Client Testimonials
Possum Creek Skatepark Gainesville, FL
“Having the opportunity to work with Spohn Ranch was truly a dream relationship. From day one, we talked about a vision of a grand skate plaza that would be considered one of the premier facilities in North Central Florida and every which way beyond. A class facility that would cater to young and old, boys and girls and beginners to the highly skilled. A feature that would draw praise as well as curiosity. A venue that could hold events and tournaments for all the community to enjoy, as well as for those from out of town.
With the excitement, dedication and love shown by Spohn Ranch, it’s no wonder the facility turned out to be a gorgeous skatepark. The mere fact that your team was able to construct such a facility in less than 60 days was a miracle to me. You knew the City was tight on time due to a $400,000 grant and you kept your promise, which to me was never in doubt. Night and day your team worked to make the City’s dream skatepark a reality. After creatively designing for those that are just beginning to the top riding experts, everything seemed to fall right into place.
As we’ve all heard time and time again, the proof is in the pudding. All anyone needs to do is drive by the skatepark at anytime during day light hours and the proof is clearly evident. Droves of kids and adults skateboarding, in-line skating, BMX riding, and scooter riding. Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas clicking snap shots of their heroes. Some people just dropping by to watch with their lunch. It’s by far the most amazing skatepark we could have possibly wished for. This has been reinforced through articles in our local newspaper and TV news stories. Not to mention articles that have been written and sent to the editor by citizens commenting on the awesomeness of the park.
It’s been a great process and I can’t tell you how lucky I was to work with Spohn Ranch. You guys and ladies are the top of the pop. You could see our vision and put it on the ground in record-breaking fashion. I hope that in the upcoming months that visitors from other communities drop in to see our skate park and say, we need to go back home, get with our city leaders for funding and then contact Spohn Ranch so we can have our own state-of-the-art skate park for our community.
What a dream come true! I hope that everyone in the Spohn Ranch headquarters looks at this park, stands up and gives themselves a great big pat on the back because you folks are the cream of the crop.”
Patrick J. Byrne, Project Manager
Daybreak Sculpture Garden – South Jordan, Utah
“Rumor had it that the spot was somewhat like a European masterpiece. I was confused; I couldn’t picture such an amazing spot existing around all these houses. Then all of a sudden, emerging like an oasis in the desert, there appeared a bunch of concrete sculptures set in a line in the middle of a small park. Everyone was stunned and jaws dropped. Could this actually exist in Utah, just for us to skate?
The obstacles were so unique and versatile that my mind opened up to explore all types of ways to skate. Somebody really did their home work by taking a good look at what it is people enjoy skating, rather than following the normal path of building a typical light grey, fenced in skatepark the designer created an open-air street-style line for everyone to rip. Pure genius!”
Excerpt from SLUG Magazine article by Chris Swainston 2008
Fort Irwin Military Base/ National Training Center – Fort Irwin, California
“There are not enough words to adequately say thank you to each and every one of you for your support of our Fort Irwin Community. People on post can only say wonderful things about the design, the project and the incredible skaters who showed up for the event. Each of you made a huge difference in the lives of our soldiers and their families yesterday. The skatepark is having a huge impact on our children and soldiers who need a place for recreation. On behalf of our soldiers, families and civilians – thank you for your generosity, talents, and heart!”
Jackie Hoggins, Fort Irwin Marketing Chief
Centennial Skatepark – Lemont, Illinois
“Spohn Ranch worked well with user groups to define and design the Park. Spohn Ranch worked with park maintenance staff to build a solid long-term investment in our community that was relatively maintenance free. Spohn Ranch worked with the local elected officials to ensure they were heard about safety, fiscal responsibility and FUN! Simply you always want the biggest bang for your buck; with Spohn Ranch we believe we got it.”
Brian Sullivan, Executive Director
Michael K. Green Skatepark – Long Beach, California
The City of Long Beach is pleased to provide a letter of reference for Spohn Ranch Skateparks. Recently, Spohn Ranch Skateparks completed the 14th Street Skatepark in Long Beach, California. From planning through construction, we were impressed with their knowledge, professionalism, and unmatched quality of service.
In addition to the expertise of Spohn Ranch Skateparks, we were particularly impressed with the unique design, which was a thoughtful integration combined with invaluable input from our community. As a result, our grand opening was a success, and we are pleased with the ongoing use of our facility by the local youth.
Sandra Gonzalez, Planning and Development Bureau
Berea Skatepark – Berea, Kentucky
When the City of Berea began to seriously talk about building a skatepark, I started to contact several of the skatepark suppliers in the industry to find out what was available on the market. We felt fairly confident that we wanted to go with the concrete elements due to durability and the fairly easy maintenance. I had the opportunity through research in the industry to put together the positives and negatives associated with each type of material. We also called and spoke to several other parks and recreation departments all over the state to find out what worked and what didn’t work with their particular skateparks. It was through this research that Spohn Ranch’s impeccable reputation for their quality work came to light.
From the preliminary planning stages to the installation, Spohn Ranch always maintained the utmost customer service approach. After every public meeting I would touch base with our designer to discuss the ideas and input that we had received from our user group. From this communication Spohn Ranch was able to design a park that contained all of the elements that the skatepark enthusiasts had requested. The designer worked very hard to accommodate our budget, space and equipment needs, and we ended up with a design that made everyone happy!
Prior to the installation, we were in constant contact with our project manager Doug. He walked us through step by step the site prep work that we needed to complete prior to the installation, which made the entire process go smooth and hassle free. Whenever we had a question or needed information he was always available to assist us.
Communication is one of Spohn Ranch’s greatest strengths, in addition to a high quality product and extremely knowledgeable staff. The day of the install everyone in the city was so excited and several gathered at the site in anticipation. The install was very smooth and was completed without a hitch! The staff was knowledgeable, friendly and explained the entire process to us. I felt very confident about the safety and durability of the equipment and knew that we had made the right choice! Because of Spohn Ranch we have a skatepark that will not only last us lifetime, but will create friendships and memories for all of our skatepark enthusiasts. Thank you to all of the staff who worked so hard to make our dreams a reality!
Maggy Kriebel, Parks and Recreation Director
Hot Spot Skatepark – Spartanburg, South Carolina
“Skate Park Supervisor Jay Crouch wasn’t surprised that more than 1,000 skaters have visited the park since the 21,000-square-foot concrete facility opened. “It’s exactly what I expected,” Crouch said. “A lot of people didn’t expect this type of turnout, but the skateboarders did. Those who come find an amazing park with a great atmosphere and good transitions. It’s a park that was well put together.” Crouch said the park has had visitors from across the state, North Carolina, Georgia, California and one from South Africa who was visiting family in Spartanburg. “We’ve been pulling people from everywhere,” said Brian Wofford, city parks and recreation superintendent. “The vision was this would be an asset for the local community, but we’ve been able to attract a much broader audience. It’s really exceeded our expectations.”
Excerpt from Go Upstate Magazine article by Lynne P. Shackleford August 17, 2009
Dunlap Skate Plaza Washington Township, PA
“Our insurance company’s senior risk representative inspected the skate park yesterday and said it was the best looking skate park that he has ever seen. He loved it. He checked out all the edges and said all were perfect. He loved the granite elements. Thank you again for building our community a great skate park. If you need references at any time you know where we are. “
Michael Christopher, Township Manager
David L. Dirske Skatepark – Holland, Michigan
“My tax dollars went to help pay for this and I’m happy about that, even if I’m too old to use it” said Park Township resident Kim Kotowski. Township Parks and Recreation Director Barb Burmeister said it took two years to get the park built because the township and everyone involved wanted to do it right. “We used a professional skate board park design firm to design it. We took our time and did everything first-rate so it would be a great skateboard park,” Burmeister said. Skateboarder Faust Fernandez, 17, a West Ottawa High School senior, said it is the type of park skateboarders long for. “I think it’s great,” said Fernandez, who has been boarding for five years.
Excerpt from The Grand Rapids Press article by Jeff Haywood June 25, 2009
Prairie Point Community Skatepark – Oswego, Illinois
On behalf of the Oswegoland Park District, I want to say how pleased we are with our new concrete skate park. The comments from the community have been overwhelmingly positive. On sunny days, the skate park is packed with kids. But, even on the coldest of winter days, as long as there is no snow, there is a skateboarder or BMX biker in our park. For our Park District, that is what it is all about—creating opportunities for a healthy community.
During the design process, Spohn Ranch representatives Aaron and Jason listened and worked closely with us to customize our skate park to fit the needs of our community.
During the construction, Doug, Mark and his team were knowledgeable professionals and communicated well with us. The precise engineering of the pre-cast units allowed for a smooth installation process. Spohn Ranch also hired outstanding, experienced local subcontractors to successfully complete the other facets of the project. Again, this was a rewarding project for our park district and we enjoyed working with Spohn Ranch to bring it to reality.
Chad Feldotto, ASLA, Senior Park Planner
