Tigers Have a New Home on Celebration Bermudagrass






















Some very large cats are lounging around on Celebration Bermudagrass at a new exhibit in Zoo Atlanta. Bethel Farms' Newton, Georgia location donated four pallets of the improved bermudagrass Celebration for the new Sumatran Tiger exhibit; part of Zoo Atlanta's Trader's Alley.

"The tigers are large animals that are going to cause a lot of wear and tear on any grass in the exhibit, so we wanted to give them something that would repair very quickly," said Logan Smith of Bethel Farms. "Celebration recovers rapidly and will adequately handle the moderate amount of shade found in the tiger's new habitat."

Sumatran tigers Chelsea and Kavi and Clouded leopard Mobi are the residents of the new locale. Trader's Alley allows spectators to get up-close and personal, viewing the tigers from two new vantage points. The Celebration Bermuda carpets the enclosure, giving the animals a nice place to cool off.

Trader's Alley is a new area of Zoo Atlanta highlighting the global problem of wildlife trade. "Conservation and education are as critical to Zoo Atlanta's mission as providing a great family experience," said Raymond King, President and CEO of Zoo Atlanta. "With Trader's Alley, we've taken a fresh and creative approach that we hope will inspire our Members and guests to learn more about the problems facing wildlife today."

The new area at Zoo Atlanta opened in June. Bethel Farms expects to provide more turfgrass for the zoo in the near future.






Sod Solutions Staff Members Serve On TPI Boards
Tobey Wagner  Linda Moyer



Two members of Sod Solutions' staff are now working with many top minds in the turfgrass industry to help generate ideas and problem solve.

Tobey Wagner, president of Sod Solutions was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Trustees of Turfgrass Producers International. A graduate of Auburn University where he earned a BSME, Wagner went on to found Sod Solutions in 1993. Wagner has been a member of TPI since 1994.

Linda Moyer was selected to serve as Chairman of TPI's Public Relations Working Group. Linda's role will be to lead the working group as they are tasked with promoting the positive benefits of turfgrass throughout the world.

The pair are always looking for new, innovative ideas and would love to hear suggestions. Send to info@sodsolutions.com.





                                                                                                                 





A New Use for EMPIRE Turf: Wedding Table Centerpieces




The versitility of EMPIRE Turf was on display last month...this time at a wedding.  At the recent nuptials of Sod Solutions' Sales Manager Erin Boyd and her new husband Bedford Wilder, slabs of EMPIRE were decked out and used as table centerpieces at the reception.  Not only does Erin work for Sod Solutions, but her background is in the turf farming business.  Each piece of the EMPIRE zoysia held a number of candles and some dandelions (though those were picked and placed in the grass...not growing in it!)  We wish Erin and Bedford all the best!






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North and South Carolina EMPIRE Growers Unite to Form New Marketing Group

Seeking to promote EMPIRE Turf in North and South Carolina, turfgrass producers from the neighboring states have formed a new marketing alliance. The goal of the Carolina EMPIRE Marketing Group (CEMG) is to work together to help spread the message that EMPIRE Turf is the best turfgrass choice in the Carolinas.

Two groups of producers met just outside Charleston, SC in May to discuss options for branding the grass. They felt that in this economy, cooperation will go a lot farther than solo marketing efforts. The new group was devised using the same model that was first employed by Florida's EMPIRE Turf producers. The Florida group, established in 2006, has already seen a major increase in brand recognition by using a number of advertising options; from radio and television to billboards and magazine ads. Collaboration is the only economically feasible way to pull off advertising on this scale.

"In this day and age, cooperation is the best way to get ‘bang for the buck,'" said Tobey Wagner, President of Sod Solutions. "We too often see producers that never talk to each other and think their competitors are constantly undercutting their sales. These people have common interests. By sitting them in a room and spelling out a plan, we showed them that collaborative competition is the best way for their businesses to prosper. Not to mention, many of these guys have now gained a new trust of each other."

In order to generate advertising funds, the CEMG began collecting a marketing levy for every square foot of EMPIRE sold. They also contributed up-front seed money to help fund the initial 2010 advertising year. Look for EMPIRE Turf advertising in North and South Carolina beginning next spring.