Bradford Products: Celebrating 30 Years of Durable, Desirable Stainless Steel

Bradford Products (Bradford) is the nation’s leader in design and fabrication of custom stainless steel aquatic vessels, Spa Experience Relaxation Rooms, and water features. The company employs a team of engineers, fabricators and designers to produce innovative products that are as beautiful as they are functional. The company’s longstanding reputation for innovation and excellence has been built on the foundation of providing clients with cutting-edge manufacturing technology, skilled craftsman assembly, and professional installation.

The secret lies in precision fabrication and the quality of stainless steel utilized by Bradford, which imparts each and every product with the durability to live up to its 25-year warranty. In addition, this stainless steel construction reduces the structural requirements to support the vessel, allowing for elevated installations to attain a lightweight, durable solution. Above all, Bradford takes pride in its team’s ability to invest equally in the success of any given project and collaborate closely with the client to deliver truly custom, high-quality products.

Bradford maintains headquarters and a manufacturing facility in Wilmington, N.C., and the company supplies its products to clients domestically and internationally. Dale Brodeur Sr., CEO and founder of Bradford, began his career as a welder before venturing out on his own to produce a durable stainless steel spa. Those first products were so well received that Brodeur established Bradford in 1982, paving the way for an entire product line of stainless steel aquatic vessels, water features and swimming pools. Bradford’s management team is now comprised of over 100 years of combined manufacturing and aquatic experience, and the family-owned company is led by four Brodeurs: Dale Sr., Dale Jr. (president), Mike (vice president) and David (fabrication manager).

Today, the company produces five main categories of product: swimming pools, hot tubs, spa experience, water features and hydrotherapy products. Bradford produces products for both commercial and residential applications and products can be built to arrive on site ready to install, depending on the size of the product. Bradford has been responsible for all manner of refined features including rooftop pools, relaxation rooms, temperature-controlled plunge pools and a variety of other innovative water-related products for resort properties by Starwood, Trump, MGM and Four Seasons, just to name a few. All projects are engineered for longevity, corrosion resistance and long-term structural rigidity.

Every project begins with a close consultation, where Bradford employees work directly with clients and architects to establish aesthetics, budget and production schedule. Bradford utilizes state-of-the-art 3-D modeling software to design its products, and shop drawings go through a rigorous round of CAD engineering before being handed off to the company’s manufacturing team. This team uses advanced technologies including CNC laser cutting equipment to cut the stainless steel with surgical precision to within 0.001-inch tolerances. The pieces are then assembled and welded together by Bradford’s team of American Welding Society-certified technicians. The laser cut assures maximum yield from every sheet of environmentally responsible, sustainable stainless steel. Any excess is recycled.

Signature Stainless Steel

Bradford’s signature stainless steel pool serves as the best solution for rooftop and elevated applications that require the lasting reliability needed to prevent costly repairs and leak damage that can be associated with concrete pools. Like all Bradford’s products, these pools are made using durable, low-maintenance high-grade stainless steel that also helps the pool weigh a minimum of three times less than a traditionally built swimming pool of the same size. Bradford’s pool can be installed on grade, above grade, or in ground depending on the client’s specifications. The pools can be finished in nondirectionally buffed stainless steel, full custom tile, or a combination of the two; whatever the client sees fit to their design intent.

The pool can be delivered on site in one preplumbed, prefabricated piece and craned into place if possible. If not, Bradford will work with the client to install the pool on site. In all cases, Bradford guarantees that, with proper maintenance, the pool will not crack, peel, corrode, delaminate, discolor, break or leak to the point of perforation for 25 years. Bradford’s pools provide a lightweight construction advantage with watertight welded reliability. Prefabricated sections or entirely assembled pools can be installed more quickly, greatly reducing the on-site construction time and installation costs. Stainless steel pools are the most effective solutions for projects with challenging environments, shorter installations and structural restrictions.

Bradford applies the same attention to detail when working on residential products as well. A residential stainless steel spa remains one of Bradford’s bestselling products, and the company has branched out to also produce a line of hydrotherapy vessels, such as soaking tubs, hot-cold bruise tanks, and even tubs designed specifically for aquatic physical therapy exercises.

Total Relaxation

Whether commercial or residential, Bradford takes pride in pushing the boundaries of innovation, as was the case when the company launched the Spa Experience line of products. The line utilizes the same durable stainless steel materials to create signature spa products like ice fountains, heated loungers and benches and the Experience Shower, which comes equipped with a touchscreen LED control panel to regulate everything from ambient lighting and aromatherapy to the temperature and pressure of the shower spray.

Bradford was recently contracted to supply a range of pools and spa products for the New Doha International Airport in Doha, Qatar. The property will replace the existing Doha International Airport just five kilometers away as increasing passenger traffic and cargo levels have outgrown the existing facility. The New Doha International Airport has been conceived of as an oasis in the desert, complete with ample luxury retail amenities, two 100-room luxury hotels, a public mosque and a health spa, outfitted with many of Bradford’s products. In total, Bradford supplied a men’s lap pool, men’s and women’s spas, a reflecting pool, six water features and a waterfall feature.

Bradford continues to expand the line of spa products to include more specialty items for complete hydrotherapy circuits, steam rooms, specialty soaking pools and hammams, also known as Turkish baths. Bradford previously supplied steam rooms, saunas and experience showers to the Four Seasons Baltimore spa. The company has also provided hammams, laconiums, heated loungers and vitality tubs for the award-winning Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Las Vegas. Additionally, Bradford will continue development on a line of yacht spas designed specifically for mega-yachts.

Bradford celebrates its 30-year anniversary in 2012, and the company eye for innovation and extensive technical capabilities will ensure the Bradford Products name continues to stand for high-performance, high-quality and low-maintenance aquatic vessels with unlimited possibilities.