International Surfacing of Colorado has signed an agreement with Denver-based JaiTire Inc. for JaiTire to supply International Surfacing with crumb rubber for artificial turf infill.
The value of the contract and the amounts of crumb rubber involved weren't revealed, but International Surfacing said recent contracts for residential and child care/playground turf alone exceeded $170,000.
JaiTire is now ``pretty much the sole supplier'' of crumb rubber to International Surfacing, according to JaiTire President Corny Snyder. The two companies have cooperated in the artificial turf market for some time, she said-particularly since International Surfacing makes and installs artificial grass, a service JaiTire doesn't perform.
International Surfacing's product, according to its Web site, consists of high-quality polyethylene fibers with a urethane-reinforced backing.
Most brands of artificial grass have an infill of mixed sand and rubber to soften impact and reduce wear, the Web site said. International Surfacing's infill, however, is 100-percent ground rubber for even greater softness and durability.
``It seems to be a fast-growing business,'' Ms. Snyder said of artificial turf. It's popular for athletic surfaces, day care centers and playgrounds because of its softness and resilience in case of a fall. But in Colorado, she said, artificial turf is becoming popular for residential use because of the state's ongoing drought.
``We're looking at not being able to water our lawns next year,'' she said. ``There are some communities where you're banned from laying sod, or even from planting a single tree, flower or bush.''
Because new housing developments aren't allowed to landscape houses the traditional way, they are turning more and more to artificial turf, she said.
Based in Colorado Springs, International Surfacing of Colorado was acquired recently by Synthetic Turf Corp. of America, which is based in Minneapolis. Synthetic Turf officials couldn't be reached for comment.
Besides supplying crumb rubber for artificial turf manufacturers, JaiTire makes and markets a wide range of crumb rubber surfacing and landscaping products. These include Crown III top dressing to prevent wear and tear on lawns, athletic surfaces, etc.; Playflex playground cover; Equiflex horse arena footing; Ecoflex flexible ground surface; and Forever Mulch landscape material, which is designed to look like wood mulch.