ABOUT US
THE STORY OF NSP PARK SERVICES
With a combined 50 years of sales and installation experience in the Parks & Recreation industry, Julie Gardner and Steve Larson saw a growing need for maintenance and project management with their customers. This observation led to NSP Park Services, a company with the mission to enable safer play every day by easing some of the burden off of overtasked and understaffed organizations.
Our name is simple, but meaningful. It stands for Never Stop Playing, the motto of Steve’s dad. Larry Larson was diagnosed with inoperable stage IV pancreatic cancer and lung cancer in February 2011. Though told he would have no more than a month to live, Larry was determined to keep playing. The ultimate competitor, Larry was still leading the golf league more than two years after his original diagnosis.
Immediately after his diagnosis, Larry’s friend Dick had a custom memorial golf bench created with Larry’s name and the words “Never Stop Playing.” According to Larry, “Dick said he got tired of carrying that bench in his truck for two years, so he just dropped it off. I’m probably the only living person to sit on his own memorial bench!” The bench still sits in front of the clubhouse of their local golf course. Larry passed away in January 2014, nearly three years after he was given a month to live. His memory and zest for life lives on, and we are honored to carry this passion for play into our company.
Click here to read Larry’s story in his own words. Only a month to live – Celebrate Life Magazine (clmagazine.org)
JULIE GARDNER
Julie has been in the Parks & Recreation industry for over 30 years. She is very well known among top equipment manufactures for running one of the best playground equipment installation companies in the industry. Her passion for doing things right, along with her care for the safety of children make for a perfect combination.
STEVE LARSON
Steve has been in the Parks and Recreation Industry since 2010 and has held his CPSI certification for three terms. Working in a Sales and Territory Manager capacity both on a national and regional level, Steve has worked hand in hand with customers planning and designing projects, and finding solutions through effective communication. Through these relationships, Steve has witnessed the changing dynamics that have come about since the Covid pandemic with staffing shortages that his customers are facing. It is partially from this realization, that led to the creation of NSP Park Services.
Steve is also co-founder of the cloud based Cognicio software platform that addresses needs managing preventive maintenance, asset management and mobile form based inspections. This software is primarily sold currently in the parks & recreation and school markets for managing playground maintenance. http://www.cognicio.com
NEVER STOP PLAYING
