Frank Jacobs, back in 1958, recognized the fact that table bases weren't pretty. They might have been sturdy; they might have been effective; but they certainly were not something that you would want under the table.  However, back then, chunky, clunky, and unsightly didn't seem to be an issue. There wasn't a restaurant on every street corner vying for the customers. There was about to be a shift.

Frank saw that people put their feet on the table bases, because there wasn't a clear foot space. He noticed that building a table base out of cast iron and steel was sturdy and reliable. He also knew that it could be made better. Hence, the now-standard, pedestal table base was born. Experience and research has made our table bases the best product out there.

• People now can straddle the base rather than putting their feet on it. Prevents scuffing and scratches.
• With a wide base spread to counterbalance the weight of the table top, and with JI Bases' multiple sizes of top plates there are few limitations.
• The easy-to-adjust glides give you the ease of maintaining a level surface for the best in customer experience.

There's many manufacturers that have made similar products, and most do not ascribe to the fact that you just can't beat cast iron for stability and sturdiness. Instead they make stamped steel top plates in one size and sell it to everyone for all their table tops. Many find that the stamped steel gives out, bends, flexes under heavy day-to-day use. So JI Bases has maintained its commitment to provide the proper product at a proper price point. 

Mike & Frank Jacobs built JI Bases because there was a real desire to go back to the fundamentals of what a table base was meant to be:  the solid foundation that a restaurant or hospitality venue needs. And, they do nothing else.