Southern Patio

Originally founded in 1979, Southern Patio, or Southern Edging as was the name at that time, was merely a supplier of wooden, lawn edging products. Soon after, with his strong mind-set of developing products to provide the greatest values in the world, owner and founder, Ken Harbaugh, expanded the business to producing swing and play sets; Southern Swings. In the early 1990’s, during a trip to China, the original Southern Butterfly Offset umbrella was designed. Not long after it was first manufactured, the umbrella caught the eye of a major retailer who then immediately put it into stores across the country. This was Southern’s first major breakthrough and it opened up the flood gates to their potential and product offering. What started as one umbrella turned into a whole line of lawn and garden products including, but not limited to, an expansive line of intricate and innovative planters. In 2001, the company began designing and manufacturing high quality planters constructed of PU foam. The following year, the patented FiberGlast™ planter and fountain lines were introduced. With so much growth happening, Southern opened a new warehouse location in Orangeburg, SC and, in 2007, expanded their design potential by building the “Innovation Lab.” The I-Lab then grew from one to nine designers in a matter of two years which has maximized design potential and helped Southern become a trend leader in the industry. 2008 brought the HDR line and currently, in 2009, Southern is proud to introduce their ceramic program. Though Southern has certainly been busy with a growing business, they feel that it is important to give back to those who are truly in need. For this reason, the Share God’s Love philanthropic organization was established for children in China. Through this program, Southern has contributed to educational growth by creating schools for school children. For more information on this organization, please see our Share God’s Love page.