Articles

[Chattanooga, TN]… Three Southeastern Conference tennis programs recently installed new court surfaces in their varsity facilities, each the work of Chattanooga’s Competition Athletic Surfaces. The company successfully won bids to install surfaces at the University of Tennessee, the University of Alabama, and Mississippi State University.

According to Lee Murray, president of Competition Athletic Surfaces, winning the bid was the easy part; conforming to three different programs was something else altogether. “College tennis surfaces are as varied as college tennis coaches. One school wanted a slower surface; another wanted more bounce; and a couple of them wanted the school logo incorporated into their surfaces. We were able to demonstrate our experience working with the varied materials, and we had the staff experience to go with it,” Mr. Murray said.

Finding new uses for old tires is a growing trend as the country seeks solutions for one of its tougher waste problems. Used tires have been among the largest and most problematic sources of waste because of the large volume produced -- 250 million generated in the U.S. each year -- and their durability.

In the case of Competition Athletic Surfaces, Inc. the common denominator is the use of recycled tires.

By Mary Helen Sprecher

Racquet Sports Industry.com
March 1, 2007

There are a number of factors to consider when deciding what tennis court accessories and amenities to add.

Anyone who has ever wandered the showroom of a car dealership knows the difference between the base model and the one with all the latest options and extras. And they sure know which one is more fun to drive.

A tennis court can be like that. It can include just the basic necessities, or it can involve spending a little more and choosing those things that punch up the experience a few notches.

Making choices can be pretty confusing. You might have thought that once you've selected a court surface, the rest of the decisions flow naturally. Well, yes and no. The choice of a surface (acrylic-coated asphalt or concrete, cushioned, sand-filled turf, modular, clay or fast-dry material) does tend to dictate some of the types of options and extras a court will have.

By Allison Gorman

An athletic facilities builder hits its stride

Competition Athletic Surfaces attracted national attention in 2005 for its role in changing the color scheme of the tennis courts at the U.S. Open from standard green to blue and green.

The alteration garnered critical acclaim not just for helping fans follow the on-court action but also for giving America’s top professional tennis event a signature new look. But Competition is about more than just U.S. Open acclaim.

Paving industry veterans Lee Murray, Steve Clift and Mike Gregory founded the company in 2000, resurfacing tracks and tennis courts and reaching $400,000 in first-year sales. Even then, they saw untapped potential in ground-up construction of outdoor athletic facilities, including peripheral structures like sidewalks, fencing and infield turf.