About Us

Born to give back

Shelter Outdoor is devoted to offering the finest outdoor living solutions for the commercial market. Moreover, the company strives to support local and veteran charities through its business. Shelter Outdoor’s selection of commercial patio umbrellas, cabanas, and pergolas provides protection against the elements, while adding beauty and livability to outdoor spaces. With a variety of shade solutions, Shelter Outdoor ensures beautiful and state-of-the-art products to help you bring the indoors out and the outdoors in. Thomas Bongaerts began selling patio umbrellas at Beaufurn in 2012, and he quickly saw the potential of shade solutions on the commercial market. As the chief operating officer of Beaufurn at the time, he attended many trade shows and soon had the idea to present the pergola structure to the U.S. market. Thomas was already giving back in charitable support through Beaufurn; however, he saw the pergola as an opportunity to contribute to his community even more. So in 2016, he founded Shelter Outdoor to do just that.

As one of the first to introduce the motorized louvered roof pergola to the U.S. commercial market, Shelter Outdoor’s beginnings were far from easy. The idea of a motorized pergola to enhance outdoor spaces was somewhat foreign and getting people to see it as more than just a “cool idea” would prove to be a challenge. Thomas explains that “A major step for us was realizing that we were talking to the right design firms, but to the wrong people.” Understanding that the pergolas were more architectural in design and scope, Thomas sought to work closely with architects who also understood the potential impact of such structures. Today, Shelter Outdoor continues to work alongside architects, following products from the design concept phase all the way to the final installation.

Shelter Outdoor products have heavy European inspirations, as the motorized type pergola that the company excels in is already a mature industry in Western Europe. Many of the pergolas are designed and manufactured in Europe and brought over to be tailored to the domestic market. The products may get extra finishes, wall paneling, and the like in order to make them more palatable. Thomas elaborates on the process, saying, “Our idea is to translate the European experience and benefits for quality of life to the American market, not just in high end residential spaces, but in commercial spaces like restaurants, hotels, and multifamily developments.” As a company that embraces the outdoors, Shelter Outdoor also pushes for sustainability. By transforming spaces rather than tearing them down for new ones, Shelter Outdoor minimizes destruction and waste. Additionally, many of its structures are made from sustainable materials, such as aluminum. Clients can walk away confident in both the quality and the sustainability of what they receive from Shelter Outdoor.

The benefits of being outdoors are significant and many, and Shelter Outdoor has seen a stark shift regarding the treatment of outdoor spaces. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, Shelter Outdoor’s business more than doubled as companies and people began to change the way they budgeted for outdoor spaces, treating outdoor spaces as they would embellished interiors. People were reminded of the benefits of spending time outside and having permanent fixtures to facilitate hours among the outdoors, and there is now as much of a focus on outdoor areas as there would have been on inside amenities. Shelter Outdoor is thrilled to see the growing interest in quality outdoor time and hopes to give more people the chance to benefit from the outdoors, no matter where they are or how busy they may be. “The paradigm shift with how outdoor spaces are looked at by planners includes emphasis on the outdoors in general, but it’s also about adding this element of work-life balance,” Thomas says. “There’s been a significant change in culture to where more people actually want to be in a space where they can work outside.”

Creating employee amenities areas, or hangout spaces, is a major way Shelter Outdoor helps contribute to a healthy work-life balance. As Thomas puts it, “An outdoor employee amenities area gives people the option to get out of the office during work but also be in their own building. I think being outdoors is pretty crucial to human life. And thankfully, amenities areas are being adopted by corporations that recognize this.” Projects that Shelter Outdoor works on can range from rooftop bars for Google employees to outdoor dining areas for high schools. With a diverse client base, Shelter Outdoor structures are used by all kinds of companies. From apparel and dining, to insurance firms and hotels, Shelter Outdoor has got it covered rain or shine. Companies such as The Cheesecake Factory, Carrabbas, First Watch, Argo Group, P.F. Chang’s, Hilton, and many more feature products from Shelter Outdoor.

Shelter Outdoor continues to grow and innovate in the realm of outdoor living solutions. As part of the effort to support a healthy lifestyle for all walks of life, Shelter Outdoor has curated its collection to match different price points while maintaining the same build and high quality throughout. Moving forward, the company hopes to reach more people and make outdoor living more accessible. Thomas describes Shelter Outdoor’s outreach goals as being two-fold, “One, in the sense of how much we can give back with the blessing we’ve received, and on the other hand, being able to make a tremendous and positive impact on the way people design and use outdoor spaces.”

Our Mission

At Shelter Outdoor™ we are proud to provide the brilliantly designed solutions for guests to enjoy their outdoor living space; made with the best quality materials and finishes available in the market. We are passionate about creating the best solutions for you and your client, whether they be a home owner that enjoys functional accessibility to the outdoors ‘in all types of weather’, a restaurant client extending their outdoor dining season, or a hotel client to create a unique experience for their guests that cannot be found anywhere else!

Since first introducing Shelter Outdoor™ we have been blessed with great success in our market and our outdoor living solutions are being quickly adapted by commercial and high-end residential architects world-wide. We will continue to serve our customers with respect, integrity and ingenuity.

Our passion for what we do providing beautiful, comfortable outdoor shelters, extends beyond a commercial endeavor – it is part of our DNA. We believe we are called to be good stewards of the blessings that God has given us; therefore we donate 10% of profits to charitable organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Samaritan Ministries, Winston-Salem Rescue Mission and A Storehouse for Christ Foodbank, all of whom work tirelessly to ensure that the struggling families in our community have a roof over their heads and food to eat every day.