ASTROTURF® INSTALLATION IN FULL SWING AT FLORIDA CITRUS BOWL STADIUM

The long-and-storied tradition of Orlando’s Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium will now see its future played out on AstroTurf®.

On June 21st, the Orlando City Council approved negotiations to allow the new, state-of-the-art AstroTurf® playing field to be installed. The installation process is well underway and is scheduled to be complete by September 5th for the Southern vs. Delaware State football game. You can see live video of the installation by going to www.astroturfusa.com.

“We at AstroTurf® are very pleased to have been chosen as the turf supplier for the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium,” said Rusty Russell, Southeastern Regional Sales Manager for AstroTurf®. “Their need for a championship playing field, coupled with the multiple-use needs of this facility required AstroTurf® to engineer the best surface solution for these unique demands.”

The Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium has hosted events ranging from the Capital One Bowl to high school championship games, major concerts and motorcross races, so the change to AstroTurf® is a critical component of keeping the stadium viable.

According to Russell, the company worked closely with Stantec, one of the world’s premier turf management and design firms and experts, to understand and respond to demanding performance requirements of the stadium’s surface.

AstroTurf® allows facilities the flexibility to host more events with less downtime and maintenance. Additionally, weather and its effect on the field play a reduced role. Ultimately, this translates into economic impact for the City of Orlando.

“This new AstroTurf® field is part of the City of Orlando’s $10 million investment in phase one improvements this year at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium,” said Orlando Venues Executive Director Allen Johnson. “These renovations will help the stadium remain competitive and allow us to sustain economic, educational and cultural opportunities here in Orlando for our residents and visitors.”

Florida Citrus Sports, an organization which hosts major events at the stadium, including the Capital One Bowl and the Champs Sports Bowl, will be one of the organizations which will benefit from the new field.

"We have been staging major events in the stadium for over 60 years where the athlete experience is of premium importance," said Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan. "A large number of events in a very short window have challenged the ability to provide optimum field conditions and paint schemes needed for national television. We are very excited about our ability to provide one of the safest, most technologically-advanced playing surfaces in the industry to our customer."

The Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium will employ AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ 3D, the synthetic turf industry’s latest and most-advanced product in the evolution of sports playing surfaces.

GameDay Grass™ 3D utilizes a rubber infill system, composed of highly-durable rubber, extracted from post-consumer recycled tires by certified recyclers all across the U.S., keeping up to 20,000 tires from being placed in landfills. These materials have been rigorously tested by the international scientific communities for both environmental and human health hazards and have been found to pose no risks.

The super-stable, multi-ply primary backing systems are covered with a heavy polyurethane, environmentally-friendly BioCel™ coating for uniformity, consistency and precise performance across the entire field. The BioCel™ system provides further environmental benefits in that it employs highly-refined coal fly ash and bio-based polyols from soybeans.

The typical, well-maintained grass field can use anywhere from 500,000-1,000,000 gallons of water per year. The AstroTurf® field eliminates that need, as well as the need for pesticides and other chemicals.

The Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium turf will also feature astroflect™ technology, significantly reducing field surface temperatures.

AstroTurf® has made an investment in furthering research on synthetic turf and natural grass fields and partnered with the University of Tennessee to create The Center for Safer Athletic Fields. Additionally, in a study at Michigan State University funded by NFL Charities, an AstroTurf® product was determined to perform most like natural grass.

AstroTurf® is also the only synthetic turf company that makes the product from start to finish, making it the only vertically integrated company in the industry.

“We are proud of our partnership with the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium,” said Bryan Peeples, President of AstroTurf®. “The athletes who play there will now represent their sport on the gold standard of synthetic playing fields. We are happy to be part of the future of the stadium.”

About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s only vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; TurfAide™, a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and astroflect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.

About Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium
Orlando’s Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium opened in 1936. The stadium currently seats 65,438, but can expand to accommodate more than 70,000 fans. The Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium hosts the Capital One Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, neutral-site college football games, the UFL’s Florida Tuskers and Florida high school football state championships. In the past, the stadium has hosted the Tangerine Bowl, several professional football teams, NFL preseason games, World Cup and Olympic soccer matches and Wrestlemania.

JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY - ENTIRE STUDENT BODY TO BENEFIT FROM NEW ASTROTURF® FIELD

As the Jacksonville Dolphins football team returns to D.B. Milne field this fall to play on the new AstroTurf® surface, there will be some very interested athletes watching.

The men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, as well as a variety of intramural athletes will be waiting their turn to play on the surface beginning in 2011.

“Putting in AstroTurf® helped us in a lot of ways,” said Alan Verlander, Director of Athletics. “Most importantly, it gives us greater flexibility with our fields and will assist in the development of the entire athletic program.”

The field is not only expected to aid in the recruiting of athletes for the football and lacrosse teams, Verlander expects it to have an impact on student recruitment, as well.

“This is going to impact the admissions office,” said Verlander. “Intramurals are important for a school our size and the field is going to be appealing to those students.”

Football coach Kerwin Bell is already learning the value the field has in recruiting players.

“When you tell kids about what this facility will be, the consistent reaction is that their ears perk up,” said Bell. “They are excited about the opportunity to play on this type of surface.”

Bell sees other advantages to the AstroTurf® field in comparison to the grass field. He cites weather, overuse of fields, and injuries as three major factors affecting the team. Verlander points to the size of the school and the fact that budgets don’t allow for five to eight people on a grounds crew like other places. The AstroTurf® surface should alleviate those concerns.

For Verlander and Bell, the biggest positives are going to be less maintenance, a more consistent level of play, the ability for other teams and students to use the field, and the possibility of a high school football game of the week and other events being played here.

Verlander says that the school chose AstroTurf® because, “They provide the best service and most flexibility in design and cost. We trust the people and the brand. At the end of the day, we feel as though they are head and shoulders above everyone else. They were not just looking to make a sale. They worked to give us what we wanted and continue to do so.”

In addition to the benefits for the program and its athletes, AstroTurf® can also provide Jacksonville and other organizations with several benefits of an environmental nature.

The typical, well-maintained grass field can use anywhere from 500,000 – 1,000,000 gallons of water per year. The AstroTurf® field eliminates that need, as well as the need for pesticides and other chemicals.

AstroTurf® fields utilize a high-performance, polyurethane backing system called BioCel™, which employs highly refined coal fly ash and bio-based polyols from soybeans. The technology in AstroTurf® products can provide an additional 12 points toward LEED Certification. Also, the infill systems used in AstroTurf® fields can keep up to 25,000 tires out of landfills.

Two other strong features of AstroTurf® are TurfAide™, a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and astroflect™ technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures.

“AstroTurf® systems are developed with the athlete in mind, while developing the science behind the sport,” said Bryan Peeples, President of AstroTurf®.

AstroTurf® has made an investment in furthering research on synthetic turf fields and partnered with the University of Tennessee to create The Center for Safer Athletic Fields. Additionally, in a study at Michigan State University funded by NFL Charities, an AstroTurf® product was determined to perform most like natural grass.

“We are excited about entering into this project with Jacksonville University,” said Peeples. “We want to see the athletes perform at peak levels and see the university grow because of the quality of athletic facilities. Go Dolphins!”

About Jacksonville University
Florida’s Jacksonville University was founded in 1934. Over 3,500 students attend the school. The colors are green and white and the mascot is a Dolphin, making JU the first school in the nation to choose that mascot. Sports teams at JU participate in NCAA Division I athletics in the Atlantic Sun Conference, except for football, which plays in the Division I FCS Pioneer Football League. The President is Dr. Kerry D. Romesburg and the Athletic Director is Alan Verlander. Coaches for the football and men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are Kerwin Bell, Matt Kerwick and Mindy McCord, respectively.

About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the iconic AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s only vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; TurfAide™, a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and astroflect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.

TED HENDRICKS MEMORIAL STADIUM STILL REAPING THE BENFITS OF AN ASTROTURF® FIELD

Just four short years ago, the management of Ted Hendricks Stadium in Hialeah, Florida, near Miami, had to limit the use of the field just to maintain its quality.

That meant fewer teams had the opportunity to utilize the field, revenues at the stadium did not live up to their potential and field quality was an ever-present concern.

Fast forward a little over three years into life with an AstroTurf® field. Playing time has increased, costs are down and revenues are up.

“Before AstroTurf®, we had lots of downtime,” according to Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Reggie Betancourt. “We needed it to get the field ready for every event. We literally had to bring it back to life.”

Those efforts were just during the season. It took as much as five to six months of post-season downtime to properly care for the field.

According to the Synthetic Turf Council, a grass field can use as much as 500,000-1,000,000 gallons of water per year. With synthetic turf, that part of the field maintenance effort is eliminated and that water can be conserved in the community.

The STC also says that most grass fields can accommodate 680-816 hours of play per year during a three-season window.

Synthetic turf can accommodate up to 3,000 hours of play each year with no down time, that’s the equivalent of 3-4 well-maintained grass fields.

In Dade County, that additional playing time is a must. There are currently 28 high schools in Dade County which play their football games in three different stadiums. In 2009, eight of those schools used Ted Hendricks Stadium for over 30 games. The stadium also hosts numerous soccer games, as well as the Copa Latina Soccer Tournament and numerous other athletic and community events.

Having those events at Ted Hendricks Stadium is now a source of community pride, according to Manny Ferrera, Parks and Recreation Director.

“This field is top notch compared to others,” according to Ferrera. “AstroTurf® was very professional, informative and attentive to our needs. We are happy with the results. We would recommend AstroTurf® to anyone wanting a turf field.”

AstroTurf® is the brand which invented the synthetic turf industry and has reinvented itself through products that perform more like natural grass.

“We have over 160,000,000 square feet of AstroTurf® in use all over the world,” according to AstroTurf® President Bryan Peeples. “We’re happy to be the company that installed the field at Ted Hendricks Stadium but we are even more knowing that field has contributed greatly to the development of young athletes in South Florida.”

About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the iconic AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s only vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; TurfAide™, a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and Astroflect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures.