MONTREAL, March 26, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- FieldTurf Tarkett has appointed Joe Fields as Chief Executive Officer. He is taking over the position from David Moszkowski, who will remain the Chief Operating Officer of the company. Moszkowski succeeded the late John Gilman, who was an industry icon and a pioneer of the sand and rubber infilled FieldTurf system that has been installed on more than 2,500 fields worldwide.
Fields, a native of Ravenswood, West Virginia, is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds a masters degree from the University of Oklahoma. Fields has held a number of senior positions in sports related industries, including Senior Vice President, Adidas North America and President of Speedo International.
"The synthetic turf industry is continuing to see rapid growth, and FieldTurf Tarkett is the dominant force in the North American market and is the only global player," said Fields. "I believe that we are well positioned to perpetuate the rapid growth that was driven by John Gilman and that the FieldTurf team will be able to continue his vision of being the clear global leader in the sports surfacing industry," continued Fields. "I am absolutely thrilled to take on the leadership role at FieldTurf Tarkett."
Tarkett CEO Michel Giannuzzi stated, "Adding an experienced leader like Joe Fields to the outstanding executive team at FieldTurf Tarkett will no doubt help solidify our leadership position in the industry."
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, commercial and residential landscaping, and a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces. For more information, please visit www.fieldturftarkett.com.