CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Jan. 18, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The kids at Camp Pendleton's Child Development Center have a brand new surface at their playground -- the same stuff their heroes use on Sundays. It's called FieldTurf Playground.
FieldTurf Playground is a specially engineered system designed to provide maximum protection against injuries caused by falls. While its most important function is preventing head injuries, there are numerous other benefits to installing this system. Natural grass just doesn't hold up to the amount of foot traffic. Daycare and park administrators everywhere put in hours of maintenance -- only to see the result of the time and money as a brown patch.
"USMC Camp Pendleton has five child Development Centers that have had consistent landscaping problems and were in desperate need of repair," said Shaun Dechicchis, Admin Support Specialist for the USMC Child, Youth & Teen Program. "The ground cover at these centers was mostly sand. This caused us problems due to the fact that we had to constantly replace the sand, there were sanitary issues and the kids always had sand in their shoes. This caused a terrible mess at the centers and ruined our floors."
The system uses FieldTurf's exclusive monofilament fibers, which offer a grass-like appearance and unparalleled durability while remaining non-abrasive and smooth to the touch, thus eliminating scrapes and friction burns associated with other natural or synthetic playground surfacing.
FieldTurf Tarkett introduced the Playground product in the summer of 2006, and the reception has been enthusiastic.
"Once we had the turf installed, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The kids absolutely love it. As soon they saw it they went out and started rolling around on it! Our teachers and parents are much happier as well. They no longer have to deal with the sand problems, the kids are cleaner and they can be outside more often now," said Dechicchis.
"We are very pleased and honored that the U.S. Marine Corps have put their faith in our product," said John Gilman, CEO of FieldTurf Tarkett.
The FieldTurf Playground product is the latest innovation from FieldTurf Tarkett, the worldwide leader in sports and recreation surfacing. FieldTurf Playground meets all relevant industry fall height standards and additional criteria set by the American Society for Testing and Materials and the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association.
FieldTurf Tarkett is a result of the amalgamation of FieldTurf and Tarkett Sports. Head-quartered in North America, FieldTurf Tarkett is the largest entity in the sports surfacing industry. A division of Tarkett, the worldwide leader in commercial flooring, with US$2 billion in annual sales, FieldTurf Tarkett brings unprecedented financial, technical and manufacturing resources to sports surfacing clients around the globe. With such stability, FieldTurf Tarkett is well equipped to serve the playground market.
In addition to playground surfacing, FieldTurf Tarkett provides a comprehensive line that includes world-leading artificial grass systems; basketball, volleyball, and gymnasium flooring; squash and racquetball courts; floor protection and covering systems; weight room flooring; a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces; and indoor and outdoor track systems.