AMARILLO, Texas, Jan. 15, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Amarillo ISD has once again selected FieldTurf, this time for their 5 field project, after 10 years of continuous use on their first FieldTurf field. The decision was made to replace not just the stadium field that had FieldTurf on it since 1998, but to build a FieldTurf field at every high school that falls under the Amarillo Independent School District. The 5 brand new, state-of-the-art FieldTurf fields will be located at Amarillo High School, Caprock High School, Palo Duro High School, Tascosa High School, and Dick Bivins Stadium.
"We feel that we made the right decision in selecting FieldTurf," said Tex Nolan, Amarillo ISD Athletic Director, in a 1998 letter after having FieldTurf installed for the first time. "It has lived up to its billing as a tough, durable surface that can stand heavy use. We have gone from a philosophy of keeping people off our field to save the grass to a philosophy of putting everything on the field that we can. The product seems to get better the more you use it."
And 10 years later, Amarillo ISD and Tex Nolan are still singing the same tune with the addition of 5 FieldTurf fields.
"All the savings in time and money that were promised to us from the start continue to remain true today," added Nolan. "Even after 10 years we continue to see a return on our investment as we maximize usage out of our all weather FieldTurf field. The product and service sold us this time, as the service is always above what we expect. Even with low ball offers from other turf companies, nobody came close to what FieldTurf can provide for us in terms of quality, durability, and after sales service."
"This is yet another proud moment in the storied history of FieldTurf," said David Moszkowski, FieldTurf Tarkett CEO. "We're delighted that one of our most devout supporters, Amarillo ISD, agrees that our product is the best and longest-lasting artificial turf on the market. Our research and development, our manufacturing capabilities, and our installation experience sets us far ahead of anyone else and allows us to deliver the highest quality fields in the industry."
The Barnhill Report is the only true independent third-party safety study that has been done on any brand of artificial turf in the industry. The widely-acclaimed Barnhill Report was partially conducted on Amarillo ISD's FieldTurf surfaces that have been under heavy use since the initial installation of FieldTurf. Completed in 2004 in part by Dr. Bill Barnhill, the Barnhill Report was completed over a five year period of competitive high school football play, comparing FieldTurf to Natural Grass. Significant differences in the incidence, type and severity of game-related injuries were observed between playing surfaces. In regards to reducing the number of game-related, high school football injuries, current findings suggest an advantage in selecting FieldTurf over Natural Grass.
"I'm excited and happy to have selected FieldTurf's new monofilament fiber technology and I'm looking forward to seeing it in action," said Rod Schroeder, Amarillo ISD Superintendent. "We also needed the infill system to be the patented FieldTurf sand/rubber mix, and that is what we are getting. All of the things certain people said would happen with our first FieldTurf field did not happen. There was no segregation of the infill, no abrasion of the fibers by the sand, and the surface did not cause injuries. In fact, it prevented quite a few. At the time we put in FieldTurf, we had high hopes for it -- and it has performed beyond our expectations while the company has been outstanding with its after sales service. Having a science and physics background, I didn't worry about longevity after I first stepped on it. The sand/rubber mix has proven to be a solid foundation and has caused no issues for us whatsoever."
FieldTurf Tarkett is the largest entity in the sports surfacing industry and provides unparalleled leasing capabilities, engineering and manufacturing resources. In addition to its world-renowned FieldTurf and Prestige brands of artificial turf, FieldTurf Tarkett provides an equally impressive range of products that includes synthetic and hardwood basketball, volleyball and gymnasium flooring, squash and racquetball courts, floor protection and covering systems, and weight room flooring. Also in the range of FieldTurf Tarkett products are indoor and outdoor running tracks including the high performance 'Le Monde' track system, playground surfacing, and a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces. For more information, please visit www.fieldturftarkett.com