Construction Today - March 2010 - (Page 66)
Commercial | SPORTS CONSTRUCTION GROUP LLC construction has gained »After beginning as a heavy highwaythe sports fieldcompany, SCGmarket. The tremendous amounts of success in construction Taking the Field ATHLETES ARE WINNING GAMES ON FIELDS BUILT BY SPORTS CONSTRUCTION GROUP. BY LUKE GILLESPIE company has worked on a number of high-profile jobs throughout the country. W hen you are playing for a World Series, as the New York Yankees did last season, the last thing your team wants to worry about is whether its field will hold up. That is where Sports Construction Group (SCG) comes in. Originally a heavy highway contractor, the company has transformed itself into a leading contractor in playing field construction, including work on the new Yankee Stadium, Chicago’s Soldier Field, Notre Dame stadium in South Bend, Ind., and a host of others across the country. Based in Brecksville, Ohio, 13 miles south of Cleveland, SCG started locally by performing some work for the Cleveland Browns. When construction on Jacobs Field began in 1993 – since renamed Progressive Field – SCG bid on the home of the Cleveland Indians. It was this job that brought SCG to the forefront of the sports field industry. According to President and CEO Paul Franks, SCG has become successful because it brings a construction mentality whereas the majority of the companies performing field construction have a landscaping background. “We have quite a bit of different equipment to use, and have a better ability to do the work Sports Construction Group LLC www.scgfields.com • Headquarters: Brecksville, Ohio • Employees: 80 • Service: Natural and synthetic turf construction Project Responsibility When SCG takes on a project, it takes on as much responsibility as it can, offering a single source for owners. “We do all the work,” Franks states. “Where most turf people sub out the site work and the drainage and all the construction work prior to the turf going down, we build. And if it’s not done right, it can look great for a couple years but everything begins to fail because the base is not put in correctly. “Our own crews do all of the work, from start to finish,” Franks continues. “We offer a turnkey solution. We do our own schedule and are able to supply materials, and we make sure everything is there and we are able to work without delay. We are also able to provide a warranty on the base and the turf.” SCG offers a warranty that is exclusive to the company. It is insured by a third party and covers both the base and turf for eight years. Most warranties only cover the base for a year and the turf for eight years, Franks notes, adding that poor bases are often the problems with fields. By insuring the warranty through a third party – Colony Insurance – Franks believes the project’s owner can have a sense of relief when it hires SCG. “There is a lot of fear in the industry because “Communication is by far the biggest part of our success.” –Paul Franks, president and CEO and cut down the amount of time needed,” he explains. “We bring our construction knowledge and attack the jobs pretty hard.” Along with its can-do mentality, Franks credits SCG’s ability to foster good relationships for bringing the company success. He notes that the company has great relationships with construction firms such as Turner Construction and Hunt Sports Group, as well as with Major League Baseball and the National Football League. He says the company knows how to perform to the high standards that these organizations require. CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM MARCH 2010
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