Leadership
Doing as much as we can, for as many as we can, for as long as we can!
Eric Schmidt
CEO & Founder
Chief Executive Officer of Playground Equipment Services (PES), an all-inclusive playground and safety surface design and installation company. PES has been in operation since 2001 and was involved with 14 of the top 30 inclusive playground builds worldwide. Mr. Schmidt is a National Certified Playground Safety Inspector, and along with Dr. Stanton-Chapman, has published several academic articles on engaging community partners in building inclusive playgrounds. He is factory certified with many of the leading international playground manufacturers.
Eric Schmidt II
Vice President
Eric grew up in the Playground Industry. He began his career as a "Playground Fun Tester" as a kid. This helped to build an early understanding of how important it is for the customer & kids to be 100% safe and satisfied with their playground. You can usually find him reading, listening to music, or racing his father, Eric, to be the first person down the slide.
Andy Barlow
General Manager, VP
Andy helps bring happiness to children every day since joining PES as General Manager in 2018 and keeps the merry cadre of PES employees focused. Andy has a long successful history of operating both private and publicly held companies. He first obtained his Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) in 2019, and is factory certified with several leading international playground manufacturers.
Lisa Helmers
Operations Manager
Lisa is the Operations Manager for PES. Basically, PES would not be standing if it weren’t for Lisa’s organizational leadership. Lisa loves spending time with family including her husband, daughters and son but most of all her granddaughter, Evie.
Scott Hill
Graphics Operation Manager
Scott is the Graphic Operations Manager and Logistics Manager. He has a degree in Electronic Media and has been working a Playground Equipment Services for over 5 years. Scott enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and trying new food and beer.
Chris Shafer
Graphic Design
Chris is a playground designer and has worked at Playground Equipment Services for over two years. Chris enjoys spending time with his family, making music, and enjoys a good horror movie.
Dr. Tina Stanton, Ph.D
Consultant
Tina L. Stanton, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of the Early Childhood Education and Human Development and a Professor at the University of Cincinnati. Her research and teaching focuses on evidence-based strategies for supporting access to the general curriculum and promoting peer relationships and social interactions in school, community, and playground settings for children with autism, language impairments and behavior disorders.
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Baloo Schmidt
Head Dog Park Tester & Head of Security
Baloo has been with the company for over 4 years now. As the head of security and dog park testing, Baloo makes sure to bark at any airplanes that fly over the area, keeping us and other dogs in the area, safe from harms way. Baloo enjoys spending time with his best friends, Eric & Eric, as well as going on weekend cabin trips in Falmouth.
Fun Managers (Sales)
Having fun building better communities through learning, exercise, and play!
Director of Sales, VP
Rob Tebbe
Rob manages the merry band of Fun Managers at PES and PES Field Systems. He has had a long storied career in sales management mostly in the tech world. After landing at PES, he has become a playground and field turf geek. Rob and his wife, June, have two grown children, Lauren (husband AJ) and Nolan. He loves spending time with family, friends and golfing (if that’s what you want to call it).
Fun Manager
Perry Frey
Perry has over 30 years of sales and marketing experience including fifteen in the playground and surfacing industry. Perry enjoys working with the PES team to create recreation spaces for schools and communities using only the highest quality products and installation services. Perry graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Wittenberg University and resides in Cincinnati with his wife Sara and three children.
Fun Manager
Steve Stigler
Steve Stigler has been in sales for 38 years in the janitorial and sporting goods industries. He attended Colerain HS, Columbia State, and Xavier University. He has a wife, Kim, and five children. Danielle (Joe), Stephen, Sydney, Ryan, and Derek. He also has two grandchildren Violet and Leo. His passion is baseball and rock n roll music. He loves to play pickleball, ping pong, pool, and golf. Steve is excited to be involved with PES and wants to help you with finding a solution for your sport fields. Give him a call, text or email if you have any questions or want more information about Athletic Field Turf.
Fun Manager
Bob Smetana
Bob Smetana lives in Chardon, Ohio and heads up Sales in the northern Ohio area. Bob has an extensive professional Sales & Marketing background stemming from technology, manufacturing consulting and most recently helping communities with playgrounds, sports surfacing and recreation projects. Bob has 4 kids and enjoys life around his friends and family. He also enjoys golfing, camping, and boating. Bob will always be a great resource for any needs you may have large or small. He looks forward to helping kids to be challenged, enjoy social play, develop, and most of all- have fun!
Crew Leaders & Co.
The manpower behind the creation of fun. Our dedicated team members take pride in their work, as members of the PES Family, and as adults knowing the importance of fun.
Toluka
Head Crew Leader
Angel
Crew Leader
Cheech
Crew Leader
Todd
Crew Leader
Carmelo
Crew Leader