TURF INSTALLATION PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Pitch count: Turf installation technology
that can transform a field in just a matter
of hours is setting new industry standards
The traditional method of natural
turf installation requires a team of
workers armed with rakes and a
generous window of time to
complete the project. This process
may be acceptable for youth athletic fields
but not for multi-million-dollar stadia in need
of dozens of rapid change-outs a year.
However, with SideKick USA’s patented
turf placement machine it reduces labor
costs, damage to turf, and also greatly
decreases the time it takes to install.
The technology enabled the Rose Bowl
Stadium in California to hold a concert on
Saturday and then be ready for a football
game the following Monday. Even more
impressive, it made it possible for Raymond
James Stadium to hold two NCAA bowl
games only days apart – including the
College Football National Championship
– where the playing surface was replaced,
painted, and ready for play immediately.
The key to SideKick’s success lies with its
internationally patented turf placement and
compression plate. With the use of hydraulics,
the plate extends to slide the turf into place
and completes the work of a dozen pulling
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rakes -- all without ever touching or
damaging the playing surface. The power of
the SideKick’s plate in-turn eliminates the
resulting seams left between the turf, making
for tight, clean rows down the field. This is
also why the surface is safer, stronger, and
ready for play immediately after installation.
Kickstarting a revolution
What used to be a product used exclusively
in the United States is now in five countries
around the world and counting. From
New York to Yokohama, SideKick units are
helping install natural grass pitches at some
of the most important stadia throughout
professional and amateur sports. With its
internationally patented technology, SideKick
has helped the stadium industry reach its full
potential to host as many events as possible
and still having ample amount of time for
top quality turf installation – resulting in
immediate playability.
Since SideKick USA’s inception in the early
part of the decade, numerous professional
and collegiate stadia across the United States
have benefited from its time and labor-saving
compression plate, including over a dozen
NFL stadia. The machine has been utilized
for an assortment of high-profile events
including NFL Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s
Stadium, the 2017 MLS All-Star Game at
Soldier Field, and 2017 College Football
National Championship at Raymond James
Stadium. Since SideKick USA expansion
outside of the United States, units have been
utilized in several stadia around the world,
such as Metricom Stadium in Australia and
Nissan Stadium in Japan. Most recently in
record-breaking installs at stadia to be used
in the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in
Qatar, including Al Janoub Stadium, Ahmed
bin Ali Stadium, and Al Bayt Stadium.
With the help of SideKick, transforming
stadia from sold-out concert venues into
pristine athletic fields capable of holding
league championships in a matter of hours
is no longer a stadia management dream –
it has become the industry standard. n
Sidekick’s compression plate
technology enables stadia
to replace turf quicker and
therefore host more events
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