OUTDOOR LIVING COMES HOME
Local, family-run company brings innovation and turns on the style
Richard Bockner trades in people’s memories. Some of life’s best memories, to be precise. He helps create and recreate them and, most importantly, let’s his customers bring them home.
“Many of the fondest memories that people have – honeymoons, weddings or family get-togethers – are outside,” says Bockner, founder and owner of ARD Outdoor, an exterior furniture manufacturer and retailer in Toronto. “We all enjoy being outside, looking at scenery, sitting on the beach, sitting by the pool. And so often you find these moments were shared on casual furniture – often inspired by beautiful hotels, resorts and golf clubs all over the world.”
At their east end plant Bockner and his team of designers strive to capture the spirit of these cherished moments in their creations – custommade outdoor furnishings.
While their signature designs and materials are innovative – from quick-dry foam and recycled resin to concrete and weather-resistant polyethylene (PE) wicker – Bockner’s family is by no means new on the scene. Quite the opposite. ARD Outdoor is a division of the family owned and operated wholesaler Cana-Foam Products, which has been manufacturing in Toronto since 1964. Leveraging expertise that has amassed over decades, ARD Outdoor is now a global player with a portfolio of clients that boasts some of the world’s leading hotels – including Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Kimpton, Hyatt, Wynn, Breakers and Hilton to name a few – as well as resorts, cruise lines, golf clubs, wineries and event facilities.
BROWSING FOR DREAMS
At the retail showroom on Dufferin Avenue, shoppers browse beneath massive cantilever umbrellas and past elegant sectionals that defy their “outdoor” characterization – with an eye to creating their own luxury-inspired dream oasis.
For Bockner, the third-generation owner, the evolution to a full-menu of outdoor furnishings for commercial and private residences makes perfect sense. “We started the company over 50 years ago with patio cushions and now have evolved to patio sets and all outdoor accessories,” he says. “When we originally began our offering was catered to specific demographics, and now we cross every demographic who is looking for outdoor furniture.”
Bockner believes his customers appreciate that ARD Outdoor isn’t merely buying pieces and selling pieces. “We’ve had hospitality directed divisions for over 20 years. So we’ve got decades of designs and experience in our back pocket. We are really trying to think of who our customer is and what we can design for them,” he says. “I think that’s what makes us a little bit more unique. Our customers aren’t looking for something out of a box. Nor do they need to choose from what we currently have in stock: we’ll create the look that they’re trying to achieve.”
STYLE GOES OUTSIDE
Bockner says the tenet of customization is driven by innovation – and the search for inspiration isn’t restricted to the out-of-doors. “When I go to hotels, I’m always looking at the indoor furniture to get some ideas – trying to find new materials, new features, new styles, and anything that gives the customer an added benefit or that looks a little bit different.”
Ultimately, he asks himself, how can I take a creative piece that’s seen inside a hotel and redesign it for outside?
That method has its challenges, he admits. It’s one thing to create beautiful furniture – but every design needs to clear the durability hurdle: can it withstand the punishing effects of sun, salt, ice, snow, wind and huge temperature changes?
For the ARD Outdoor customer, discovering style that’s also durable is a given. The true differentiator for them, says Bockner, is that each piece has its own story. Whether it’s a design cue unearthed during a trip to Thailand or an unusual use of teak, customers want to own a custom creation they won’t see in five other backyards in their neighbourhood.
“It’s not that creative if you just redesign the same chair you’ve had in the line for 15 years,” says Bockner. “Yes, it looks good. But our customers come to us because they also expect something unique.”
Paying attention to who you’re designing for is a cornerstone of customization – and that is reflected in the diversity of ARD Outdoor’s creations. “Toronto, as we all know, is a very multi-cultural population,” says Bockner. “Everybody has their own style and their own taste. I think that’s why our store, for the average consumer, is far more appealing because there is a lot more to discover.”
AN ENDURING PASSION
Bockner attributes the firm’s longevity to passion. “From a young age I was passionate about the design and production of outdoor furniture,” says Bockner, who recalls running around his family’s booth at the Toronto Home Show as a child. “In those days, I watched my grandfather and father work, and now my kids watch my dad and I along with our team of talented designers.”
Bockner’s team, which includes a knowledgeable and highly trained showroom staff, draws on not only the experience of two previous generations of Bockners, but also on the expertise of current artisans – some who’ve been with the company for 35 years. “They love what they do and so do we. When we see these items installed in people’s backyards, on the beach, or at beautiful hotel pools, we know we’ve put a great deal into that. For me, I think the willingness to keep trying to achieve that comes from the fact that I’ve been surrounded by it my entire life.”
LOCAL TO GLOBAL
ARD Outdoor products are particularly popular among Snowbirds, as the company delivers to vacation homes all over the world. And Bockner is incredibly proud to be Toronto-based manufacturer with that international reach. “To have a 50-year-old company which is still manufacturing locally and still offering the customer both wholesale and retail – I think that’s is pretty unique.”
Bockner says he doesn’t consider his showroom as a patio store, but instead as an extension of the inside of the customer’s home. “Everybody’s home to them is as luxurious as they can make it. For us, when you walk in you don’t have a choice of two or three different options,” he says. “We are trying to give you 10 to 15 options. After all, they’re looking for something that’s a little bit out of the box or a little bit different,” he says. “That’s what we keep trying to provide for them.”
ARD Outdoor has become a magnet for savvy consumers who’ve experienced luxury at high-end resorts around the world, and want to create or enhance an outdoor space that hinges on quality. They recognize ARD Outdoor as a source for high-performance outdoor textiles. They appreciate a knowledgeable staff. And they understand they’re getting a level of workmanship that sees everything cut and sewn locally – for over 50 years. Ultimately they know they’re making a sound purchase.
“Every single customer is important to us, whether they’re walking through the door for the first time or a renowned international designer,” says Bockner. “For the individual customer, we’re talking about their home, so it doesn’t get any more personal or important than that. That’s why our offering is so comprehensive – everything from collaboration on space planning and layouts to helping select just the right colours.”
The ideal setting, in others words, to make lasting memories.