2018 Innovator Award:

USGreentech

The primary purpose of the innovation of Safeshell, organic infill, is to help those that use synthetic turf fields have peace of mind that the materials that make up their infill are chemical-free, safe and practice positive sustainability practices. USGreentech saw a need in the industry for a natural occurring product to be used as infill that would. We identified a material found in nature that was inherently durable and long-lasting. We conducted over two years of research and development to meet the needs of our customers. Safeshell is 100% chemical free, 100% sourced in the U.S. and we created a patent-pending and chemical-free process to remove residual allergens. Safeshell performs the same whether wet or dry, it does not float or migrate and requires the least amount of maintenance out of all the organic infills on the market. The innovation of this product has helped launched the industry forward and is backed by testing. 

Prior to the introduction of Safeshell, the industry faced limited options in the category of organic infill that left customers wanting more out of their natural infill. The products historically used were all sourced with materials from out of the United States which has an increased carbon footprint with transporting the materials internationally. These options often required a high cost of maintenance with warranty requirements to use irrigation or water to keep a specific moisture content. There was limited durability with previous organic infill options that resulted in the infill to float, migrate or break down quickly which required top off more frequently. The accumulation of the issues with the status quo of organic infills shows the Safeshell product answering a lot of the questions others left unanswered. 

• Cincinnati’s Business Courier highlights USGreentech and specifically Safeshell as the “Innovation Technology Award Winner” https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/27/2017-innovation-technology-award-winner-usgreent.html?b=1493239026%5E21025986
• ASBA Memberline highlights USGreentech’s product portfolio: https://www.sportsbuilders.org/newsletter/0417/memberline.htm
• Shaw Sports Turf promotes Safeshell on their website: https://www.shawsportsturf.com/resources/downloads/product-brochures/safeshell/
• USGreentech Press Release focuses on the product launch: https://usgreentech.com/learning-center/blog/usgreentech-introduces-safeshell/
• USGreentech Press Release – Innovation Award announces the Cincinnati Business Courier “Innovation Technology Award” https://usgreentech.com/learning-center/blog/usgreentech-organic-infill-wins-award/
• USGreentech’s Promotion Video of the new product: https://usgreentech.com/learning-center/blog/introducing-safeshell-natural-turf-infill/