Combined Resources and Experience Creates an Unstoppable Force in the Synthetic Turf Sports Industry
October 30, 2009 - Dalton, Georgia – Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, announced today the completion of the acquisition of Sportexe Construction Services, Inc., a leading synthetic turf company dedicated to sports surfacing.
With an impressive list of high profile field installations, Sportexe is one of the premier synthetic turf companies in North America. Sportexe has demonstrated industry leadership in both quality and innovation for more than two decades. During that time, Sportexe has provided fields to organizations such as the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, University of Pittsburgh, LSU, University of California, University of Arkansas and many others. Sportexe is also the exclusive or official turf system supplier for The Arena Football League (AFL/AF2), National Lacrosse League (NLL) and the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).
In commenting on the transaction Vance Bell, Chief Executive Officer of Shaw Industries Group, Inc., stated, “We are very pleased to have Sportexe joining Shaw Industries. The turf market offers exciting opportunities for us. We intend to be a fully integrated producer from manufacturing through installation. With the combined strengths of these two companies, we look forward to accelerated growth in the synthetic turf market.”
Mr. Bell continued, “We plan to continue to remain at the forefront of addressing industry needs by constantly evolving the products and services we provide. One of these issues will be developing a sustainable business model for the synthetic turf market. We will apply to turf those core principles which define our industry leading position in sustainability.”
Stephen P. Noe, President and CEO of Sportexe Construction Services, Inc., commented further, “Joining Shaw will give Sportexe the financial support and resources needed to boost the company to the next playing level. The combined strength of the two companies will allow Sportexe to continue delivering great service to its clients both before the sale, during the installation and throughout the ownership experience. It will also ensure we give athletes the best platform on which to play their game.”
The acquisition will bring together Shaw’s current TerraSport™ sports turf and TerraSoft™ recreational surfaces’ brands, sold under the Spectra Sports Surfaces division, with Sportexe’s current product offering. In the following weeks, the company will begin executing the planned integration of the two companies’ operations, networks and customer care organizations to ensure a smooth transition and immediate value for customers, partners and employees.
About Shaw
Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider with more than $5 billion in annual sales and approximately 26,000 associates. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide. A recognized leader in environmental stewardship, Shaw has implemented hundreds of sustainability initiatives and cradle to cradle design solutions, collectively termed the Shaw Green Edge. For more information, visit www.shawfloors.com .
Shaw Press Contact: Mollie Surratt, phone: 706.275.1792, email: Mollie.Surratt @shawinc.com
4,000 local youth soccer players to benefit from Sportsplex improvements
VIRGINIA BEACH -- More than 4,000 youth soccer players in Virginia Beach will soon find themselves playing in the Virginia Beach Sportsplex on the same turf used by professional and college football teams such as the New Orleans Saints and the University of Alabama.
Principals of Hometown Sports Management and Virginia Rush Soccer announced a partnership today that:
- makes the Sportsplex the soccer club's official home
- converts the all-grass field to quality synthetic turf developed and installed by Sportexe. The turf has passed the testing requirements to qualify as a FIFA 1-Star surface.
- makes Rush Soccer a partner in the development of the Sportsplex as the multi-sport center of athletics in Virginia Beach and beyond.
Hometown Sports Management assumed management of the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in cooperation with the City of Virginia Beach earlier this year.
Virginia Rush Soccer is a regional entity that formed when three local clubs merged with Virginia Beach Soccer Club. There are 24 Rush Soccer clubs in the U.S.
The Virginia Rush is the only soccer club in southeastern Virginia to have developmental, advanced, and competitive programs under one club. It is also the only club in southeastern Virginia to be a member of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and Elite Club National League, the top two national-level leagues in the country. The club currently has 4,000 players participating in various programs.
Sportexe is the oldest synthetic turf company in the U.S. It has manufactured and installed approximately 400 full-sized athletic fields in North America, including the University of Alabama, the University of Arkansas, Baltimore Ravens, and the Superdome in New Orleans. The San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills use Sportexe in their practice facilities.
Arkansas selects PowerBlade HP for Razorback Stadium
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Athletic Department has selected Sportexe as its turf manufacturer for the synthetic playing surface in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The company will install PowerBlade 2.5 as part of the project, which is scheduled to be completed prior to August 1.
“We are enormously honored that The University of Arkansas has chosen Sportexe as the synthetic turf for Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium,” said Sportexe CEO Steve Noe. “The entire Sportexe family is focused on producing and installing an outstanding playing surface for the university.”
The University of Arkansas will be the first Southeastern Conference featuring game field for Sportexe. M&T Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, has a six-year-old Sportexe field and the Superdome in New Orleans has a Sportexe field installed each summer. In January of 2009, the National Football League Players Association released its bi-annual rankings of NFL stadium fields and both venues were ranked in the top half of the league. Currently, three NFL teams use Sportexe fields in their practice facilities, including the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Jets (indoor and outdoor) and the Buffalo Bills.
Established in 1989, Sportexe is the oldest synthetic turf company in the United States. Sportexe manufactures its own synthetic turf products, and they are installed by trained and certified Sportexe installation teams. Sportexe has installed approximately 400 full-sized athletic fields in North America.
PowerBlade HP 2.5 is a sand and rubber in-filled system, designed to maximize player speed and performance. Made with Sportexe's advanced MonoTech fiber, PowerBlade HP combines the softness and lush appearance of natural grass with the engineered performance of modern synthetic turf.
Private gifts to the Razorback Foundation specifically for the field will fund the entire estimated $1.1 million project.
An Open Letter to all Sportexe Clients, Partners and Suppliers,
This year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of our company. Sportexe was started by three individuals with a vision to provide exceptional service to clients. The initial focus of the company was the installation of synthetic turf for sports fields. Today we still install sports fields, but we have also moved far beyond that.
From these humble beginnings, Sportexe has grown to be one of the premier synthetic turf companies in North America. We have been fortunate enough to provide fields to such high profile clients as the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, University of Pittsburgh, LSU, University of California – Berkeley and others. Most recently, we have been selected by the New Orleans Superdome to replace the stadium field and by the University of Arkansas to install their new game field. We feel honored to have been chosen by these prestigious organizations.
As exciting as these projects have been we are just as excited and proud to be a part of the hundreds of projects we participate in for parks and schools. Sportexe has installed over four hundred fields around the country and each of these is just as important to us as the projects that garner all of the publicity.
Our select business continues to provide innovative solutions to indoor sports facility operators and golf enthusiasts who see the functionality that synthetic turf playing surfaces can provide. We are proud to have been associated with all of our clients in this sector.
There have been other changes as well over the years. Initially, the company was owned by just the three founders, but as the company pursued growth initiatives we sought out a partnership with the Modell family to provide additional growth capital. During the years of Modell ownership, the company achieved its goals of exponential growth and secured a leading position in the national market for synthetic turf systems. Drawn by our growth prospects and leading market position, we later secured an investment from Insight Equity in 2007 to provide a long-term stable base of capital to support our funding needs for the future. Insight is a prestigious private equity firm with approximately $1 billion in assets under management, providing Sportexe with nearly unmatched financial and professional resources in the synthetic turf industry. We have been excited to part of their portfolio family as this has provided us the financial support necessary to pursue long term investments like our aviation business.
In addition to the financial support we enjoy from the Modell family and Insight Equity, we are also privileged to have the support of one of the largest and most well-capitalized banks in the US, Wells Fargo, for our working capital and fixed asset financing needs.
One of the other changes that has occurred since our founding is the investments we made to be able to design and produce our own turf. Since 2004 we have been designing our own turf systems. This work has occurred in our dedicated R&D facilities in Calhoun Georgia. In 2008, we took the next step to begin to produce our own turf products in partnership with ACT Global. This was an exciting step for the company as it allowed us to partner even more closely with our turf material suppliers.
As we look to the next twenty years, we expect that some things will remain the same and that some things will change. Our industry continues to face challenges that will require all of us to evolve. One of these key challenges is the environmental impact of our products. We are very excited about our new product that we introduced this year, EGS™ (EnviroGreen), which addresses many of the concerns that environmentalist have voiced about synthetic turf. We plan to continue to remain at the forefront of addressing industry needs by constantly evolving the products that we provide to the market.
One thing we expect to remain the same is our focus on delivering our clients, whether they are an architect, general contractor or owner, an exceptional Sportexe experience. To that end, we will be announcing next week the launch of our new information technology system, but more about that later. We have built our business by focusing on delivering not just the best products, but the best overall experience to our clients both before the sale, during the installation and throughout the ownership experience. We pledge to continue to stay true to that original premise.
Thank you to all of our clients, partners and suppliers for helping us grow throughout the last twenty years and we look forward to working with you for the next twenty.
Sincerely,
Steve
Stephen P. Noe
President and CEO
Sportexe Construction Services, Inc.
April 21, 2009. With over 1000 synthetic turf sports fields installed in the U.S. annually, the Synthetic Turf Council wanted to discover the stories behind some of these fields. And so, on February 3, the STC launched the Search for the Real Field of Dreams, a national contest that invited public and private high schools to relate the impact that their synthetic turf field has had on the school, the students, and the community. Today we announce the Grand Prize Winner, the First Runner-up, and the 8 National Finalists.... http://www.syntheticturfcouncil.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=145
On the surface, it might have seemed that the biggest challenge in bringing a synthetic turf field to Rutland High School was the Vermont climate.... http://www.syntheticturfcouncil.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=145
No matter what sport you play, a game against your arch-rival is a key moment to your season: a chance to clinch a title, avenge a heartbreaking defeat or salvage a season gone wrong.
A select few, however, transcend the usual boundaries of on-field action and become something more: a microcosm of the spirit and passion of their respective sports. Think of Red Sox-Yankees baseball. Michigan-Ohio State football. Maple Leafs-Canadians hockey. Duke-UNC basketball.
In lacrosse, that game is Johns Hopkins-Maryland.... http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?pagerid=2&news=fdetail&storyid=186994
More than just a lacrosse game, Army-Navy is a way of life in both West Point and Annapolis. ... http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?pagerid=2&news=fdetail&storyid=186977
March 2009
Mr. Joe Kacevich
New England Territory Manager
Dear Joe,
This letter is meant as a recommendation for Sportexe and its athletic turf product, Momentum 51. Sportexe installed this product in the summer of 2005 at the newly built W.B. Mason Stadium on the campus of Stonehill College. Since that time its presence has been an added benefit to all of our varsity athletic programs as well as the general college community.
Currently, five varsity programs utilize the turf for practice and competition (football, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s lacrosse). In addition, the field is utilized by an array of club and intramural programs. Through these countless hours of use, the Momentum 51 product has continued to meet our ever growing needs.
In terms of its performance I can offer this story. In the fall of 2006 we hosted a football game in a torrential rainstorm. Wind swept rain lashed down from hours before kickoff until well after that game. During that entire time, not one puddle or collection of water formed on the playing surface. In the same storm, at a nearby Division I institution that also utilizes synthetic turf their field was covered with puddles of water that severely affected play. We did not have to make any adjustments for the inclement weather. The value in a synthetic turf was clearly evident that day and the performance of Sportexe’s Momentum 51 clearly displayed its value.
If you have any questions, or wish to receive any further comments regarding our satisfaction with your product, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Brendan J. Sullivan
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
RICHMOND, VA – (Monday, March 2, 2009) – The Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club officially unveiled the name of its new home, tagging the 34.5-acre sports complex Ukrop Park. The environmentally friendly, state-of-the-art park features six lighted athletic fields and a full-scale aquatics center. Ukrop Park is conveniently located in Chesterfield County at the intersection of Chippenham Parkway and Route 10 and utilizes the latest technology in Musco lighting and Sportexe synthetic turf...... http://www.richmondkickers.com/home/310476.html
The field looked so nice that even Cape Fear Academy athletic director Chris Meehl couldn’t resist it. Two weeks before the school’s new turf field would open for students, Meehl and assistant AD Barron Russell headed out for some pick-up soccer. They got to test out the field before their students.... http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090223/ARTICLES/902230248/-1/SPORTS11?Title=Turf-decision-CFA-goes-fake
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