Amazon.com, electronic commerce company, has expanded its services to include connecting homeowners with landscape contractors. The site, Amazon Home Services, launched earlier this month and allows based businesses to sell their services through the website.

It may be in the very near future when artificial grass installers, too, are connected to homeowners looking to save money and water on their lawn care through Amazon's new portal. Amazon is already a seller of physical products, artificial grass being one of them, but now they're trying to make way into the services marketplace, competing with such companies like TaskRabbit, Angie's List and Uber.

For example, for roughly $120 you can have your lawn mowed by an Amazon-approved lawn maintenance contractor; and if you live in the appropriate service area, you can have your goat grazed it you so fancy. Amazon's revenue model is that it takes a percentage commission from all of the services sold through their site: 20 percent from the sale price of standard services, and 15 percent from custom services.

Will Amazon become the go-to website for artificial grass installers to connect with potential clients? Perhaps.

Immediately following Governor Jerry Brown's announcement that a 25% reduction in California's water usage is mandated, a good number of residents and homeowners in California agree that the state's approval of artificial grass is the beginning of a larger wave to come in the future. During his initial announcement, Governor Jerry Brown stated that the idea of having a nice little green grass lawn getting watered every day is a thing of the past.

The California Water Resources Control Board is scheduled to release its proposal for how they will achieve a 25% reduction in two weeks. The restrictions are to take effect on June 1, 2015.

Many are now not only open to but keen on converting their lawns to artificial grass. One homeowner in Orange County, for instance, says that she and her mother have been living in a house with a real grass lawn for 60 years. But as they went shopping this weekend they walked by an artificial grass supply store and her mother declared that artificial grass is the yard surfacing material of the future. Both she and her mother are open to installing artificial grass if keeping their current real grass lawn becomes unsustainable.

However, she said that she and her mother are not willing to go so far as to install drought-tolerant xeriscaping like cacti, etc., in their yard, because it doesn't provide the functionality that a fake grass lawn provides as far as being a suitable surface for the kids and the whole family to play and supporting physical activities.

Global Syn-Turf, Inc., the leading artificial grass manufacturer, attended the 46th annual Carmel Valley Garden Show in Carmel Valley, CA, on April 3rd, where it showcased its drought-tolerant artificial grass products and industry expertise to the Northern California community. This eagerly anticipated event drew people from all over the region who came out for the exceptional vendors. The vendors, ranging from professional gardeners to flower arrangers to landscaping companies, displayed their latest products and methodologies. On display at Global Syn-Turf's booth were artificial grass samples, installation pamphlets and brochures.

"Global Syn-Turf has attended the Carmel Valley Garden Show for several years and was pleased once again to be a representative of the artificial grass industry in Northern California," said Rachel Brady, Global Syn-Turf's Sales and Marketing Manager. "This show is just one of the ways that Global Syn-Turf interacts with the Northern California community. Shows like this are essential for the development of our products and the artificial grass and landscaping industries. This hands-on experience encourages professionals and consumers alike to make the connection between their gardening and landscaping decisions and the environment and community."

Throughout the show, Global Syn-Turf and the show's participants were cognizant of California's water woes. And, due to Governor Jerry Brown's announcement last week of upcoming mandated water usage reduction, Global Syn-Turf's products were repeatedly noticed by visitors for their unique water efficiency.

"Since there's a drought right now, and we're facing a mandatory 25% reduction in water usage, it's critical to emphasize that there are opportunities to substitute water-intensive lawn materials with drought-tolerant materials like artificial grass -- which is just as beautiful as real grass," continued Rachel Brady. "The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average household uses 96 gallons of water per day on outdoor uses. And more than half of that water is used for watering lawns and gardens. A significant percentage of that excess quantity can be eliminated simply by installing artificial grass in yards. In short, artificial grass affords the utility and joy of having a lawn with none of the harmful side effects."

Rachel Brady said the greatest reward for Global Syn-Turf's participation in the show was seeing visitors' reaction to their drought-tolerant artificial grass products. He was approached throughout the first hours of the Carmel Valley Garden Show by visitors asking for tips on how to install artificial grass and about its various water-saving benefits.

Global Syn-Turf was founded in 2009. Since then, Global Syn-Turf have showcased their products annually, attracting more and more visitors each year. On the increasing popularity of artificial grass, Rachel Brady said, "The increased interest in Global Syn-Turf's products is a testament to the growth and success of the artificial grass industry and Global Syn-Turf as a company. In only in six years, artificial grass has gone from just a niche industry to being a part of the popular landscaping vernacular."

Turf Experts

It seems that artificial turf just can't be held back these days! The benefits for sports fields, for instance, are too great to be ignored or suppressed. It is quickly becoming the standard sports surface material for the most popular sports like soccer and football, but it is also gaining traction for other sports, too. One of them is field hockey. In fact, artificial turf will be installed on a field hockey field that will be played on during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

The company producing the artificial turf says that the turf will be durable, very low maintenance, and supply a uniform surface across the entire field, with no ruts or shifting areas, and without requiring intervals between games for maintenance and repairs. This would have been unheard of with natural grass.

After the Olympic Games end, the artificial turf surface will continue to yield benefits to the local community, too. It will allure out of town visitors playing on the field in tournaments, who will in turn spend money at local hotels and merchants, boosting the economy. Furthermore, it will encourage physical activity among the populace, and increase camaraderie among people who visit to cheer on their favorite teams as spectators.

Having a hard time installing artificial grass around trees? Watch this video for some helpful tips.

Global Syn-Turf, the leading global provider and manufacturer of artificial grass services and technologies, announced today that it has won the prestigious Best of Hayward Award in the Lawn & Garden Equipment category for 2015.  Launched in 2009, Global Syn-Turf is an internationally recognized industry leader, renowned for its cutting-edge artificial grass products, technologies, and services, and its forward-looking thought leadership in the lawn and garden industry. The conferment of the Best of Hayward Award on Global Syn-Turf recognizes the Hayward-based company for its positive impact on the community and exceptional customer service.

"This is the second year in a row that Global Syn-Turf has been recognized by the Hayward Award Program in the Lawn & Garden Equipment category. And we couldn't be prouder. Receiving this recognition again is a testament to our practice of offering customers superior customer service and making their lawn and garden experiences easier and more affordable," said a GST rep. "Following on the heels of the recognition from the Hayward Award Program last year, this award underscores Global Syn-Turf's unique focus on the community and our delivery of best-in-class artificial grass technologies and services that truly help consumers."

Each year, the Hayward Award Program identifies companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. The selected firms are local companies that enhance the positive image of small businesses through service to their customers and the community, and help make the Hayward area a great place to live, work and play.

Commenting on the honor of being included among other winners in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rachel Brady, Sales and Marketing Manager, stated, "We're so proud to be among this year's winners and to be selected from over a hundred other eligible companies in the Hayward Lawn & Garden Equipment category. The other 2015 Best of Award winners are a world-class group of innovators who constitute the very best of Hayward's community, and are exemplary of why the San Francisco Bay Area is known as being a hotbed of innovation and excellence."

The Hayward Awards Program is very rigorous, focusing on quality, not quantity. Various sources of information and data are gathered and analyzed, both internally by the Hayward Award Program committee and by third parties, to choose the winners in each category.

Ms. Brady continued, "Having been in the artificial grass industry for years, we have seen incredible technological advancements and market shifts take place. But while the technology is constantly changing, one thing has been constant -- our concentration on providing customers and partners with a truly outstanding experience and the highest levels of support. This consistency is why Global Syn-Turf is one of the most admired companies in the lawn and garden category. On behalf of the entire Global Syn-Turf team, thank you, Hayward Awards Program committee, and congratulations to all of the other winners."

Spring is upon us... Hark the heralds of the artificial grass installation season! 

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