CREATING MEANINGFUL PLAY

KOMPAN UK Managing Director, Stuart Pettit, has spent more than 20 years in the play industry. He speaks to PlayNation about how research plays a big role in KOMPAN’s products and shares his views on how the play sector has developed in the past two decades

Could you take readers through your career journey – the path to MD at KOMPAN UK?

I first started in the industry back in 2001 as a designer for a small local company. The industry was very different then: perhaps less professionally structured and, especially within smaller companies, very much a case of learning on the job. This opened up avenues to learn all aspects of the sector, and it was an era in which many long-standing play professionals began their careers; many of them still provide expertise across the industry today.

During that period, I was exposed to and involved in all aspects of the industry before falling in love with the selling side of the business. This led me to leave and sell full-time for an American manufacturer, which in 2008 was a difficult proposition, as the American market was big, bright and considered garish for the UK market. However, it really taught me how to sell.

After two years, I was headhunted by KOMPAN and joined in January 2010. I then spent four years taking design-led sales into my area, which proved very successful and led to some amazing projects at attractions such as Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland.

In 2014, I wanted to push myself further and took a role managing a smaller company. This was a challenge, especially as it had its own manufacturing arm, but it taught me a great deal about the many different aspects involved in running an entire organisation.

In 2017, KOMPAN had gone through some major changes and I was approached about making a return. The vision for the future was explained to me, and it was too good an opportunity to pass up. This is where I worked under and alongside some amazing talent, which saw us grow from £6–7m to £45m before I took over as Managing Director.

When I returned to KOMPAN, I did so with the mindset that the most enjoyment I get from the industry comes from selling and designing playgrounds. I therefore stepped back and returned to my favourite role: Area Sales Manager.

During my second stint as an Area Sales Manager at KOMPAN, in 2022, I became a Regional Sales Manager under Steve Sylvester, working alongside Steve Williams and Debbie Chambers. This started a whole new phase of sales development for me and became the foundation on which my management journey was built. In that role, I watched Debbie become Head of Sales and then onto Managing Director of our Australian office. This is testament not only to the management team I was part of, but also to the global opportunities that KOMPAN offers.

With Debbie treading her own very successful path, this gave me the opportunity to step into the Head of Sales role before taking over as Managing Director in April 2025, when Steve Sylvester retired.

Research is at the core of everything KOMPAN does and once our employees and customers go through that journey we achieve some truly amazing play spaces

What attracted you to the play sector? Or was it a happy coincidence that you ended up in it?

Like most people, even today, I did not realise it was an industry back then, despite there being a play company just one mile up the road. At the time, I was working in a design studio doing web and graphic design for construction companies. However, I have always enjoyed the social side of life, so I also worked weekend shifts in my local pub for the extra money and the social aspect.

The landlord went on holiday once, and I took annual leave from the design studio to run the pub for a couple of weeks. During that time, the directors of the local company came in for lunch a few times and regularly discussed the designs they were producing.

One conversation led to another. I was actually trying to secure work for the design studio, but it led to them offering me the role of Design Manager, which I accepted. I dived in at the deep end and started my career in the industry.

How would you describe KOMPAN?

KOMPAN is research-focused, with users immersed in the research, development and testing of our products. This is coupled with a global reach – we have a presence in more than 30 countries – that allows us to share, utilise and expand our learnings across borders. Research is at the core of everything we do and, once our employees and customers go through that journey, we achieve some truly amazing play spaces.

Could you tell us more about that research – how you do it and how it translates into equipment and products?

KOMPAN has two research-led specialist units: the KOMPAN Play Institute and the KOMPAN Fitness Institute. The Play Institute studies what motivates children to play, stay and return, and how play can support physical, cognitive, social-emotional and creative development. It tests and documents play designs with children of different ages and abilities, publishes research, and advises on playground and city planning. This translates directly into equipment designed around age-appropriate challenge, varied play types and inclusive participation, for example, play structures combining climbing, balancing, social spaces and activity panels rather than offering only one type of activity.

We believe play should be accessible wherever possible

The Fitness Institute applies sports science, user testing and partnerships with universities and fitness experts to create outdoor fitness equipment that is enjoyable, social and capable of delivering meaningful exercise. Its work focuses particularly on ergonomics, resistance and usability across different body sizes and fitness levels. For example, KOMPAN’s cross trainer was refined through multiple user-test iterations and laboratory evaluation of oxygen uptake, muscle activity and perceived exertion. The Stay Fit range is another clear example: it was developed using research into fall prevention and effective exercise for older adults and rehabilitation users. In short, both institutes help ensure KOMPAN equipment is not simply attractive or robust, but grounded in how people actually play, move, develop and keep active.

KOMPAN was founded in 1970 in Denmark by sculptor Tom Lindhardt and co-founder Hans Mogens Fenne-Frederiksen. From its early days as creating play sculptures for children, the company has developed into one of the global market leaders within the playground and outdoor fitness industry. Today, KOMPAN develops, produces and markets an extensive range of playgrounds, play-sport and outdoor fitness equipment that covers all age groups. KOMPAN is present in 94 countries Worldwide, employs approx. 2,300 employees globally and has sales companies in 25 countries.

Which sectors do you focus on in the UK?

KOMPAN works across all local government sectors, from main authorities through to parish councils and community groups, as well as the education, leisure and construction industries. A strength of KOMPAN is also finding opportunities in niche markets and expanding the thought and delivery of play spaces beyond the normal channels. We believe play should be accessible wherever possible.

What plans does KOMPAN UK have for the next 1-2 years?

The education sector is a primary focus for our development and growth. We are combining research-led design with practical school requirements: increasing activity, supporting wellbeing and inclusion, enabling supervision, and creating age-appropriate challenge from early years through to teenagers. This is all driven by our research into how play and physical activity deliver wider benefits within educational settings. For new products, the reintroduction of electronic play, such as our Orbit system,combines physical activity with digital, social and sensory-rich games. Designed as a social focal point, OrbitPlay brings friends, families and bystanders together around active, shared play. Products such as OrbitPlay bridge gaps between ages and abilities, as well as between sport and fitness, which feeds into KOMPAN CommonGround.

KOMPAN CommonGround is a connected, multi-generational outdoor destination that brings play, fitness and social spaces together in one cohesive environment. Rather than treating a playground, outdoor fitness area and seating zone as separate facilities, it uses pathways, landscaping, surfacing and shared social areas to help children, teenagers, adults and families move, meet and spend longer outdoors together. Children can play independently while parents remain nearby, teenagers have reasons to stay active, and adults can exercise, relax or socialise.

We position CommonGround as a complete project solution – combining equipment, amenities, design expertise and installation through one point of contact – to create welcoming, visible and safe community spaces that encourage activity, connection and everyday use across generations.

How has the play sector changed in the 20+ years that you have worked in it?

The more professional approach adopted by companies across the sector really transformed the industry into a stronger and more credible sector within local government during the early days of my career, which was a real positive.

Procurement has changed significantly over this time, mostly for the better, as it has helped drive up budgets for larger projects as well as the quality of the play areas being delivered by all companies. The best example is inclusivity and accessibility, which have been improving but still have some way to go. This is still very much led by the customer’s brief and specification.

The current state is a mixed bag. On one hand we have bigger projects and bigger budgets for those projects but fewer playgrounds overall

At the same time, throughout my entire time in the industry, we have seen the removal of hundreds, if not thousands, of playgrounds and play spaces across the country, ultimately making play less accessible and less available. This is troubling to everyone working in the play industry. One thing that makes me proud, not only to be at KOMPAN but also to be part of this industry, is that so many play professionals are passionate and devoted to achieving more and better play and fitness provision. They are true play advocates, not simply focused on the commercial aspect.

What is the single most positive change you’ve witnessed in the sector?

The increase in budgets and the size of projects, alongside a stronger focus on inclusivity, has brought us closer to what is achieved in other countries around the world. Being exposed to some of the project sizes and scopes delivered globally in the earlier days actually created a sadness about the level of play the UK was offering. It has improved significantly, but there is still a way to go.

Are there any negative changes that you’ve witnessed?

There are two main negatives I have seen over the years. The first, which is a challenge for everyone in the play industry and for children’s health, is that playtime has become more controlled and supervised from a parental point of view. It was always a hot discussion in my house when my children were younger. I knew that so much positive child development comes from free play and risk, so I approached play very differently from my wife. This overprotection and “bubble wrapping” of children can have significant effects on their development, health, risk assessment and resilience.

The other negative is the way social value is increasingly focused on within tenders and procurement. In many cases, it can be scored as more important than inclusivity and accessibility, even though play and outdoor fitness are, in themselves, a form of social value. Regardless of how it is approached, social value requirements can remove budget from achieving even better play and fitness provision in order to fund much smaller social value offerings. Outdoor play and fitness areas are already among the best social value outcomes we can offer. To put this into perspective, large construction projects and developments often have to include social benefits, which can include playgrounds. We have delivered hundreds of playgrounds on the basis of “giving back” to the community for construction companies.

How would you describe the current “state of play” when it comes to the UK play sector? The current state is a mixed bag. On one hand, we have bigger projects and bigger budgets for those projects, but fewer playgrounds overall. As much as I welcome this level of investment, the growth in the industry is actually coming from sectors outside local government, which is a grave concern.

A major challenge is that initial capital budgets may be larger, but the revenue side, which pays for the maintenance and upkeep of play areas, has dwindled to almost nothing. This has had a major impact on product development and the style of play areas being delivered.

With a lack of maintenance budgets and personnel, customer specifications and briefs have had to reflect this, leading to a stronger focus on durability, reduced maintenance, simpler inspection regimes and long-term operational cost. While this is understandable, it can limit creativity, material choice and the richness of play value that could otherwise be delivered.

Even product development has been affected by the lack of revenue and maintenance investment. Many companies, including KOMPAN, have created value-engineered ranges to maximise the play offering as much as possible while minimising long-term maintenance requirements. While this is a practical response to the market, it can also simplify and, in some cases, reduce the richness and value of the play experience being delivered.

Given the current state of play, the need for a stronger central government focus on outdoor, free-to-access play, sport and fitness has never been more important. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Play is arguably the most important recent development from a policy and funding perspective, because it creates a permanent cross-party mechanism within Parliament to champion the importance of play.

Historically, the play sector has often been viewed as a “nice to have” rather than as essential community infrastructure. That is why the APPG is so important. However, it needs to go further still, helping to secure greater recognition, stronger policy alignment and more sustainable funding for play, sport and fitness spaces across the UK.