Who We Are

Wouldn't shredded wood fibers be a better horse training surface than dirt or sand? The question occurred to company founder Robert Heath, because, as an avid horseman, he saw that conventional surfaces were hard on horses' legs. Wood fiber, on the other hand, was naturally springy, good to look at, and never turned to mud. The next step was development work that eventually resulted in Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF), which he called "Fibar." That was in 1979. Within five years, the company turned Heath's idea into a thriving business, which has supplied the surfacing for thousands of horse facilities across the United States and Canada.

In 1986 came a second idea: If Engineered Wood Fiber was good for the fragile legs of horses, why wouldn't it be the ideal safety surface for playgrounds to cushion and help attenuate falls. The hunch proved right. Tests conducted through the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) showed that Fibar® Engineered Wood Fiber absorbed shock not only better, but much better than sand, grass, dirt, or gravel. Fibar was now a proven safety surface for playground equipment.

The company immediately set about building a team of playground safety surface experts. The company developed the FibarSystem, which added a patented, built-in drainage system and heavy-duty wear mats to the Engineered Wood Fiber, so kids could play after it rains and installations would last longer. It added a 25-year Warranty and liability insurance. It built a nationwide network of over 100 sales representatives and was soon installing thousands of playground surfaces every year.

The Fibar Group, LLC, has grown to be one of the leading suppliers of playground surfaces in the U.S., with over 75,000 installations in North America. Along the way, the company has continued to strengthen its professional staff and has established a formal set of Fibar Values, emphasizing Integrity, Respect, and Customer Loyalty.

Fibar now offers a full line of playground surfaces to meet every design challenge and every budget. Other product offerings include FibarPIP (Poured-in-Place rubber), which allows for free-form seamless designs in a broad range of colors, and FibarIndoor play surfaces, made of virgin foam with an impervious carpet across the top. Continuing the Fibar tradition, both meet government standards for impact protection and accessibility.