AstroTurf explained

AstroTurf
Type:Subsidiary
Homepage:AstroTurf.com
Location City:Dalton, Georgia
Location Country:United States
Parent:SportGroup
Owner:Equistone Partners Europe
Footnotes:[1]

AstroTurf is an American subsidiary of SportGroup that produces artificial turf for playing surfaces in sports. The original AstroTurf product was a short-pile synthetic turf invented in 1965 by Monsanto.[2] Since the early 2000s, AstroTurf has marketed taller pile systems that use infill materials to better replicate natural turf.[3] In 2016, AstroTurf became a subsidiary of German-based SportGroup, a family of sports surfacing companies, which itself is owned by the investment firm Equistone Partners Europe.[4]

History

The original AstroTurf brand product was invented by James M. Faria and Robert T. Wright at Monsanto. The original, experimental installation was inside the Waughhtel-Howe Field House at the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island in 1964.[5] It was patented in 1965 and originally sold under the name "ChemGrass." It was rebranded as AstroTurf by company employee John A. Wortmann after its first well-publicized use at the Houston Astrodome stadium in 1966.[6] Donald L. Elbert patented two methods to improve the product in 1971.[7] [8]

Early iterations of the short-pile turf swept many major stadiums, but the product did need improvement. Concerns over directionality and traction led Monsanto's R&D department to implement a texturized nylon system. By imparting a crimped texture to the nylon after it was extruded, the product became highly uniform.

In 1987, Monsanto consolidated its AstroTurf management, marketing, and technical activities in Dalton, Georgia, as AstroTurf Industries, Inc. In 1988, Balsam AG purchased all the capital stock of AstroTurf Industries, Inc. In 1994, Southwest Recreational Industries, Inc. (SRI) acquired the AstroTurf brand. In 1996, SRI was acquired by American Sports Products Group Inc.

While AstroTurf was the industry leader throughout the late 20th century, other companies emerged in the early 2000s. FieldTurf, AstroTurf's chief competitor since the early 2000s, marketed a product of tall-pile polyethylene turf with infill, meant to mimic natural grass more than the older products. This third-generation turf, as it became known, changed the landscape of the marketplace. Although SRI successfully marketed AstroPlay, a third-generation turf product, increased competition gave way to lawsuits. In 2000, SRI was awarded $1.5 million in a lawsuit after FieldTurf was deemed to have lied to the public by making false statements regarding its own product and making false claims about AstroTurf and AstroPlay products.[9]

Despite their legal victory, increased competition took its toll. In 2004, SRI declared bankruptcy.[10] Out of the bankruptcy proceedings, Textile Management Associates, Inc. (TMA) of Dalton, Georgia, acquired the AstroTurf brand and other assets. TMA began marketing the AstroTurf brand under the company AstroTurf, LLC. In 2006, General Sports Venue (GSV) became TMA's marketing partner for the AstroTurf brand for the American market. AstroTurf, LLC handled the marketing of AstroTurf in the rest of the world.[11]

In 2009, TMA acquired GSV to enter the marketplace as a direct seller. AstroTurf, LLC focused its efforts on research and development, which has promoted rapid growth. AstroTurf introduced new product features and installation methods, including AstroFlect (a heat-reduction technology)[12] and field prefabrication (indoor, climate-controlled inlaying).[13] AstroTurf also introduced a product called "RootZone" consisting of crimped fibers designed to encapsulate infill.[14]

In 2016, SportGroup Holding announced that it would purchase AstroTurf, along with its associated manufacturing facilities. The AstroTurf brand has operated since then in North America as AstroTurf Corporation.[15]

In August 2021, AstroTurf became the official supplier of artificial turf to the United Soccer League, who run soccer leagues at the second, third, and fourth tiers of the U.S. men's soccer pyramid and the second tier of the U.S. women's soccer pyramid.[16]

1960s

1964

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970s

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1980s

1980

1984

1985

1987

1989

1990s

1993

1999

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ownership . 19 April 2016 . AstroTurf . 9 February 2019 . En . 23 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923124047/https://www.astroturf.com/about-synthetic-turf/turf-companies-ownership/ . dead .
  2. Faria, James M. and Wright, Robert T. (1965) "Monofilament ribbon pile product" assigned to Monsanto
  3. News: History. 2016-05-16. AstroTurf. 2017-05-30. en-US. 2017-06-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20170606000828/http://www.astroturf.com/about/history/. dead.
  4. Web site: AstroTurf Sale to SportGroup Finalized. 2016-08-20. AstroTurf. 2017-05-30. 2017-08-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20170801102559/http://www.astroturf.com/2016/08/20/sale-closes/. dead.
  5. Web site: Gallery: First Experimental Artificial Grass Field Installed . 20 June 2016 .
  6. Weeks . Jennifer . Turf Wars . Distillations Magazine . 2015 . 1 . 3 . 34–37 . 22 March 2018 .
  7. Elbert, Donald L. (1968) "Synthetic turf products having variable blade widths"
  8. Elbert, Donald L. and Wright, Robert T. (1969) "Pigmented fiber-forming nylon composition"
  9. Web site: Southwest Recreational Industries, Inc. Reaffirms Jury Decision. 8 January 2001. prnewswire.com. 27 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140810064817/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-recreational-industries-inc-reaffirms-jury-decision-that-fieldturf-is-guilty-of-lying-to-the-public-70981167.html. 10 August 2014. dead.
  10. Web site: SRI's bankruptcy puts customers on new turf. Austin Business Journal.
  11. Web site: History Timeline – AstroTurf . astroturf.com . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130408052828/http://www.astroturf.com/about-us/history-timeline/ . 2013-04-08 .
  12. Web site: AstroFlect . astroturf.com . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130926030941/http://www.astroturf.com/astroflect/ . 2013-09-26 .
  13. Web site: Prefabrication . astroturf.com . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130926031454/http://www.astroturf.com/prefabrication/ . 2013-09-26 .
  14. Web site: RootZone. astroturf.com. 29 November 2016. 27 June 2014. 24 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160624011406/http://www.astroturf.com/rootzone/. dead.
  15. Web site: SportGroup Holding Purchases AstroTurf, SYNLawn, and Associated Manufacturing Operations AstroTurf. 2016-07-12. 2017-08-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20170801102559/http://www.astroturf.com/2016/08/20/sale-closes/. dead.
  16. Web site: USLSoccer com Staff . United Soccer League Announces Multi-Year Partnership with AstroTurf . United Soccer League . 30 August 2021 . en-us . 30 August 2021.
  17. Web site: History Timeline AstroTurf . astroturf.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20140104024728/http://www.astroturf.com/about-us/history-timeline/ . January 4, 2014 . dead.
  18. Web site: Topic Galleries. Baltimore Sun.
  19. Web site: How did Astroturf Become so Popular?. ThoughtCo.
  20. Web site: About AstroTurf. https://web.archive.org/web/20101212045959/http://www.astroturfusa.com/AboutAstroTurf.aspx. dead. December 12, 2010.
  21. Web site: The exterior vs. the interior of the Brady Bunch house and architecture in TV and movies. April 29, 2012.
  22. Web site: Socio-cultural Analysis: The Brady Bunch | Social History of Television: Charlotte Hudnutt. blogs.lt.vt.edu.
  23. Web site: A Very Brady Post: 6 Secrets from The Brady Bunch Vault. November 5, 2008. www.mentalfloss.com.
  24. Web site: 1970 World Series by Baseball Almanac.
  25. Web site: Turf Talk with Archie Pt.1. FOX Sports . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070225015733/http://msn.foxsports.com/turftalk . 2007-02-25 .
  26. Web site: Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
  27. Web site: Lions' Stadium. The College of New Jersey Athletics.
  28. Web site: Marshall Press Release . 2007-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071031170426/http://www.marshall.edu/ucomm/RELEASE/2005/pr061805.htm . 2007-10-31 . dead .
  29. http://www.southwestrec.com/international/news/photos2.htm News & Events – SRI Sports – International – Field, Track, Indoor, Tennis Systems & Services

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "AstroTurf".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.