In 1986, Lifetime Products was launched in a backyard to build a better basketball system. This decision resulted in “the first adjustable height basketball hoop that could be raised or lowered in just seconds,” which the company says “transformed the basketball industry by allowing players of all ages and skill levels to play on the same system.” The Utah manufacturer grew into a leading producer of basketball hoops systems and branched out into plastic folding tables, driven by “this same passion for continuous improvement and challenging conventional manufacturing techniques.” Its blow-molded, polyethylene table model overtook the heavy wooden banquet tables of the time.
Since the turn of the century, the company has been at the forefront of innovation in its product categories. In 2000, then-sales manager Clint Morris described the table’s competitive advantage: “The leg-to-table connection is a feature offered only by Lifetime. This connection gives our table a longer life. All other manufacturers attach the legs and bracing directly to the underside of the table. In time, the bolts are stripped from the wood, and the table is destroyed.” Likewise, a plastic chair with a curved seat and back was a rejection of the traditional chairs of the time, according to then-associate manager of Market Research, Eric Szymanski, who said that competitors’ chairs were “actually flat, with padding that is too thin to make a real difference in comfort.” The company continues to innovate with products, including picnic tables, outdoor storage sheds, a variety of garden and patio equipment, kayaks and paddleboards, and even metal playground equipment.
Photo Courtesy Lifetime Products
The impact of these manufacturing operations in Utah cannot be understated. In 2011, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Davis County, and Clearfield City offered tax credits that enabled Lifetime to invest $41 million into expanding its plastics manufacturing facility. Then-Governor Gary Herbert reflected, “It is exciting to see that after serious competition from other national and international locations, Lifetime has decided to expand in its home state of Utah. Competition is fierce for high-quality manufacturing jobs and high-quality manufacturers like Lifetime. Once again, Utah’s welcoming business environment and its dedicated and productive workforce have proved an irresistible combination.”
Over the following decade, Lifetime promised not only to retain its existing workforce in the state but also to add 142 new full-time jobs with salaries above 125% of the local average in Davis County, with an expected $46 million in workforce payments. Clearfield Mayor Don Wood added, “Lifetime Products has always been a great corporate citizen and community partner. Their willingness to make this substantial investment in our community speaks to their commitment to the families of northern Utah. We are excited to see a lot of new job positions over the next few years.”
In just the first year, the company hired 130 people, its plastics capacity increased by around 20 percent, and it became the largest blow-molded facility of its kind in North America at 3.2 million square feet. After a factory tour in 2012, Governor Herbert said, “Lifetime Products is a great example of a homegrown Utah business competing successfully in a global marketplace. Their commitment to innovation and providing quality products keeps hundreds of Utahns employed and helps drive our state economy forward.”
Photo Courtesy Lifetime Products
It would not be the only expansion in Clearfield seen in that decade. In 2020, Lifetime added a 670,000-square-foot facility, about the size of 111 football fields, to serve as its primary shipping location for major domestic and international retailers, including Costco, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, and Walmart. “As we break ground on this new state of the art warehouse,” former President & CEO Richard Hendrickson said, “we are once again demonstrating our commitment to manufacturing in the USA, and developing innovative new products at a value price which bring families together. We are demonstrating our commitment to providing opportunities for customers, our suppliers, and most importantly, jobs and opportunities for our people.” The building was renamed the Richard D. Hendrickson Lifetime Distribution Center after he passed away in 2024, in honor of his impact. It also underscores the company’s continued legacy and recognition as an important exporter, earlier highlighted by an Export Achievement Award from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce in 2002 and an Exporter of the Year Award in 2009 from ThinkGlobal, the publisher of the U.S. Commerce Department’s official export promotion magazine.
The company takes great pride in its products being made in America. “As a proud U.S. manufacturer of 1,600 strong, we strive to manufacture products where it makes sense,” Hendrickson said in 2014. “Making products domestically allows us to take better care of our people and their families, shorten our lead times, improve our quality quicker, and ultimately get a product to the consumer at the lowest possible price, shortest amount of lead time, and least amount of waste throughout the process.” The following year, the company supported Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) introduction of the Reinforcing American-Made Products Act (S. 1518), with Henrickson adding that it was important for people working in the U.S. to see the ‘Made in U.S.A.’ label: “I am convinced that a federal standard is not only essential to help U.S. companies thrive, but I also think it’s equally important that U.S. employees can see their stamp on the work they’ve done.”
Photo Courtesy Lifetime Products
Throughout its entire journey, the company has always supported its employees and local communities. For example, Lifetime’s policy states that it will always retain positions when workers are on military leave. Hendrickson reflected, “We are proud to have employees serve and return safely back to the job and opportunities they have left behind. We do whatever necessary to make their transition home as seamless as possible.” The Lifetime Store, the company’s official outlet store, has often hosted a “Salute Our Troops” event on Memorial Day, with proceeds donated to the Utah Military Families Foundation (UMFF), which supports 80,000 military families throughout Utah. Between 2010 and 2012, it raised more than $4,000. Then-Store Manager Nate Ashby said, “This event is a way for us to give back and honor our local military men and women and their families – including those at our neighboring Hill Air Force Base – that sacrifice for our community and our country.”
Photo Courtesy Lifetime Products
Lifetime has also supported other causes, including donations to organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah and the Utah Food Bank. Particularly touching was its donation of more than 20 tables to the Ogden School District, providing workspace for students merging into Edison Elementary after a fire destroyed another local elementary school. Then-Products Communications Manager Jan Claborn noted, “To be able to step in and help a local organization that is in such a desperate, tragic situation is what being a good neighbor is all about.”
Moreover, Lifetime has also played an active role in protecting the local environment. Annual community service projects feature hundreds of employees contributing to the common good while earning a credit toward a profit-sharing program that returns a percentage of revenues to employees. One year featured a large-scale beautification project at Steed Park, with employees picking up trash and trimming trees, saving Clearfield City more than $31,000. Another included the construction of a new mile-long hiking trail, with then-Mayor of Ogden City, Matthew Godfrey, describing the project as “imperative to making our trail system inviting and accessible to all our residents.” Later projects saw employees refurbishing the Ogden Nature Center and the Utah State University Botanical Center by removing rocks and weeds, painting fences, and even planting potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, and corn for the latter’s Food Pantry Garden program. Plus, in 2013, the company held its first annual Kayak Fishing Tournament at Strawberry Reservoir.
Photo Courtesy Lifetime Products
Lifetime is no stranger to energy efficiency, either. The company participates in Rocky Mountain Power’s energy efficiency program, helping save money and electricity by optimizing equipment like the blow motors, which run 24 hours per day, five to six days per week. Between 2019 and 2024, the company completed more than 20 projects, saving $462,000 on energy bills. Nathan Brough, a manufacturing engineer, explained, “We all need to take our part and try to conserve energy where we can. We want to keep things as efficient as we can and value our resources.”
