SOURCE: PLAE
WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Feb. 25, 2019 – With a bold vision to develop innovative products that help people achieve their best selves, Brett Waits founded PLAE in February 2009. And while PLAE makes athletic and fitness flooring, it ultimately drives performance through its unique business model.
“We saw an opportunity as training was becoming increasingly functional and ground-based,” said Waits, president of PLAE. “So we talked to coaches, observed athletes and programs, and designed products based on what they wanted and needed – aiming to engineer more dynamic, advanced surfaces.”
Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, PLAE today has more than 50 employees in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, has experienced double-digit growth every year, and completed more than 1500 projects in 19 countries in 2018 alone. PLAE currently is developing a four-building headquarters on 2.5 acres in Woodstock, Ga. to house multiple divisions and increasing staff.
A Global Performance Brand
Investing heavily in research and development, PLAE today manufactures 10 high-performance systems, including recycled rubber, indoor and outdoor turf, track and multipurpose. Not content to replicate existing market offerings, the company has passionately strived for a decade to position flooring as the most valuable piece of equipment in any training space, with highly engineered systems like its best-selling Achieve, which is in demand at training facilities worldwide.
At the same time, “we are a performance brand, not a flooring company,” Waits described. “We emphasize relationships, education and industry support to fuel performance of coaches and athletes at all levels.”
To do so, PLAE is comprised of several divisions:
- PLAE Perform – This rapidly growing division promotes education and expertise in athletic performance via numerous vehicles:
- Labs – Interactive workshops held around the globe on sports and industry topics to foster community
- PLAE Pro – New mobile app that live streams Labs and houses past events, and includes PLAE’s new Masters Academy online courses, Beyond the Chalk video series, several podcasts and forums to facilitate conversation
- PLAE Alliance – Currently under development, aims to create more S&C jobs through programming and consulting
- PLAE Institute – A new sports science lab and athletic training and testing facility being built on the headquarters campus
- PLAE Hard – This onsite, state-of-the-art fitness facility, delivers innovative training programs and classes for employees, athletes and local community exercisers
As much as PLAE works to inspire coaches and athletes, it is equally committed to an enriching culture within its own team, encouraging employees to be their best selves; fostering a fun, team-oriented environment; and providing valuable perks. In 2018, PLAE was named one of Atlanta’s Best & Brightest Companies to Work For.
“We are a relationship-based company, and are always seeking news ways to be innovative in the athletic and fitness communities,” said Waits. “We are really excited about the next 10 years.”
About PLAE
PLAE is redefining athletic flooring as a foundational component of every training space, creating active solutions that equip people to achieve their best selves. Pushing boundaries, pursuing innovation and harnessing technology and design are daily passions at PLAE. Boldly committed to raising the bar, PLAE drives powerful performance.
