New player in artificial turf business could spark price war

Posted by Mike Florio on May 8, 2011, 5:42 PM EDT
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While surveying the Internet for possible stories to share, I tripped across an item in the Buffalo News regarding the new artificial surface to be installed at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

Hooked by the fact that the company that won the contract is owned by a lifelong Bills fans, I was shocked by the price of the job:  $178,000.  Though A-Turf may simply be hoping to crack the NFL market, the price falls far short of similar projects.  For example, the Metrodome spent $495,000 last year on a new artificial surface.  In St. Louis, the Edward Jones Dome plunked down $2.5 million for a system that allows the turf to be moved when the facility isn’t being used for football, an alternative to the prior approach that cost $300,000 per year.

According to its website, FieldTurf costs well over $700,000 to install.

If A-Turf establishes any traction (pun not intended but nevertheless acknowledged), its competitors’ prices could be dropping quickly.

Assuming that A-Turf can charge a rate that low and still make a profit.

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28 responses to “New player in artificial turf business could spark price war”

  6. Speaking of how very, very, concerned Roger Goodell and the owners are about player safety it always seems just absolutely CRAZY to me that any NFL team would still play on a dirt freakin’ baseball infield.

    Could it be possible that Goodell and the owners don’t really care about player safety and instead ONLY care about money?

    Put your money where your mouth is. Get rid of ALL dirt infield surfaces.

  7. safety indeed!!!! this is an insult to bills players and fans. now when the ankle and knee injuries start piling up will this cheap stunt be held up to the proper scrutiny! on the other hand, if its possible to install an effective safe ugh artificial surface for this much less, than obviously someone else is lying here.

  8. And if the players really cared about their own safety they would push for more safety measures instead of whining about the safety measures that are implemented. I bet a good way to have a safer game is to NEGOTIATE it into the CBA…or maybe the lawyers care enough to sue the NFL for a safer work place.

  10. if I were a player I would definetly be concerned about this contract being awarded to a significantly “low” bid.

    it is hard to imagine the same product can be applied at 1/3 the cost and provide a safe and professional playing surface at the same time.

    maybe he can do this job at that price and make money but jeez if it’s not a first class field the bumbling Bills and Ralph Wilson are gonna look dopey again.

  11. ralph wilson couldn’t read the small print which said they would be installing the original Astrodome turf from the 1970’s.

  12. $179K seems awfully cheap for an artifical surface. Natural grass would cost at least $100K, not last nearly as long, etc. Usual story is that art. turf. costs much more but also lasts much longer.

  13. Wow that’s ludicrously cheap; the field at my high school cost us a million, talk about a hometown discount…

  15. It’s only that cheap because they’re only doing the end of the field that the Bills will defend. It’s not like the ball will ever leave it.

  18. This is being paid for by Erie County, not Ralph Wilson. Also, if you read the article this guy and his company is doing it at this low price to get a foot in the door to get business from other NFL teams. They have already turfed NCAA fields.

  19. I think it’s outrageous that school districts are paying $700,000 to $1 million dollars for a freakin HS football field! Plant some grass, chalk some lines and let the kids play the game. This is High Scool not the pros……no wonder we carry such a huge deficit. We’re obviously idiots…..

  22. I think it’s outrageous that school districts are paying $700,000 to $1 million dollars for a freakin HS football field! Plant some grass, chalk some lines and let the kids play the game. This is High Scool not the pros……no wonder we carry such a huge deficit. We’re obviously idiots…..

    —————

    The reason being that a quality grass field costs hundreds of thousands per year to maintain (water/fertilize/labor/etc.).

  23. The reason being that a quality grass field costs hundreds of thousands per year to maintain (water/fertilize/labor/etc.).

    I say leave that for the pros. Kids need decent grass not a professionally groomed playing surface. If the residents are so keen on having one, then they should go out in the community and get a local company to donate the services. Why should something that benefits 50 kids and a hand full of cheerleaders take up such a huge portion of the EDUCATION budget. How many iPads could you buy with that money. Give me a break……

  25. high schools and colleges are switching to aftificial surfaces because of the amount of traffic on these fields. Most schools have Football, b&g soccer, field hockey then b&g lacrosse & all of those practices. Its better for the kids..

    It should be mandatory for each stadium to have a grass playing field. & those teams that have the baseball dirt…. get real.

    our highschool field was a sand lot by the end of november.

  27. A-Turf, Inc. is very excited about the upcoming turf project for the Buffalo Bills and Erie County taxpayers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. We’ve followed some of the chatter and want to alleviate any concerns on the part of the passionate football fans and taxpayers in general.

    In the field building business, it’s rare to have the opportunity to showcase your system at an NFL stadium venue. The marketing value and credibility is immeasurable. This truly is a win-win situation, the Bills get a premier system and we get the honor of installing it.

    Given that this was a public bid led by Erie County, the price is a matter of public record. Over the years many NFL stadium fields have been given away by other field builders, at reduced prices or in some cases at no cost at all. In many of these cases, the Club makes the decision, meaning it’s not a public bid process and therefore the cost of such fields is not released. Why would a field builder do this? Again, because the exposure is tremendous and the difference between market price and paid price is treated as a multi-year marketing investment. Given the scope of work at Ralph Wilson Stadium, market price would have been in the low $300,000’s, not the $700,000 – $1,000,000 mentioned in above comments. The three quarters of a million dollars would be more typical of converting a natural grass field to synthetic, which includes considerable site work cost. The Ralph Wilson Stadium project is much simpler – remove the old and replace it with the new. As a matter of public record, the second low bid was $269,100.

    A-Turf has built more than 250 athletic fields in the last nine years … our record is impeccable … our systems are as player friendly, safe and durable as any on the market. Our Dalton, Georgia based turf manufacturing partner, Controlled Products, is the largest turf producer and arguably the most capable in the industry. They participated hand-in-hand with A-Turf in providing this one-time reduced pricing.

    Now it’s back to business as usual charging reasonable prices and providing outstanding value!

    Jim Dobmeier
    A-Turf, Inc.
    President & Founder

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