Yellow Jackets' Fans Welcome New Bleachers

When Black Hills State University wanted to upgrade its outdated balcony bleacher seating from old wooden risers to demountable equipment, it turned to a Sourcewell-awarded vendor and scored points all around.

Staging Concepts in Minneapolis, Minnesota – a Sourcewell-awarded vendor – worked with the university to help determine and design the best possible solution for the space.

According to Blake Stromme, Midwest Regional Sales Manager for Staging Concepts, BHSU’s purchasing department was required to utilize a purchasing cooperative. Through its Sourcewell contract, Staging Concepts was able to move forward with the agreed-upon concept and created not only a new seating arrangement, but also an experience.

For more than 40 years, spectators at the Donald E. Young Center on the BHSU campus sat on wooden bleachers. Now, when watching the Yellow Jackets in action, they have the experience of a new, demountable bleacher system. This $76,000 project provided not only a sleek, industrial aesthetic but also gives the space a modernized facelift versus the old wood bleachers.

Stromme notes the newly provided equipment not only provides a safer, code-compliant system but allows for flexibility within the space as the equipment is fully demountable and can be wheeled away into storage while the space is used for different events.