Fred Caslavka

~ Fred Caslavka, Chief Financial Officer, Landscape Structures, Inc.

Fred Caslavka's job is child's play.A former Drake University wrestling star, Caslavka is the chief financial officer of Landscape Structures Inc., the Delano company that is one of the world's largest makers of playground equipment.

Landscape Structures sold $85 million worth of playground systems last year, primarily for use by children ages 5 to 12 at schools and municipal parks.The company's structures have been installed on more than 25,000 playgrounds worldwide, including Japan, the Pacific Rim, Europe and Canada.

Caslavka said the company's goal, though, isn't to become the biggest player in the industry, but to offer the safest and most creative equipment that consumers can find.Innovation, in particular, can be difficult - and a bit risky - in a business that some critics accuse of "dumbing down" playgrounds because manufacturers are afraid of being sued in product liability cases.

"We have to strike a difficult balance between creating fun and taking an acceptable level of risk," Caslavka said.

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Caslavka said 13 percent of Landscape Structures' revenue is generated from international sales.

Caslavka grew up in North Liberty, Iowa, and attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on a full-ride wrestling scholarship, graduating in 1984 with a business degree in corporate finance, operations management and accounting.

He worked for accounting firms in Omaha, Neb., and Minneapolis before joining Bloomington-based Browning-Ferris Industries of Minnesota Inc. in late 1988 as accounting manager for its portable sanitation division.

When the company wanted him to transfer to Houston, Caslavka looked for a job that would keep him and his family in the Twin Cities.He joined Landscape Structures as controller in July 1991 and was named the company's first CFO in 1997.Accountants on Call and the Institute of Management Accountants awarded him its regional Financial Executive of the Year Award in 1998.

Caslavka said he was attracted to Landscape Structures because of the reputation of the Kings and because the firm was profitable and had a sound balance sheet.Besides, Caslavka said, he was tired of working at larger companies.

"I wasn't walking into a distressed situation," he said."Working here has exceeded my expectations."

Copyright © 2001 Finance and Commerce. All rights reserved.

Fred Caslavka, Chief Financial Officer, Landscape Structures Inc.
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Fred Caslavka, Chief Financial Officer, Landscape Structures Inc.

Fred Caslavka is chief financial officer of Landscape Structures Inc., the nation's leading manufacturer of high-quality playground equipment for schools, municipal parks, and child care centers.

Mr. Caslavka's responsibilities as CFO include accounting, finance, risk management, and M.I.S. Prior to joining Landscape Structures in 1991, Caslavka was an assistant regional controller with BFI, and also held positions with Touche Ross & Co. and Coopers and Lybrand.He holds a bachelor's degree from Drake University and is licensed as a CMA and a CPA.

According to CFO Fred Caslavka, CPA, the privately held manufacturer of playground equipment in Delano, Minnesota, has "had some big successes" from applying lean manufacturing processes to its business.
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"We underestimate the difficulty of interpreting financial information," says Caslavka of Landscape Structures.
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For instance, Caslavka of Landscape Structures increased the level of detail on sales discounts.

Presenters: Mark Boll of Apogee Enterprises, Len Crouse of Vermont, Molly Lambert of VCIA, Fred Caslavka of Landscape Structures Inc., and Micheal Hulsey of States Self-Insurers RRG