Sports Construction Group Begins Installation of New Playing Field at The College of New Jersey

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April 24, 2008

CLEVELAND, April 24 /PRNewswire/ — Sports Construction Group L.L.C. (SCG), a leading contractor and installer of both natural and synthetic athletic sports fields, announced today that it has begun removal of the existing artificial playing surface at the College of New Jersey’s (TCNJ) Lions’ Stadium in Ewing, NJ, and will subsequently install TigerTurf’s new premium Heisman Trophy artificial playing surface.
Lions’ Stadium seats 6,000 and is home for TCNJ’s football, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse and field hockey teams. A nylon-based playing surface has been used at Lions’ Stadium since 1999, and the facility first opened in 1984.
SCG has completed a number of field installations in the New York/New Jersey area, and has been selected to build new natural grass fields for the new New York Yankees’ Stadium and the New York Jets’ training facility.
“We are delighted to have received the contract from TCNJ for the installation of its new field and to be the first to install TigerTurf’s new Heisman line of polyethylene-based field surface,” said Paul Franks, president of SCG. “As a constructor of field substrates and installer of playing surfaces, we have strong relationships with a number of artificial playing surface manufacturers, including General Sports Venue LLC, U.S. licensee of AstroTurf brand playing surfaces, TigerTurf and others,” he said.
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services recently raised concerns about lead content in nylon-based artificial turf athletic fields. The Synthetic Turf Council, based in Atlanta, has said that, while nylon fiber-based fields often contain lead chromate to extend yarn color lifespan, the fields pose no known risk to the health and environment because the lead is microencapsulated within the nylon fiber.
“While newer nylon-based technology has evolved over the years, no evidence has indicated that lead leaches to the air or water from nylon fibers used in older athletic playing fields. In fact, recent testing performed by an independent laboratory certified by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration has not indicated any elevated lead levels, either in the air or below the turf layer at the Lions’ Field project. The turf itself was not classified as “hazardous” and is being disposed of in an ordinary sanitary landfill,” Franks said.
SCG, based in Cleveland, has nearly 50 years of history in the construction business, and has been building high performance sports fields for more than 20 years, including well known natural turf venues such as Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals), Notre Dame University, PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates), Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies), Shea Stadium (NY Mets), Soldier Field (Chicago Bears), Progressive Field (Cleveland Indians), and Cleveland Browns Stadium. Additionally, the company provides artificial turf field construction and installation for numerous minor league professional teams, colleges, high schools and municipalities, including Penn State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, the Tacoma Dome, University of Northern Colorado, University of Colorado at Boulder, and the practice fields at the Prairie Gateway Complex for the Colorado Rapids Major League soccer team.
SCG differentiates itself from competitors by offering full substrate preparation, including irrigation, drainage, excavation and grading, in addition to final playing field surface installation.
Sports Construction Group L.L.C.

Construction