“You don’t have to maintain it, it is more uniform surface during bad weather, you don’t slip as much, you don’t have divots or standing water, and, in fact, the only negative work we had was from the Cal quarterback who said it didn’t taste very good after we’d sacked him so many times.”
Bill Byrne, Athletic Director, Nebraska University.
Company Profile
The Beginning
In the mid-1980s, FieldTurf President Jean Prevost visited a golf-equipment show and met Freddie Haas, Jr., who had shunned the business world and the family business (Levi Strauss) to become a pro golfer.
As a golfer Haas is best remembered for ending Byron Nelson's winning streak of 11 straight tournaments by defeating him in the 1945 Memphis Open while Haas was still an amateur. The current PGA Tour member Jay Haas is his nephew.
Haas invented an artificial turf and built it into 10-by-10-foot boxes that he could tee off from. His artificial grass was several inches long and nearly submerged in sand and cork. When the cork decayed in the sultry Louisiana climate, Haas turned to shredded rubber.
The Evolution of FieldTurf
FieldTurf started in the sport surfacing industry in 1988 with the manufacture of NovaCourt, a synthetic grass for tennis courts and NovaTee, a synthetic surface used to minimize wear and tear around golf practice tees under the name SynTenni Co.
Based on a need to replicate real grass with these installations, the company began developing synthetic turf surfaces for other sports installations including soccer, lacrosse, football and baseball. NovaTee was re-engineered as a playing surface for contact sports.
Marketed under the name FieldTurf, the system replicates a natural grass surface, but offers the durability and cost benefits of synthetic fields. FieldTurf is a safe alternative, resulting in a documented reduction of sports injuries. The sand and rubber infill system is the biggest technical development that the sport surfacing industry has seen in the last twenty-five years. This patented technology sets FieldTurf apart from all other sports surfaces.
In 1995, John joined his good friend Mr. Jean Prevost, FieldTurf President, and officially acted as Chief Executive Officer of FieldTurf Inc. from 1995-2004 setting countless records, milestones, and standards that would better the entire artificial turf and sports surfacing industry forever. In 2004, Tarkett, a flooring giant based in Europe, acquired FieldTurf and named John Gilman as worldwide CEO of the sports division, to nobody’s surprise. Tarkett realised the value of the FieldTurf brand, patents, and emphasis on teamwork. Prior to officially joining FieldTurf, Mr. Gilman had always been an active figure in the sports community. It was John’s dream to have the industry’s ‘One Stop Shop’ for all high-quality sports flooring systems – and if you ask anyone that knows the company, it’s Mission Accomplished. The company did this, in large part, by putting the customer first.
Since the mid-1990s, the company has continued to conduct extensive research and development in improving the quality and longevity of FieldTurf and it's application in the world of Football, Soccer, Baseball, Golf, Rugby, Lacrosse.
Jean Prevost is the company's President. Mr. Prevost was born in Montreal, Quebec and holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and psychology from Middle Tennessee University.
In the mid-1980s, Jean Prevost met Freddie Haas, Jr. Haas took out a series of patents on various concepts and eventually, Jean licensed some of these patents to market them. Prior to inventing and patenting all of FieldTurf's intellectual property, Mr. Prevost was a Canadian Professional Tennis player.
Jean Prevost is the company's President. Mr. Prevost was born in Montreal, Quebec and holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and psychology from Middle Tennessee University.
Breaking into the market
The initial break came in October of 1993 when, after presenting their product at numerous trade shows, FieldTurf was able to sell installations of FieldTurf for indoor soccer facilities. Since then, the company has conducted extensive research and development in improving the quality and longevity of FieldTurf and it's application in the world of Football, Soccer, Baseball, Golf, Rugby, Lacrosse.
Nebraska Cornhuskers and FieldTurf
When it came time a few years back to renovate the First Church of the Almighty Nebraska Cornhuskers, the changes were not taken lightly. Resurfacing the sacred field was akin to putting a new ceiling on the Sistine Chapel. Appropriately, it was Tom Osborne himself who made the recommendation. Osborne had presided over Huskerdom as the team's head coach for 25 consecutive winning seasons. He finished his run as coach with three national championships. In Nebraska, Osborne's word was gospel.
In September 1998, Tom Osborne was introduced to a newfangled rug called FieldTurf. In December, Osborne traveled to high schools in Pennsylvania and Maryland to check it out. Mr. Osborne saw that it was good and once he realized that the "grass" the kids were practicing on was in fact FieldTurf, he suggested that the university consider FieldTurf for its stadium.
After comparing FieldTurf with real grass and a couple of other synthetic turf systems, Nebraska's athletic department installed it at a practice facility in May 1999. The reaction from Husker players was so enthusiastic that the school decided to improve its stadium field a year early, and thus the Huskers took to the field for the 1999 season (an injury-free, 12-1 return to form) on FieldTurf.
FieldTurf and the NCAA
Among the NCAA Division 1 Colleges using FieldTurf are Syracuse, Northwestern, Oregon, Oregon State, Kansas State, Washington, Washington State, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Utah, BYU, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, San Diego State, and Eastern Michigan...to name a few!
FieldTurf has a strong presence in all of the major NCAA Division-1 Conferences. There are 5 FieldTurf installations in the Big East Conference, 6 in the Big Ten Conference, 3 in the Big 12 Conference, 5 in the PAC-10 Conference, 4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, 4 in the Mountain West Conference, and 5 in the Mid-American Conference.
NCAA DIVISION 1 FIELDTURF INSTALLATIONS
6 installations
5 installations
5 installations
5 installations
4 installations
3 installations
Seahawks' New Turf
In May 2000, an agreement in principal was reached with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League to install FieldTurf at the University of Washington, home of the Huskies, where the Seahawks have been playing since the beginning of the season while their new stadium was being built. When the time came for the Seahawks to decide which turf they wanted to install in Washington State Stadium, they opted for FieldTurf over natural grass.
NFL Experience and QB Challenge
FieldTurf was selected by NFL properties to install the demonstration field at the NFL Experience outside Pro Player Stadium prior to Super Bowl XXXIII. The field was used for many interactive events during the two weeks of the NFL Experience, including ESPN's Linemen Challenge. Subsequent to the event, Trace Armstrong, Miami Dolphins defensive end and president of the NFL Players Association, referred FieldTurf to the NFL Players Association for evaluation. FieldTurf has been used for the NFL Experience and the QB Challenge ever since.
FieldTurf and the National Football League
The Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League became the first NFL team to install FieldTurf in their practice facility, located at the University of Pittsburgh, home to the Panthers. There are currently 21 NFL teams and counting that have FieldTurf in either their practice facility and/or stadium.
A $1 million U.S. contract was signed in March 2000 to install the revolutionary synthetic surface at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, home of Major League Baseball's Devil Rays. ESPN cable television sports network showcased the FieldTurf baseball diamond to a national American audience by broadcasting the host Devil Rays game on April 9, 2000 against the Cleveland Indians. As of 2005, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Minnesota Twins, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays all play their home games on FieldTurf. The Montreal Expos also played their home games on FieldTurf during the 2004 season at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal and Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico.
AIG Horizon & The QB Greats Club Invest in FieldTurf
In August 2001, AIG-Horizon Partners LLC and The NFL Quarterback Club entered into a unique, multi-level relationship with FieldTurf that involves AIG-Horizon Partners LLC and the QB Club making a financial investment in FieldTurf. The QB Club is involved in promotional and charitable activities with the firm.
Soccer: North America
The game of soccer has always been the most popular sport around the world. This has never been the case in North America until the new millennium. The U.S. men's soccer team propelled the country into a soccer craze in 2002 when they made it to the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time in the country's history. This strong showing has led to more men, women, and kids playing the game of soccer. With the demand for high-quality playing fields at an all-time high, leagues such as Major League Soccer and cities all over the country needed to ensure they met the demand for quality playing fields. Enter FieldTurf. It also dramatically extends the playing time possible per field due to the resilience of its unique synthetic structure.
US Soccer Foundation
The mission is clear: There are over 20 million people playing soccer in America and the lack of field space is at a crucial point. Thousands of new soccer fields are needed to accommodate the boys, girls, men, and women who want to play the world's favorite game. The importance of the US Soccer Foundation has never been more prevalent. The foundation has brought together four of the premier suppliers for soccer: FieldTurf, Kwik Goal, Musco Lighting, and TGI Systems. These four suppliers have the expertise that it requires to install a first class soccer field that can be used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.
In 2002, FieldTurf made an international impact, as it was installed at the world famous Tokyo Dome, home of the Tokyo Giants baseball team. After officials from the Tokyo Dome and Yomiuri Giants toured Tropicana Field, they were convinced that FieldTurf was the only turf suitable for their team.
FieldTurf Tarkett
The agreement between FieldTurf and Tarkett Sports has now been completed. The integration of two largest sports surfacing companies has resulted in the creation of a single entity called FieldTurf Tarkett. The announcement was made jointly by FieldTurf CEO John Gilman and Tarkett CEO Marc Assa.
Gilman, will head up the new company as the firm's worldwide operations and manufacturing responsibilities will be consolidated and run out of FieldTurf's Montreal headquarters.
"When we began this relationship early in 2004, we realized the value of the FieldTurf brand and patents," said Assa. "We increased our stake in the company as we recognized the success of John's extraordinary marketing team whose efforts will now be geared toward increasing worldwide market share through our combined distribution network."
"The new FieldTurf Tarkett company will have total revenues of more than US $225 million," said Gilman. "These increased resources will aid us in developing more efficient supply and installation ability. We can continue to grow our Intellectual Property portfolio and have greater resources to protect against infringement of our patents."
FieldTurf is the world leader in the new generation of infilled artificial grass systems. Highly recognized for its patented products and installation technologies, FieldTurf is installed in more than 1500 high profile stadiums, universities, schools and parks worldwide.
Tarkett, through its sports division, is highly regarded internationally, with manufacturing plants around the globe. Their brands include Prestige, the European market leader in infilled turf, as well as flooring, track, tennis and indoor products manufactured from a variety of materials, including PVC, Wood, Linoleum, PU and Textiles.
John Gilman was the company's Chief Executive Officer from 1995-2007. Mr. Gilman was born in Montréal, Quebec and held a Bachelor of Arts from Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in Montreal, Canada. From 1965 to 1966, he was a coach with the Montreal Alouettes, where he was a professional player from 1961 to 1963. Subsequent to his professional football career with the Montreal Alouettes as a quarterback in the early 1960's, he developed extensive business experience with a company he founded in luggage manufacturing. At the time of his passing in 2007, John was an avid sportsman and influential businessman who was well respected by his associates, employees and colleagues. He was the Chairman-Elect of the Synthetic Turf Council and insured that the sports surfacing industry as a whole was heading in the right direction.
Jean Prevost is the company's President. Mr. Prevost was born in Montreal, Quebec and holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and psychology from Middle Tennessee University.
