DALTON, Ga., Oct. 18, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- FieldTurf CEO, John Gilman, and AstroTurf, LLC President Bryan Peeples jointly announced today the appointment of FieldTurf Inc and its Subsidiaries and Licensees as the sole Sales Agency for AstroTurf brand family of stadium turf systems. The geographical areas FieldTurf will handle on an exclusive basis will be North and South America.
Textile Management and Associates (TMA), a leading turf manufacturer and coating operation, purchased the AstroTurf brand, intellectual property, and famous manufacturing facility and laboratory in Dalton, Georgia. The purchase was part of a larger asset purchase related to the SRI (Southwest Recreational Industries) bankruptcy of February 13, 2004. TMA then assigned the turf assets to AstroTurf, LLC.
In addition to FieldTurf, several other companies represented these products until now. "FieldTurf is clearly the industry leader," said UTT's Peeples. "FieldTurf has all that we would ever want from a partner for our AstroTurf systems. They know the market; they have an infrastructure second to none. Their sales reps and management have the experience and commitment to help grow the AstroTurf brand. Their financial stability and technical resources will greatly assist in creating even greater brand recognition."
According to Gilman, having the exclusive rights to AstroTurf will add revenue from the field hockey market but also an irony of almost sublime proportion. "We fought bitterly against AstroTurf in the epic 'Turf Wars' of the 1990's...and yet, now, with this agreement, we find ourselves marketing AstroTurf!" explained Gilman.
According to Troy Squires, Vice President for Marketing at FieldTurf (and a long time veteran at AstroTurf), AstroTurf has a fanatically loyal customer base in an important niche FieldTurf wants to serve-field hockey.
"Field hockey purists simply love AstroTurf," said Squires. "It has a long, storied and established reputation as the best surface, bar none, for field hockey. It all started in the summer of 1976 in Montreal at the Olympics; and for decades, from Argentina to Europe, from the Indian Subcontinent to South Africa-and of course throughout the United States and Canada-AstroTurf has been the surface of choice for hockey clubs, school programs, tournaments and organizations."
Squires also noted that field hockey players are the opposite of FieldTurf's core user groups. "They don't want the field to play like grass. They want more of a billiard table effect. The ball must roll fast, smoothly, and predictably. AstroTurf, a tightly knitted, nylon fabric, is ideal for field hockey."
In its short time handling AstroTurf, FieldTurf certainly started off with a bang. "We landed Wake Forest University right out of the gate," said Squires. "The Deamon Deacons are the reigning NCAA champs. Their new hockey specific venue, Kentner Stadium, is amazing and will host both the ACC and NCAA finals this year on the new AstroTurf-12 surface."
FieldTurf has arranged to utilize many of the original AstroTurf installation experts to install its fields. "We are perfectly positioned to provide clients with the highest level of installation and service possible for this product line." In addition to AstroTurf, FieldTurf will offer clients the AstroGrass line of tufted nylon surfaces.
FieldTurf, the original long pile, grass-like surface has become the unquestioned artificial turf of choice of the NCAA and the National Football League. Twenty of the NFL's 32 teams currently have FieldTurf at either their stadiums and/or their practice facilities. In a poll of all NFL players, the NFL Players Association ranked FieldTurf as the third-best of the NFL's 32 stadium fields. In that poll, FieldTurf finished ahead of 20 of the league's 22 natural grass fields. Twenty NCAA Division 1 universities have FieldTurf in their football stadium, including Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Washington, Oregon and Missouri. Many additional D-1 programs also have FieldTurf at their training/practice facilities. FieldTurf was also the first artificial surface approved for World Cup play by FIFA, the world governing body of soccer.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 950 installations in more than 40 countries and has made it the first choice for top stadiums around the world. FieldTurf is a privately held company that has revolutionized the artificial turf industry with its patented products and installation technologies. FieldTurf offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit fieldturf.com, or call (800) 724-2969.