Synthetic turf installer EasyTurf makes Inc. 5000 list
26 Sep, 2008 By: Ron Hall LM Direct!Artificial turf is the rage on sports fields these days. More than 900 new synthetic sports fields are being built in the United States annually. Artificial turf marketers tout synthetic turf's durability and its reduced maintenance requirements, including the need to forego mowing, watering, fertilization and pest controls compared to living turfgrass. But the main reason it's dominating the sports field market is because it allows significantly more traffic and play than turfgrass.
The lure of green grass-like product that doesn't need mowing, fertilizer or water has become big business in the residential and commercial landscape markets, too, especially in markets that face water restrictions or high water costs. In fact, some cities and water districts now offer rebates to property owners who replace their turfgrass with synthetic turf.
If you need evidence, consider that EasyTurf, the Southern Calfiornia dealer for synthetic turf marketer FieldTurf, was recently listed as number 776 on the 2008 Inc. 5000 List of America's fastest growing privately held companies due to its rapid sales growth. For the past two years, Inc. Magazine and Inc.com have issued a list of 5000 rapidly growing privately held companies to honor their unique business models and provide broader media exposure to these underreported companies.
As the largest synthetic grass company in Southern California, EasyTurf has experienced substantial growth in the last few years in part due to an increasing shortage in the water supply throughout California. By the end of 2009, California residents are expected to pay 40% more on their water bill than they did in 2007. "Synthetic grass saves the average homeowner 56,000 gallons of water in a year, so it is only natural that people want to save water and money by installing EasyTurf," said David Hartman, President of EasyTurf.
In 2002, Hartman had synthetic grass installed at his home and loved the product so much that he purchased the exclusive rights for residential and commercial installation in Southern California from FieldTurf. "I loved that the synthetic grass stayed green all year long and my pets couldn't damage it, so I decided to buy the company."
With 456% sales growth from 2004 to 2007, Hartman seems to have made the right decision. EasyTurf ranked number 9 in the Environmental Services category and number 15 in San Diego County and its surrounding areas.
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