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An in-house publication
February 2014
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A Message from STC Chairman John Baize
On behalf of Rick Doyle, Terrie Ward, Melanie Taylor and your entire Board of Directors, we thank you for your membership in the Synthetic Turf Council. We also want to take the time to look back on the STC's accomplishments during the past year and share with you the exciting plans for 2014. Through all of your contributions in hard work and membership dues, we have accomplished a lot together. Please review the updates from STC Committees and Task Forces below. |
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Las Vegas is Around the Corner -- Deadlines are Near
STC 2014 Spring Membership Meeting
March 17-19, 2014
The New Tropicana Las Vegas on the strip
Actions to take now: - Register for the meeting. Those who want to meet with you will know to expect you.
- Book your hotel room. The cut-off date for the STC $90 rate is February 18.
- Be an exhibitor. Landscape and recreation companies in particular will want to meet with the parks, hotel, HOA, and municipal representatives on hand at the "Whistle-stop" Seminar.
- Register to play golf on Sunday, March 16 at 1:00 p.m. at Stallion Mountain Golf Club.
- Become a sponsor and put your company name in lights with our big thanks!
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STC Staff
Rick Doyle, President
Terrie Ward, Marketing & Education Director
Melanie Taylor, Member Services Director
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Meeting Highlights and Educational Program
The Program Committee has helped create an exceptional educational program. Here are some of the highlights:
- Topic: Landscape & recreation synthetic grass
- Exhibitor Showcase, included for all exhibitors
Welcome Reception - Recognition of new members, first-timers, sponsors, and guests
General - Chris Nowinski, Sports Legacy Institute, on concussions
- Richard Kent, UVA, technical research update
- John Sorochan, U of TN, technical research update
- Steve Buchberger, U of Cincinnati, research on runoff coefficients
- Consumer Panel: Water district, parks & rec, hotel, and HOA officials
- Exhibitor Showcase
Landscape and Recreation - Certified Playground Inspector, complying with playground safety, ADA, and testing regulations
- 2013 market results and 2014 market forecast
Sports Fields - FIFA technical report by Eric Harrison, Ph.D., on player fatigue, heat, and maintenance
- 2013 market results and 2014 market forecast
Interactive Work Sessions on STC Strategic Initiatives
We expect over 200 leaders in the synthetic turf industry, including manufacturers, suppliers, installers, landscape architects and engineers, testing labs, and maintenance equipment and service companies.
Thank You to Our Spring Meeting Sponsors
Sponsorships enhance member brand image by maximizing exposure and increasing visibility before, during and after the meeting. Please choose this meaningful way to showcase your company and support the STC. Learn more � |
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STC Committee and Task Force Updates
 Based on the Interactive Work Group Sessions at the 2013 Annual Membership Meeting in Orlando, STC committees and task forces have developed a number of strategic goals and action items to be achieved in 2014. Meeting once a month by conference call, the STC Committees and Task Forces leverage the functional expertise of almost 100 members to enhance the STC's programs and services. If you are interested in joining a committee or task force, please contact the STC office headquarters at (678) 385-6720 or [email protected]. Advocate on Critical Issues - Develop guidance document on recognizing when a field is nearing the end of its useful life, and the critical factors for maintaining the performance of synthetic turf sports fields
Education Committee - Organized STC Athletic Director Advisory Panel to advise on the educational content we need to create for this particular market segment.
- Arranging to host a webinar series to focus on its technical guidelines.
- Developing a "tool kit" that STC members can bring to industry trade shows and conventions to promote the value of STC membership.
- Surveyed both STC members and non-members to determine key information about the STC website, awareness of its resources, relevance of information, improving the information, and what other educational content might be beneficial.
Marketing Committee - Planning another STC Community Service Project in conjunction with our Fall meeting.
- Arranging to host a webinar series for key market segments.
Membership Committee - Created new program that will enable STC members to sponsor the Affiliate membership of a buyer and end-user ($75); academic or researcher ($50); or student ($25).
- Identifying resources for developing contact information for each target audience that includes: key decision-makers, architects/engineers, athletic directors, STC members, parks & recreation officials, homeowners associations and sales managers of STC members.
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STC and STMA Executive Committees Meet
During the recent STMA trade show, members of the STC and STMA Executive Committees met to discuss opportunities for collaboration. An exciting new project is being worked on - details to be announced as soon as possible.
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STC Invited to Speak at STMA Regional Meeting
The STC has enthusiastically accepted an invitation from Rusty Walker, President of the STMA's Texas Chapter, to speak about synthetic turf at the Chapter's April 15 meeting.
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STC Presents at Winter Conferences and Trade Shows
ASBA Technical Meeting: Terrie Ward attended.
National Athletic Directors Conference hosted by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association: Terrie Ward attended. STC invited to submit presentation topics for 2014 conference.
STMA Trade Show: Rick Doyle and Terrie Ward greeted visitors to the STC Booth.
AMI's The Grass Yarn & Tufters Forum: Rick Doyle to speak
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The STC on National TV and Radio
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The STC's Take on the EPA Response to PEER Demand to Rescind the Published Results of its 2009 Study on Crumb-Rubber Infilled Synthetic Turf
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Join the Discussion on the STC LinkedIn Group
We invite you to join the over 1,000 members of Synthetic Turf Council group on LinkedIn. For more information on getting active on all social media sites, i.e. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, please refer to the STC's Best Practices Guidelines for Social Media.  |
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ASTM Needs Your Help in May 2014 Vote to Lower G-max Standard
The ASTM F08.65 Artificial Turf Surfaces and Systems subcommittee will be meeting May 6-8. The highlight of the meeting is to vote on lowering its F-355 g-max standard from 200 to 165, which will align its standard with the STC's g-max guideline (see STC Guidelines for Synthetic Turf Performance). To vote on this historic and long overdue change, you need to be a member of ASTM at a annual cost of $75, and a member of the F08.65 subcommittee, which you can join as soon as you become an ASTM member. You may vote in person or by proxy. To join ASTM go to http://www.astm.org/MEMBERSHIP/index.htmlTo download the proxy form go to http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/ProxyForm.pdf |
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ProGrass, LLC Announces New Chief Operating Officer
ProGrass, LLC announced that Mark Weightman has been named the new Chief Operating Officer. Weightman has been with ProGrass close to ten years and most recently held the position of Vice President of Management Operations. With this new position, Weightman will oversee all company operations.
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Act Global Celebrates 10th Anniversary
STC Certified Manufacturer Act Global is celebrating its 10th year in business this month! The company has grown from humble beginnings to sales in 70 countries and manufacturing on three continents. Director of Act Global John Baize, who is also the Chairman of the Board of the STC, attributes the company's success to their wide network of partners and industry affiliations, as well as their continual focus on research and product development.
"As Act Global celebrates our 10th anniversary, I can look back proudly on how our company has developed and all we have accomplished. I appreciate our staff members, strategic partners and the Synthetic Turf Council for being the core to our success. Our involvement with the STC has proved extremely beneficial in building industry relationships and for influencing our strategy to stay ahead of the latest industry trends."
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Shaw Sports Turf Introduces New Synthetic Turf Cooling System
In November, Shaw Sports Turf announced the introduction of its new HydroChill evaporative cooling system that "has been shown to cool synthetic turf fields by 50 degrees." The HydroChill system can be applied to new or existing fields, and is activated by watering. After watering the cooling effect is reported to last two or three days.
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Sprinturf Announces Cool Fiber Technology
Sprinturf, an ITS company, recently announced the introduction of a proprietary reflective technology it calls Cool Fiber Technology. It is reported to reduce field temperatures up to 22 degrees and will last the lifetime of the field.
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If you have news you would like for the STC to post on its website and noted in this e-newsletter, add Terrie Ward, [email protected] to your distribution list.
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New Members in FY2014...Welcome to the STC!
Interested in becoming an STC member? Apply online or visit our website, www.syntheticturfcouncil.org, to learn about all the STC does to advance the industry, promote our members, and grow the acceptance and demand for synthetic turf.
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The STC Family Grows By Two Feet
 Congratulations to George Neagle, SYNLawn, and his wife on their new role as proud parents of a happy and healthy baby boy! Both the mother and baby are doing well. George, we wish you and your family lots of joy and happiness! |
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Promote the New STC Member Brand
Members should download the high-resolution images of the new STC member and other logos to update your printed materials as they are created or old stock as it is replaced. We need you to play an active part in transforming the STC identity. Please be sure to review the STC Logo Usage Agreement to ensure consistent representation of our brand identity. If you have any questions, comments or require additional information, we urge you to contact us. |
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