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Just a few short years ago Scott May took a gigantic leap of faith in himself.
He left his position as superintendent at Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club in Greater Philadelphia to follow his entrepreneurial dream to bring TurfScreen -- a solar-protection product for turf -- to the golf market.
“I remember at the time wondering if I was ready… whether I would ever be ready to leave the golf course and focus on TurfScreen full time,” he say. “I had a lot riding on this at the time, but I look back now and, while it may not have gotten easier, I wonder why I didn’t do this sooner.”
In a nutshell, May engineered TurfScreen to protect turf from damaging ultraviolet rays and to improve overall turf quality. Formulated with enhanced solar protection, TurfScreen contains natural ingredients approved by the FDA to prevent sunburn. The concept is like applying SPF protection to turf.
May took a few moments out of his prep for the Carolinas GCSA 2012 Conference & Trade Show to talk about his entrepreneurial experience and to describe the view from the supply side of the industry.
Describe making the transition from superintendent to supplier.
In all aspects it’s been very positive, but it’s also been extremely difficult.
Everyday has been a learning experience. For me, it’s been a really great transition because every day I’m doing something new and meeting new people. As a superintendent you’re so ingrained in the routine and with what you have to do that you don’t think much about the supply side and what they do.
I say it over and over, but I can’t believe how fortunate I’ve been to be able to make the move from superintendent to the supplier side of this industry.
What’s been the hardest business lesson that you’ve had to learn in getting TurfScreen established?
Without a doubt, it’s been cash flow and the realities associated with securing capital. I stepped into this position right in the middle of the worst financial crisis this country has experienced since the Great Depression. Talk about great timing.
Working with banks and trying to get a business loan was extremely difficult because I didn’t meet most banks’ criteria to secure small-business funding. In fact, I hadn’t even been in business for a year and most banks were requiring around three years (of doing business). And I only had two products in the pipeline. I can’t imagine what it’s like to try to secure funding to run an operation with 100 products to manage.
I will say, I’ve learned that day in and day out this side of the industry is completely different from what I envision when I was a superintendent and considering striking out on my own. As a superintendent, I was fortunate to always have a budget to work with and the money was always there. I never had to manage “the other side” before and that was a real eye opener.
And contrary to what you might believe, as I’ve gotten more successful the ability to secure funding hasn’t gotten any easier. As more people use (Turf Screen) I need more products to meet that demand. However, I haven’t been able to get larger lines of credit to get the capital to satisfy that demand.
And this is a lesson that I don’t expect will be over any time in the near future. My growth will be based on cash flow because I want to grow this into a company that is a leader in solar-protection products. Cash will be instrumental in achieving this. I have been fortunate to this point, and I have invested a lot of the money I’ve made back into this business to develop more products and bring those to market.
Has being on the supply side changed the way you look at the golf industry?
I do, partially because as a superintendent you become skeptical of this industry. Things are harder than they seem, the expectations are higher while the budgets keep getting tighter… it makes for a very challenging environment which influences your outlook as a whole.
What I discovered when I made the switch to the supply side is that I missed the people part of this industry. It’s that part that is pretty darn amazing and it’s great to experience. As a result, I’ve become much more positive and upbeat about the golf industry, more so than when I was a superintendent. That’s not to say I was totally down on the industry as a superintendent, but today’s superintendent is pushed and pulled into so many different directions… It’s very easy to become frustrated. Looking back, I think I’d gotten to a point of frustration.
It’s the people part of this industry that has really re-opened my eyes to how great this industry really is.
What’s been your greatest mistake, the one that taught you an important business lesson?
Probably delaying the ability to travel and get face to face with superintendents and distributors. Another that plays into this is not resigning (as a superintendent) earlier. At the time, though, I saw it as a huge risk because I wasn’t sure yet if I was ready to go out on my own and focus on the business full-time.
That’s the regret I have. I look at the last year as I’ve been able to get a lot of face time with superintendents and now I think I could have done this earlier. I took the cautious approach, and it has paid off for me and (Turf Screen). But then again, I may have been able to go out on my own sooner.
Now that you’ve experienced the industry from both sides – as a superintendent and now as a supplier – what advice do you have for superintendents attend this show and how they can get the most from their experience?
I have a new appreciation for this whole process now that I’m on the supply side.
You really need to have an open mind as you walk the show floor and attend the conference seminars. As superintendents, we’re constantly skeptical, but you also need to keep an open mind to new ideas, new products or new ways of doing things. Hear folks out and give them time to tell you their stories and learn about what they bring to the table and how that can help you and your operation.
Also, the Internet is a great tool to do some homework on the companies and products that will be featured at the show. That way you can enter a booth or engage in conversation already educated about a product, which will allow you to have some frank conversations and to use your time wisely.
I believe shows like this still hold a lot of value for the golf industry, especially if you take the time to learn about the companies and products that you’re interested in.