STC NEWSLINE
An in-house publication
February 2014
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.

MEETINGS & EVENTS
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! 

STC Staff

Rick Doyle, President

Terrie Ward, Marketing & Education Director

Melanie Taylor, Member Services Director

In This Issue
Meeting Highlights and Educational Program

The Program Committee has helped create an exceptional educational program. Here are some of the highlights:

Pre-Conference "Whistle-stop" Seminar for Buyers, End-users
  • 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

SILVER SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSOR
Genan Inc.Casco Sch�nox by SIKA
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 �
STC NEWS
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 office@syntheticturfcouncil.org.

 

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.
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.
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.
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
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The STC on National TV and Radio

In the past several months, the STC has appeared on Fox & Friends, and most recently, the STC's Terrie Ward and Rick Doyle joined Manufacturing Revival Radio for an interview. Great promotion of and information about synthetic turf, the industry, and the STC. Worth listening to! 

 

Listen to the 20-minute conversation � 
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

Read Rick Doyle's email to the STC membership �

Read the Executive Summary (and full study) of the results of the EPA's 2009 Study �

The media characterized the EPA response as a retraction of the results of its study, which validated the human health and environmental safety of crumb rubber infilled synthetic turf. We wrote at the time that unless the "story" gained more traction in the media, the STC did not intend to issue a public statement. NOTE: So far, the story has only received short-lived and limited coverage.  
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.

View our profile on LinkedIn
INDUSTRY NEWS
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.html

To download the proxy form go to http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/ProxyForm.pdf
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.  
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."
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.
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. 
If you have news you would like for the STC to post on its website and noted in this e-newsletter, add Terrie Ward, terrie@syntheticturfcouncil.org to your distribution list. 
MEMBER NEWS
New Members in FY2014...Welcome to the STC!
Permavoid Ltd.
Chris Bryant, Director of Facility Operations
Kennesaw State University
RDA Landscape Architecture
David Campbell, Coordinator
Fairfax County Public Schools		Schmidt Associates, Inc.
Casco Schonox by SIKASekisui Voltek
ForeverLawn of Tampa BaySports Turf Care, LLC
LanganSports Turf One, Inc.
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.
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!
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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