Many of us still remember the earliest generations of artificial grass – reminiscent of our grandparents’ carpet from the ’60s. Compared to today’s synthetic products, it’s easy to appreciate the progress made in manufacturing technology and the utilization of applied sciences in material production – further propelling market value amidst significant cultural shifts.Anthony Vena, President and CEO of Purchase Green Artificial Grass – a business begun as a small startup in Southern California in early 2008 with now more than 30 locations nationwide – describes his witness of these industry advancements and the subsequent changes in consumer perception:
“Improvements in manufacturing combined with an increase in available skilled labor and water conservation efforts have created a more natural appearance at a cost that is now more acceptable to a significantly larger base of homeowners, while simultaneously offering a viable solution to water conservation. Additionally, with a broader cultural change – with more folks valuing free time over the “therapeutic” benefits of gardening & landscaping – it offers a solution: a beautiful, natural-looking, low maintenance yard.”
As production quality improved and consumer demand increased, the early 2000s experienced an emergence of commercial manufacturers, distributors, and installers, seemingly saturating and dominating the market. However, as reported by Mordor Intelligence in an artificial turf market forecast for the 2021 to 2026 fiscal years, the market is in fact moderately fragmented – presenting few obstacles and limiting boundaries for those wanting to enter the industry.
“Generally, folks looking to start a business or enter a business want to be involved in emerging industries”, states Anthony Vena, “Rarely do folks want to enter a mature industry with little growth outlook. Artificial grass IS that growth industry. It is still in the early stages of adoption with lots of untapped markets and geographies; in states where it is a bit more mature (like the southwest), it is still growing at >15% per year. With improvements in manufacturing technology, there are more and more use applications available to folks within the industry, which adds to the growth outlook.”
