic folding metal chairs.

Is your seating ADA-friendly? Today’s modern venues should be ADA compliant, not only because it is the law, but because it gives the opportunity for a wide variety of audiences to enjoy the venue. Customized seating choices can make events more accessible for everyone – growing your revenue and increasing your goodwill in the process.

Brand your space through your seating choices. Think of the fan section at any major stadium. Branding happens in a variety of ways, and your seating choices can be among the best of them. Whether you go for custom colors, create a branded “fan section” or “elite black label” space, don’t overlook the opportunity to create a customized experience that promotes the brand, the franchise or the venue.

Take another look at your space. Where could seating make the difference?

Published: 9 May 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Carroll Seating and Hussey Seating know that adding customized school logos, mascots and emblems to your telescoping bleacher system can enhance school spirit. Using a special process we transform ordinary plain bleachers into the ultimate gymnasium to inspire your students, athletes and community. The designs are permanently bonded ensuring no peeling or scratching. The options for customization are endless: media platforms, end curtains to block unauthorized persons from climbing under the bleachers, colored railings, portable courtside seats. Schools can even use the space as a fundraising opportunity and sell the StepSigns to local business as advertising space.

As your Hussey Seating dealer our design team will work to create the right customizations for your facility, needs and of course budget. Contact our Kansas City design team at 816-471-2929.

Published: 3 May 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

What You Need to Know About Upholstered Portable Seating

When looking to upgrade your current old metal folding chairs, you may want to consider customized portable seating. Comfortable, flexible, and reliable, portable chairs are perfect for any space.

One of the quickest ways to turn a space into an event venue or meeting area is through the use of portable seating. If you have not considered the ways that portable seating can bring new revenue into existing spaces, then here are a few things you need to know about portable seating.

Adding upholstered seating creates more opportunities for existing space usage. Consider a public building with a large hall. Portable seating means more opportunities to hold awards banquets, to invite speakers for presentations and many other usages of the space. This is especially important if you are trying to build or revive an interest in the space.

Portable seating means options when it comes to the kinds of events you can hold in the space. The very nature of portable seating means you can design the setup as you wish with quite a bit of ease. Tear down will be quick and easy. Chairs in rows or semi-circles are easy to pull off and the designs are only limited by your creativity.

Customized portable seating is also an excellent branding opportunity. Specialized seating, for example, for VIPs and guests can be created with your business logo, team symbol or any other branded features you would like. What an exciting – and portable – way to promote your team!

Far from the old metal folding chairs of yesterday, modern portable seating is comfortable, a marketing opportunity and a great way to generate additional usage of larger spaces. While you can still order efficient folding all-metal chairs, today’s options include every sort of customization, from wider seats, tablet arms, cup holders, wood grain trim and your choice of upholstery.

Why not investigate how upholstered portable seating can change the way you use the spaces you are in?

Published: 27 April 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

A Better Experience in the Grandstands

Seating is one of the most important aspects when it comes to purchasing a ticket to your favorite event. The last thing you want customers to do is complain about the fact that they paid money for a subpar seating experience. Usually, there are a few reasons that the seating experience is less than stellar – but being prepared for these objections means you can build a better grandstand.

Discomfort is the primary factor in customer complaints. Of course, no one expects a bleacher seat to be the height of comfort. But there are many options that can make the experience more pleasant, such as superior materials and craftsmanship. Additional seating, such as upholstered backs and other comfort features, can make the experience even more pleasant. Your clients will spend a lot of time in this seating – it should be the best it can be.

Sight lines are another key feature. No one wants to pay top dollar for a ticket and not be able to accurately see what is going on or have access to a visual aid like a jumbo-tron. Take the sightline into consideration when you are designing your seating. Even the cheap seats need a reason to come to the venue. No one wants to pay money for a ticket and stare at a column for most of the time!

Don’t overlook the need to make your clients feel special. Higher paying customers expect to receive an experience that is more valuable than a bleacher seat. Seating is one of the ways an upscale customer judges an event. Whether this means covered seating, box seating or other options, find a way to create an elite clientele who can take advantage of preferential seating in order to generate investment for years to come.

With a few key factors in mind, you can build a better grandstand that leads to an outstanding customer experience!

Published: 21 April 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Gym and Sports Equipment

There is nothing better than the opening day of baseball season! The great American pastime has generational connections to the stadium, the team and the experience. In fact, as any baseball fan can tell you, the experience is the best part. Going to the stadium, getting great seats, buying a hot dog and wearing team colors are often what bring back the best memories, whether the team won their season or not. Is your baseball seating up to date? Take a few moments to consider how you could bring a better experience to the fans.

Flexibility, reliability and value are key components of baseball seating. After all, you want audiences to enjoy this seating for years to come, not to continue to do costly repairs. With the seating comes ease of cleaning, as every event brings a significant amount of trash. Outdoor grandstands and bleachers must be put in to accommodate the excitement of the audience as well as the harshest weather.

Consider whether your seating is ADA compliant, so that audiences of all kinds can enjoy the event. Whether it comes to sight lines or spacing, creating customized seating is the best way to ensure that you have something to offer for every kind of audience.

Of course, no seating is complete without a designated fan section, and the colors, backrests and seating capabilities will ensure that the fans get into the spirit of the game, whether it is opening day or a tournament. Don’t forget about that locker room. Are the lockers in sufficient condition? Do you have enough seating in the room?

Ultimately, seating in a venue is designed to bring a project to a wide variety of audiences. The kind of world-quality seating that Carroll provides can make any event extraordinary.

Published: 15 April 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

There are certain steps a company can take to ensure safety when their product is being used. Hussey Seating makes sure to roll the edges of all understructure steel to prevent sharp edges, they have always used closed loop railing so that backpacks, purses and other things can’t get snagged accidentally and cause an injury to someone. What they can’t ensure all the time is that their product is being used correctly every time. They can teach and install to standards, but ensuring that aisle railing were always positioned correctly after the bleachers were extended wasn’t something they could do feasibly. After sitting down to brainstorm how to resolve this problem they came up with the Auto Rotating Center Safety Aisle system. Their revolutionary patent pending system has permanently mounted rails that are turned out in the correct direction by the motion of the bleachers extending. And likewise as the bleachers are pulled back in the railing drops and turns for safe storage. If you are interested in learning more about Hussey’s Auto Rotating Center rail for your school’s gymnasium renovation call our Chicago office design team at 847-434-0909.

Published: 11 April 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Casework & Millwork

Choosing the right educational casework is about as complex as selecting the right teaching style for each individual student. Essentially, there are many different possibilities that serve today’s educational needs. While it can be difficult, we hope to narrow it down for you a bit with these tips on choosing the right educational casework for your needs.

Know your audience well before you begin to choose casework. While the offices in the administration wing may need a certain set of requirements and have given decor with which you want them to fit, something very different is going to be true in a science room or in technology lab area. Consider carefully who will benefit from the casework, and build an individual profile. The expectations of the individuals using those spaces truly matter.

Think about materials. While Carroll Seating does offer essentially any material, from plastic to wood veneer, you need to realize that wooden casework is not ideal in some situations, and stainless steel might not be perfect in others. Likewise, a plastic laminate isn’t welcome in all settings either.

Consider flexibility. Education is a continuously changing industry and with it changes the needs of everyone involved. Selecting casework that meets those flexible requirements means making an investment in something that is certain to last in the years to come. The more adjustable you make your casework, the more likely it is to meet both today’s needs and those of your future staff and students. While you may not want to fill every area with flexible casework solutions, it’s going to be ideal in certain settings like the media center and your science laboratory facilities.

Perhaps the best tip anyone could give you about educational casework is that you should always work with the right team before you order or install anything. Sure, this is something you can handle on your own, but you run the risk of making selections that just don’t meet your needs. Carroll Seating has been working with schools and other educational institutions just like yours for the past six decades, and we’re ready for any challenges you have when it comes to complex casework. Contact us today, and get the casework your school deserves.