In this month’s Project Spotlight, we’re going to talk less about one project and more about one partnership and the numerous projects we’ve had the pleasure to work on with this company. Turf Solutions Group has been working with Austin Engineering for several years now, introducing project ideas and concepts for new athletic fields throughout the US. Together, we’ve helped sports facilities, high schools, the military, and more make the upgrade to synthetic turf or develop entirely new fields and facilities.
Who is Turf Solutions Group?
Turf Solutions Group LLC, or TSG, operates out of Illinois, providing recreational land design, project management and construction services for sports field complexes, athletic fields, golf courses and more. TSG helps build multi-sport facilities consisting of synthetic or natural turf, parking, lighting, audience stands, concession areas and additional features.
TSG was founded by Jason Payne, Bill Phillips and Scott Pierce, great friends of the Austin Engineering crew. And if you didn’t check out our last Project Spotlight, Jason Payne was the founder of Big Shot’s Golf, now owned by ClubCorp.
How a Partnership Came to Be
While TSG handles much of the installation and construction of athletic fields and the surrounding complexes, they needed help with civil planning, design, and property surveying. And being out of Peoria, IL, like Austin Engineering, it seemed like an obvious choice for them to utilize our services. After a few first initial projects in the Central Illinois area, our teams got to know each other and hit it off. From there, the idea of working more closely together began to form.
Moreover, our partnership was borne for the sake of ease for TSG. For TSG to go to a new town or city and hire new civil engineers for every project, it took too long, always having to start fresh with another civil engineering firm. Thus, it made sense to partner with one consistent engineering firm to develop new projects across the US.
It wasn’t until after discussing the first BigShots Golf project that we brought up the idea of having Austin Engineering be their primary engineering firm. And so, our partnership came to be.
What Does Austin Engineering Do?
Whenever a new potential client approached TSG, they often ran into several issues. These clients had big ideas of new athletic fields and sports facilities but no actual plans or permits in place. They just knew they wanted synthetic or natural turf and wanted TSG to work from there. And while TSG provides some of the best synthetic and natural turf in the country, with incredible project management experience and expert installation, they needed assistance with design and planning.
TSG needed Austin Engineering to assist with land surveys, acquiring permits, creating a construction plan, etc. And for some projects, we pull in local architectural experts for additional guidance. Our local Peoria group can offer a full-service package for designing and constructing sports complexes across North America.
Primary Features for a Sports Field Design
More often than not, clients wishing to build or upgrade athletic fields want to use synthetic turf. And if they don’t, Austin Engineering & TSG will highly recommend synthetic. There are advantages to synthetic turf that natural doesn’t provide, some of which we outline in our blog on the topic. Moreover, plenty goes into the planning of an athletic field that a civil engineer must consider. For example:
These are only a few factors Austin Engineering must contend with when laying out a plan for a new athletic field and facility.
Do More with Austin Engineering
Austin Engineering and Turf Solutions Group continue to partner on new and exciting projects, such as a soccer complex in Greenville, SC, including four new synthetic soccer fields. However, as incredible as working with TSG has been for Austin Engineering, we still offer our civil engineering, land surveying and landscape design services locally, throughout the Greater Peoria area. And if you’re interested in what Austin Engineering does next, be on the lookout for our next Project Spotlight!
Or, if looking for an experienced civil engineering firm to help you plan your next project, give Austin Engineering a call. You can contact us today at 309-204-0694. Also, our corporate office is located at 311 SW Water St, Ste 215, Peoria, IL 61602.
