Growing up on the northwest side of Chicago, the rules are simple – be loyal to those who are loyal you, stand up for what’s right and give a guy a break. These rules are the foundation on which John Cederlund has built a sports field and playground business while helping to change the life of many other city kids.
A better way
College wasn’t his future, so after high school John went to work for a Chicago area landscaping firm. During his years with the company, John learned the landscaping business from dirt to desk. He did well but wasn’t comfortable with the business relationships he observed. “I knew I could be nice in this business and still make a lot of money,” John says. So, in 1991, he moved to Union, Illinois, to start his own playground and sports field building company, Team REIL, (REIL stands for ‘retire early in life”) with the goal of blending business success and personal kindness.
No-cost design
Located in a rural area, Team REIL specializes in site prep and construction of playgrounds and recreation areas for municipal and state agencies in Illinois, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Other clients include residential developers who include build playgrounds first as part of a neighborhood’s amenities.
When John bids on a project, his proposal includes the project design, all recreational equipment such as playground apparatus, site amenities and synthetic turf, as well as site prep and landscaping materials and labor. If the client accepts the bid and uses Team REIL’s services, John refunds the cost of the design work.
John includes the project design for several reasons. “Our turnkey bids lower the overall cost of the project because there are fewer layers of decisions for our customers. This is important for municipal and state projects that require multiple sign-offs because fewer decisions mean faster completion times,” John says.
By adding the complementary design work and supplying the recreation equipment to his bid, John eliminates cost and time overruns that can happen when independently purchased equipment doesn’t fit the overall project design.
