//Partners In Excellence

Our Partners in Excellence scheme combines our own knowledge and expertise with the all-important ‘seal of approval’ from the original pitch or court provider, to give our customers total peace of mind that their artificial sports facility is being correctly maintained from day one.

The majority of our clients own artificial pitches or courts which were installed or constructed by one of our Partners In Excellence, so it is important to ensure that these facilities are maintained in accordance with their recommendations and guidelines. The Partners In Excellence affiliation allows us to present our customers with clear, consistent advice and information, and gives added weight and authority to our own maintenance procedures.

The scheme is mutually beneficial to Technical Surfaces and the surface provider, as well as to the client, whose synthetic sports surface remains in peak condition from the moment it is installed until the day it is resurfaced. The reciprocal nature of these partnerships also enables us to involve the surface provider at the point when the client considers replacing their surface, bringing the referral process full circle.

Technical Surfaces provides specialist maintenance and advice in our capacity as the dedicated ‘maintenance arm’ of leading synthetic pitch providers, and by working closely with both parties we can help facilitate the smooth working of the ongoing relationship between client and provider. We also liaise directly with the client and pitch provider at various stages throughout the life-cycle of the synthetic surface, to update them as to how long they can expect the current facility to remain playable; the appropriate maintenance that should be implemented to help extend the life of the surface and, where possible, sustain the optimal playing characteristics; and to help ensure that the correct funding is in place to resurface when the time comes.

With resources such as our Online Technical Information System (OTIS) at our disposal, all parties involved can monitor and track the surface’s performance, record maintenance activities and pitch usage, and retrieve servicing records and other useful information, all at the touch of a button.

The Partners In Excellence scheme is currently working at the highest level in artificial pitch maintenance, with the FIFA RECOMMENDED 2* Football Turf pitches at Saltley Leisure Centre in Birmingham and Park Hall Stadium in Oswestry, home of The New Saints FC. Both installed by Polytan Sports Surfaces, the pitches are subject to regular inspection by FIFA, who will revoke the RECOMMENDED status of any Football Turf field that fails to meet their ongoing maintenance requirements as laid out in the FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf, Field Test Report – Two Star (2009). The maintenance contracts we have in place on both pitches, together with our working partnership with Polytan, ensures that the Football Turf facilities continue to fulfill FIFA’s strict requirements on criteria such as ball roll and bounce, stud slide and deceleration, and shock absorption. Any other areas requiring attention are reported by the client to Polytan and Technical Surfaces, and we will address these issues on behalf of Polytan as their preferred ‘maintenance arm’, offering the client a quick, efficient and professional resolution.

Another client to benefit from this relationship is Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council in South Wales. In 2006, artificial pitches were installed by McArdle Sport Tec Ltd at four schools in the area; the council, already a long-standing client of Technical Surfaces, subsequently contacted us to discuss options for the ongoing care of the surfaces. Our association with the Oxfordshire-based installer enabled our Technical Managers to freely discuss the importance and relevance of maintenance and its benefits directly with the client, and with the council in charge of all facilities we have been able to implement an effective programme of bi-monthly Power Sweeping over a contract period of three years, whereby the maintenance of all four pitches runs concurrently.

Making such regular visits to the facilities also allows us to monitor the ongoing condition of the synthetic carpets, identifying minor repairs before they become major faults and establishing the need for other remedial works, such as Line Marking or replacement pitch equipment. It also enables us to report back to the client (and to our Partner In Excellence) on the projected life expectancy of the facilities, so they can see for themselves how the continued maintenance is offering a tangible return on their initial investment.

A successful maintenance programme can help you maximise the return on your investment and enjoy many years of use from your artificial sports surface, delaying the need for resurfacing. Technical Surfaces’ Partners In Excellence scheme successfully establishes and sustains a close working relationship between client, surface provider and maintenance specialist, from the moment the surface is installed. And when the time does come to consider replacing your facility, both Technical Surfaces and the original pitch provider will be able to point you in the right direction, with professional, expert advice on choosing the right replacement surface for you.