About Bretford Manufacturing
About Bretford Manufacturing
Bretford Manufacturing was founded in 1948 by brothers Russ and Edward Petrick in Franklin Park, Illinois, where the company remains headquartered more than 75 years later. What began as a general metal furniture shop grew into a specialist in technology-enabled products as schools, offices, and healthcare facilities needed furniture built around the devices they house.
Bretford's product range includes laptop and Chromebook charging carts, mobile power stations, AV carts, mounts, lecterns, and storage and charge solutions designed specifically for shared device fleets. The company's engineering focus is on safely managing power distribution, cable routing, and device security at scale, rather than furniture alone.
Bretford serves education, business, and healthcare customers who need to charge, store, and transport dozens or hundreds of devices between uses. On ChatMRO, facilities and IT procurement teams can search by device count, cart capacity, or charging standard to find the right cart or mount without digging through a spec sheet.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Bretford's charging carts and mobile power stations?
Charging carts are designed to store, secure, and simultaneously charge a fleet of laptops or tablets, typically for classrooms or shared device pools. Mobile power stations, by contrast, are smaller units meant to provide portable power access to individual users in open workspaces or event spaces.
How many devices can a Bretford charging cart hold?
Bretford charging carts are available in a range of capacities, commonly from around 20 units up to 40 or more devices per cart, depending on the model. The right capacity depends on your classroom or department size and whether you need a cart that can also be used as a mobile cart for moving devices between rooms.
Are Bretford carts compatible with Chromebooks and iPads?
Yes, Bretford designs many of its charging cart models to be device-agnostic, with adjustable compartments and standard power strips that accommodate Chromebooks, laptops, and tablets including iPads. Some models offer device-specific configurations if you need a closer fit for a single device type.
Does Bretford make furniture beyond charging carts?
Yes, Bretford also manufactures AV carts, mounts, lecterns, easels, privacy screens, and standing or seated workstations built with the same technology-integration philosophy as its charging products. Many of these products are designed to pair with Bretford carts in classroom or conference room layouts.
Who typically buys Bretford charging and AV furniture?
Bretford's primary customers are K-12 and higher education IT and facilities departments, along with corporate and healthcare organizations managing shared device fleets. Procurement teams often buy in bulk ahead of a school year or office technology refresh, which is where ChatMRO's bulk quantity search helps streamline sourcing.