The Materials We Work With
.All of Parcel’s products are constructed with premium, carefully selected, and responsibly sourced materials. At their core, all our products use steel for their structure, but our portfolio of designs fall into two categories: products with wood surfaces and those that use resin.
Our Wood Products
With a focus on environmental sustainability and supply reliability, we chose Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), a species native to the Southern United States. SYP complements our product’s contemporary aesthetic with a natural, outdoorsy character that weathers and changes over time.
SYP is the fastest-growing commercially harvested tree in North America, capable of reaching up to 100 feet within 30 years, and it has been sustainably managed across the South for more than six decades.
Beyond its proven sustainability, SYP is strong, stiff, and dense. Traditionally used in structural applications, it has also long been favored for flatbed truck trailer floors due to its exceptional durability.
Because our products are designed for outdoor use, we take additional steps during manufacturing. Boards are treated with a water-based antibacterial solution and kiln-dried twice to deter rot and improve dimensional stability.
We also carefully select straight-grain boards. These cuts display linear grain across their entire width and length, with no knots. Furniture makers have historically prized straight-grain lumber for its visual clarity and long-term stability.
Key Features & Benefits of Wood
• Highly sustainable, domestically harvested renewable resource
• Double kiln-dried for dimensional stability
• Straight-grain aesthetic without any knots
• Ultra-low VOC, UV-resistant finish in five colors
• Will not rot and can be refinished to extend product life
Our Resin Products
As Parcel expanded into a wide range of markets, we saw a need to supply a product as robust as our wood collection with innovative materials that deliver truly carefree, tough-as-nails durability in any application.
Many outdoor furniture products rely on plastics that are non-recyclable, brittle, and become chalky with prolonged sun exposure. Others use wood-substitute composites that are heavily textured, porous, and made from mixtures of organic fillers and low grade polymers.
We chose pure high-density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE belongs to a widely recycled family of resins commonly used in food-service applications—such as cutting boards and milk jugs—as well as high-demand environments like synthetic ice rinks and traffic cones.
The recipe of the resin we use is a unique, advanced virgin material that delivers exceptional stiffness, flatness, and consistency—qualities essential for premium furniture. It is produced domestically and was originally formulated for marine environments, meaning it is engineered to withstand the harshest conditions.
Key Features & Benefits of Resin
• Lightly textured matte finish
• Superior scratch and impact resistance
• Exceptionally rigid construction
• Food-safe
• Compatible with QUAT sanitizers or diluted bleach cleaners
• Class A fire resistance or antimicrobial options available
• Will not rot, corrode, or delaminate, and never require refinishing
A Foundation of Steel
Whether wood or resin, every Parcel product relies on steel structures engineered for long-term performance in demanding outdoor environments.
Steel is strong, durable, and heavy—qualities that specifiers value when designing for high-use, high-abuse settings. We use a lot of it. A Parcel armchair weighs 24 pounds, while a large picnic table weighs more than 350 pounds. Our table legs are constructed from 11-gauge structural steel tubing and ¼-inch steel plate. Our furniture is built to last.
To protect our materials, we use multiple advanced coating processes. Some steel components are treated with electrophoretic painting, a corrosion-prevention technique perfected in the automotive industry. All components are then top-coated with a polyester powder coating specifically formulated for outdoor architectural applications.
Our attention to detail extends to the smallest components. Most of our hardware is made from 316 or 18-8 stainless steel—corrosion-resistant alloys commonly used in food preparation and outdoor environments. We also design and fabricate our own glides. Each leg is fitted with a solid UHMW polyethylene glide, securely anchored with screws.
Our Approach to Business
We are an independent, family-owned business based in Davenport, Iowa. Our products are designed and built in-house, with the vast majority of raw materials, components, and services sourced from partners across the Great Plains, the Midwest, and the South.
With roots in the contract furniture industry dating back to the 1990s, we founded Parcel in 2019 with the goal of carving out our own niche—one grounded in craftsmanship, community investment, and a commitment to creating durable, responsible, and honest products.
We continuously seek out the best partners to help us produce and market high-quality outdoor furniture. If you’re interested in joining us in that pursuit, we’d love to hear from you.
