It was an ordinary chair at an ordinary blackjack table at a long-forgotten Las Vegas casino. But because it wobbled when Gary Platt sat on it, the furniture salesman took notice.
“I was wondering why it was so uncomfortable, given that the idea is to get somebody in a comfortable seat and keep them there,” Platt told CDC Gaming in 2021. “I could see it was an expensive stool, but it just wasn’t what it should be. As a salesman, my blood pressure went up.”
That rickety stool launched a career as one of the innovators in casino furnishings. Although he doesn’t own Gary Platt Manufacturing, Platt’s stellar reputation has helped the company become a premier seating provider for the gaming industry.
Wednesday, Gary Platt announced Platt has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Las Vegas Magazine.
“It’s our privilege to recognize Gary Platt as a Lifetime Achievement honoree,” said Las Vegas Magazine Editor Ken Miller in a statement. “Las Vegas is a city that practically invented the perfect entertainment experience, and Gary’s innovative ideas are a huge part of that evolution. We can’t imagine a more deserving candidate for this special honor.”
“I am utterly thrilled and pleased to be considered and then selected for this award for the casino industry,” Platt said in a statement. “I had ideas and problems mentioned to me when comfortable and durable casino seating was in its infancy, and with the help of Leonard Einhorn and Bob Yabroff at our factory, we found solutions. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. Lucky me!”
Platt’s first design was sketched on a yellow pad for a gaming supply executive-a 12-inch-by-12-inch seat with straight legs, carefully designed to fit the narrow confines of the era’s slot aisles. Since then, Gary Platt Manufacturing has hand-crafted more than a million chairs for casinos around the world.
“Gary’s vision continues to inspire us all at Gary Platt Manufacturing,” said Gary Platt CEO Joe Esposito in a statement. “We keep asking ‘why,’ pursuing ever-higher levels of comfort, pushing ourselves to make the world’s most comfortable chairs for our customers and their guests. It’s an honor to continue his legacy.”
