New European vision for the artificial turf industry
The ESTO (European Synthetic Turf Organisation), which due to its integration with the STC becomes ESTC (EMEA Synthetic Turf Organisation). Synthetic Turf Council) this year, is a Europe-wide forum for the synthetic turf industry, offering a wide range of studies, statistics and advice to promote and guarantee the quality of artificial turf and its standardization.
At Albergrass we are concerned about research and development for the improvement of artificial turf, that is why we are members of the ESTC, an organization that is configured as the European player in the field of artificial turf.peo reference in the sector.
On June 1, Stefan Diderich replaced Nigel Fletcher as President of ESTC. Diderich replaced Nigel Fletcher as president of ESTC.We took advantage of the change in leadership to interview Stefan to learn more about his vision for the future of the organization and how he sees the outlook for the artificial turf industry in Europe.
Stefan, tell us a little about yourself, and how your experience has led you to become president of ESTC.
Since 2014, I have had the pleasure of working in the synthetic turf industry and meeting great people from many different companies and organizations. It really is a people business and, despite the competitiveness in the industry, people stand up and take care of each other when it really matters.
I have worked for different yarn companies and in that position, I met many people along the supply chain of the synthetic turf industry. At the same time, I have been active in both ESTO and STC in various committees and other roles.
When STC wanted to expand into Europe and ESTO was looking for a new president, I realized that bringing the organizations together would be in the best interest of the industry. With my experience and global activity in both organizations, it seemed to be the natural fit to help the industry realize this.
It seems like a logical step to join ESTC after 14 years of experience in the artificial turf industry. What is your vision for the organization in five years?
ESTC’s vision is to serve as the forum to promote, develop, grow and advocate for the synthetic turf industry. The 2 main objectives are to be the voice of the industry and to unite the industry at all levels.
In our strategy, we will have to focus on 4 key elements, or pillars:
- Education
- Marketing
- Advocacy
- Networking
Most importantly, I firmly believe that we need to become an industry association focused on creating value for its members, but also one that is member-driven.
Going back to the present and thinking in the short term, what are the main objectives for this new year for CSP?
The most important goal for the coming year is to be recognized as the source of objective information on synthetic turf. We need to make sure we provide this objective information to legislative organizations, such as the European Commission, and stronger than before to promote the health and environmental benefits of synthetic turf.
What do you think will be the main challenges and advantages of the new integration with the STC (Synthetic Turf Council)?
STC and CSP face many problems that are the same in North America and Europe. To solve these global problems, we must work together and act as a global organization. At the same time, we must be sure to act locally to connect with local market circumstances.
Artificial turf has been on the market since the 1960s and has been a real revolution for sports and gardening. Do you think the artificial turf market is already consolidated?
Indeed, we have come a long way, but I think we still have a long way to go. We need to help the end user better understand the product and make the right decisions when purchasing synthetic turf. Minimum guidelines and certification from qualified installation companies will help consumers buy a product that meets their needs.
What are the main threats / opportunities you foresee for this market?
The biggest opportunity we have is to promote the health and environmental benefits of synthetic turf. We will have to emphasize that synthetic turf offers more options for people to play sports and relax in a way that helps preserve the environment by saving on water consumption.
How do you think imports of products from countries that do not have a free market economy affect European industry? And what is the CSP doing about it?
This is a sensitive issue and has been threatening our industry for a long time. Free trade is a crucial element of Western society. Therefore, it is certainly not the intention to limit competition. However, competition must be fair and take place on a level playing field for all parties involved in our business. Government-funded export subsidies and exchange rate manipulation are having a negative impact on fair trade practices. ESTC’s intention is to study legal options to challenge these unfair trade practices and to help restore a level playing field for all competitors.
Finally and to close this interview, we would like to know how the issue of sustainability is being considered in the artificial turf industry at the moment.
As an industry, we have a responsibility to provide a sustainable product for the life of the product. This also includes finding the right solutions for end-of-life synthetic turf. Multiple recycling options are already available to convert end-of-life synthetic turf into valuable new resources.
Thank you very much for taking the time for this interview, we wish you luck and success in your new position at EST.C.
