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| April 2005 |
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| Next-Generation Artificial Turf that Can Contribute to the Athletic Fields of the World |
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| ASTRO CORPORATION markets and installs ASTROTURF, a brand name that has become synonymous with artificial turf through commanding the major share of the global artificial turf market. As well as explaining the product features, the marketing strategy of the company surviving the fierce competition in the artificial turf market will be introduced here. |
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| How was ASTROTURF developed? |
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| ASTROTURF is the general brand name for the artificial turf manufactured by Monsanto Company in the United States (MC). The Astrodome in Houston, Texas, became the world's first indoor sports arena which installed ASTROTURF in 1966. Since then, artificial turf has been utilized in a wide variety of athletics facilities.
In Japan, artificial turf was first used as an alternative to real vegetation in the 1960s and 70s, when the destruction of nature became a serious issue in Japan. As demand for artificial turf later grew in line with an increase in sports and leisure facilities, the former Mitsubishi Monsanto Chemical Company (MMC) decided to manufacture ASTROTURF on its own. While MMC began by importing products from MC as part of its efforts to increase the Japanese artificial turf market share, it also began full-scale production of ASTROTURF at its Tsuchiura Plant (now Tsukuba Plant of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) in 1975. In 1976, MMC span off its artificial turf business and the new business unit renamed itself, ASTRO CORPORATIOIN (ASTRO) in 1984. Based in Tokyo, ASTRO operates marketing outlets in many major cities. The company sells materials and equipment for facilities such as sports fields, plastic schanze of the jumping hill for summertime use, and artificial ski slopes. The company has both management and technological know-how and the ability to provide integrated services for artificial turf used at sports and event facilities, from planning, proposals and designing through installation and maintenance services, meeting the varied needs and demands of today's customers. |
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| What types of artificial turf can we use? |
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Commercial Uses of ASTROPLAY
Baseball parks: Osaka Dome, Ballpark at Kawaguchi Aoki-cho Park
Soccer stadiums: J-League team stadiums (Urawa Red Diamonds, Avispa Fukuoka and others), Soccer field at Sapporo Dome, Schools (Tokai University, Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences and others), Business corporations (Ricoh Co., Denso Corp., and others)
Rugby fields: Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, Sendai Athletics University
Multi-purpose athletic fields: Athletic fields for citizens run by local municipalities |
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ASTRO currently deals with three types of ASTROTURF:
Molding type: ASTROTURF
Mainly made from polyethylene, ASTROTURF is manufactured using the continuous extrusion molding method. Makers that had entered the artificial turf market ahead of ASTRO produced fabric-type artificial turf. But ASTRO decided to handle ASTROTURF, becoming the first Japanese company to market and install molding-type artificial turf. ASTROTURF was highly cushioned, strong against tough weather conditions, and durable, so that it was hailed by the market. Molding-type artificial turf was once popular for use at golf ranges, parks and houses. But demand for such product declined to one-fifth the peak following the bursting of the bubble economy.
In 1977, molding-type artificial turf was first utilized on an artificial ski slope and a 40-meter-class plastic schanze of jumping hill. Today, all 24 plastic schanzes of jumping hill that are used in Japan for athletic competition have been installed with ASTROTURF, using ASTRO's state-of-the-art technology. Therefore, we can say that ASTRO has made a contribution to fostering world-class ski jumpers. ASTROTURF has also been used in playing fields for sledges ridden by children. Overall, ASTROTURF has maintained the largest share of Japan's artificial turf market.
Fabric type: ASTROTURF STADIUM SURFACE
ASTROTURF STADIUM SURFACE is made mainly from nylon. It is knitted like a laid-over carpet. Seibu Dome, Sapporo Dome, and Nagai Stadium in Osaka have all installed this type of turf, along with ground hockey fields. But demand for fabric-type artificial turf has continued to decline as an increasing number of facilities have shifted to long-piled artificial turf.
Long-piled artificial turf: ASTROPLAY
Unlike the molding-type and fabric-type artificial turf, which has a double-layer turf structure in which the cushion mats are laminated, long-piled artificial turf is manufactured using a unique method of mixing rubber chips and sand with artificial turf leaves made mainly from polyolefin and nylon. At present, ASTROPLAY is ASTRO's mainline product item. Quality and price competition for this type of artificial turf has been intensifying in the global market.
| ASTROTURF is being used in a variety of sports scenes |
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| Soccer field at Sapporo Dome |
Osaka Dome |
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| Ski slope at Sunvillage Akane |
Plastic schanze of the jumping hill in Hakuba |
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| What advantages does artificial turf offer? |
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Once installed, artificial turf can be used 365 days a year, regardless of weather conditions, with a life of five to 15 years. This cuts maintenance and various other costs. ASTRO is pitching its products by emphasizing the following four main benefits:
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It can be an alternative to natural-grass turf. Artificial turf can be installed in frequently used places where natural grass cannot grow, such as indoor facilities, athletic fields, and golf-course paths used by carts. |
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It can become a cost-cutting measure. Natural-grass turf needs continuous care. Specifically, maintenance work for natural turf includes a steady supply of water and fertilizers, pruning and repairs of turf leaves, disposal of old turf, and spraying of chemical agents. All these tasks are rendered unnecessary for artificial turf, significantly cutting maintenance costs. |
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No objections to be expected from neighboring residents. Complaints that are often made about of natural turf from people residing in neighboring areas, such as dust being stirred up by the wind, are unlikely in the case of artificial turf. |
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Players become relatively free from injury. Dirt grounds have more risks than artificial-turf grounds of causing abrasions and fractures to athletes. Artificial turf provides one solution to this problem as athletes can remain relatively free from injury. |
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| Can athletes play on artificial-turf surfaces just as they play on natural-turf grounds? |
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 Installation of ASTROTURF
Lining and joining together (left)
Sand and rubber chips being filled in (right) |
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ASTRO has received a variety of requests and feedback from customers that have then been reflected in product improvements. Customers' requests covered a wide range of areas-making the turf's appearance as close as possible to that of natural-grass turf, glaze, sliding, elasticity, strength, flexibility, measures against ultraviolet rays, frictional wear, anti-electrical-charge measures, anti-flammable measures, anti-germ measures, anti-odor measures, and control of surface temperatures.
ASTROPLAY is the product that resulted from the company's efforts to reflect customer needs. By carefully controlling and adjusting the elasticity of rubber chips and the cushion function of sand, sports grounds installed with artificial turf enable athletes to play sports smoothly. ASTROPLAY has also seen a growing demand from customers who run soccer and rugby fields. Before the launch of ASTROPLAY, customers were not interested at all in using artificial turf on soccer and rugby fields. |
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| What are the main differences between ASTROPLAY and the long-piled artificial turf manufactured by other companies? |
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To put it simply, ASTROPLAY is a high-grade artificial
turf recognized by an international agency as being superior in durability and
functionality.
ASTROPLAY-S (used mainly at soccer fields and multi-purpose athletic
fields)
The soccer field at a sport center in Tokinosumika, Shizuoka Prefecture, which
installed ASTROPLAY-S, was designated by FIFA as recommendable for soccer
playing in 1999. That ground became Japan's first FIFA-recommended soccer field.
ASTROPLAY-R (used mainly at rugby and American football fields)
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| ASTROPLAY turf being tested by FIFA |
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ASTROPLAY-R was developed jointly with the rugby team of Osaka University
of Health and Sport Sciences. The rugby field of Osaka University of Health and
Sport Sciences cleared standards set by the International Rugby Board (IRB) at
the end of 2004 as a world's first. This rugby field has also been certified by
the Japan Rugby Football Union. |
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| What are the challenges for ASTRO in the future? And what are the prospects for the artificial-turf market? |
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Future challenges are twofold:
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The core requirement for the company is to acquire the ability to respond flexibly to customer needs and solve problems, and secure the necessary manpower resources to help the company acquire such ability.
For example, we received a request from our customer that the artificial turf to be installed at Sapporo Dome be one that could be removed quickly for music concerts, and that could be speedily reinstalled after the concert had ended. Responding to this demand, technical staff at ASTRO in cooperation with the city of Sapporo, the owner of the Dome, and a joint venture company, devised a conversion system in which the Dome's ground could be easily converted to meet this dual purpose. With the development of this new system, ASTRO was able to secure customer confidence and satisfaction.
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The company needs to establish a recycling system to recover and dispose of the used artificial turf after replacement with new turf. |
Regarding market prospects, demand for artificial turf used at soccer and rugby grounds is expected to continue to increase. As a result, sales of the product for installation at such grounds are expected to grow further. In the future, facilities other than sports facilities-such as nursery schools, kindergartens, and elementary and junior-high schools-are expected to become more interested in using artificial turf at their grounds and fields, in view of the need to meet the new environmental and safety conditions that their grounds are now facing. |
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ASTRO CORPORATION
2-2 Nihonbashi Hongokucho 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0021
TEL: [+81] (0)3-3279-3216 |
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