CONSHOHOCKEN, Penn., Sept. 17, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Mondo, a global leader in the sports flooring market, today announced it has completed the installation of artificial turf fields at Niles North High School, Skokie, Ill., and Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, N.Y. They are among the first high schools in the nation to install artificial turf fields not made from reground tires. Both schools installed Mondoturf Ecofill, a new artificial turf from Mondo that uses a patented, factory-manufactured polyolefin-based granule for its infill instead of rubber.
This summer, Niles North High School, a prestigious, 2,200-student school located north of Chicago, replaced its natural grass football field at Chuck Pos Stadium with Mondoturf Ecofill.
"When we were evaluating synthetic turf fields, we visited several that have infill made from reground tires, and we found that the Mondoturf Ecofill field was far superior," said Karl Costello, Niles North High School's director of physical welfare. "Even on a hot day in Texas, we couldn't feel the heat through our shoes on the Mondoturf Ecofill field like we did on other fields. Plus, the Mondoturf monofilament fibers felt closest to natural grass of all the fields we evaluated. It's a tremendous total system. I have no doubt that we chose the best artificial turf field available."
"The field's environmental impact and what could be done with it at the end of its life were extremely important issues for us," said Jeff Greenspan, chairman of the facilities committee at Niles North High School and a member of its school board. "Knowing that the Mondoturf Ecofill field is completely biodegradable and recyclable -- unlike the other fields we considered -- had a huge impact on our decision to go with Mondo."
Poly Prep, a prestigious college preparatory school, also replaced its natural grass field with Mondo Ecofill.
"With the amount of use our fields receive, and with the hot summer temperatures in New York City, we wanted a synthetic field that wouldn't get hot like reground-tire fields and that acted like natural grass," said Steve Andersen, associate head of school, Poly Prep Country Day School. "Mondoturf Ecofill meets both of those requirements. It doesn't absorb heat like other infill systems, and like a natural field, it allows players to pivot and slide and reduces the risk of injuries associated with falls. We are absolutely thrilled with the field and extremely pleased with our decision to go with Mondo."
About Mondoturf Ecofill
Manufactured by sports surfaces leader Mondo and installed in more than 300 facilities worldwide, Mondoturf Ecofill was designed through extensive biomechanical research to reproduce all of the properties of natural grass without the problems associated with artificial fields made of the increasingly controversial reground tire pellets -- which are commonly used by other artificial turf manufacturers. An environmentally friendly material made from recycled content, Ecofill, Mondoturf's infill, is virtually odor free, even in hot, humid conditions. It delivers the appropriate amount of shock absorption and energy return for optimal, natural-field-like athletic performance. Ecofill also retains less heat than traditional black rubber granules, so it reduces the potential for athletic fatigue and dehydration and minimizes the need for fields to be watered down prior to use. It also is completely recyclable, which is an industry first.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing floor surfaces for virtually every sport. The company has more than 1,000 tracks installed worldwide.
The official supplier of the athletic track and basketball and handball courts of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Mondo also is the official supplier or official sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations, including FIBA, IAAF, Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, NIRSA, U.S. Track Coaches Association and YMCA.
The company also supplies a wide variety of commercial flooring and is the world's largest producer of sports and toy balls with an average daily production of 450,000 units. In addition, it manufactures large luxury yachts under its Mondomarine division.
Mondo invests heavily in research and development to ensure its products meet the highest quality standards in the industry, deliver optimal athletic performance, are durable, require minimal maintenance and are environmentally safe.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, Mondo's global headquarters are in Italy. The company has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia and sells its products in more than 134 countries. More information about Mondo is available at www.mondousa.com.
Mondo and Mondoturf are registered trademarks of Mondo.