If there’s a significant industry event, Grigg Brothers will have a presence on the show floor. And that’s certainly the case in Myrtle Beach.
As he braced for another Carolinas Conference and Show, Grigg Brothers president Mark Grigg visited with GCI. We asked him to reflect on the Carolinas Show, assess what he’s seeing in 2015 and look ahead to 2016.
(Pictured: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Justin Allgaier with Mark Grigg at Booth #2507)
How many years has your company been involved with the Carolinas Show? How has the event changed and grown from your perspective?
“We have been here for 15 years. We are seeing a lot new technologies and companies and, surprisingly, the show has been consistent. A lot of shows have declined over the last few years, but the Carolinas Show always seems to be a good one. There’s good attendance and everything.”
How could you assess the current condition of the industry?
“As far as the current condition of the industry, it’s consistent. New construction and, of course, the economy has been down over the fabulous ‘90s, but I think it’s fairly consistent. We have had some bad weather in some areas of the U.S. Hopefully that will level out over time and in California we get some moisture. A couple of cold springs would help. And we’re growing internationally.”
What does Grigg Brothers offer in this part of the country that can make a superintendent’s job easier?
“It’s the same thing as it is in all parts of the country, very highly efficient foliar fertilizers that we have researched through university research. We are one of the few companies in the foliar industry that does that. All of our products are well-tested and proven, and they are compatible with each other. And lower inputs. When you are limited in pounds of nutrients, we are in the driver’s seat because of products that are so proven and efficient. And we have proven how efficient they are with university testing. Overall we try to offer products that make the superintendent’s job easier and provide better playing conditions on the golf course.”
Water conservation and drought have been among the industry themes in 2015. How are your offerings helping superintendents who are challenged by dry conditions?
“We have the paints and also from a fertilization standpoint, foliar feeding is the most efficient way to fertilize, and it doesn’t require being watered in. Foliar fertilizer has an advantage of lower-water input. Of course, nothing is effective if the grass is dormant. If the grass is dormant, there are the spray colorants and we have two good ones, GreenPIG and GreenPIG Ultra. And we have a turf paint that’s primarily for sports turf. It dries on the leaf blade and has less tendency to rub off on uniforms.”
Without giving away too many details, what can we can expect from Grigg Brothers in 2016?
“We’ll just continue to improve the product line and come out with innovative products. We will continue to try to make the superintendent’s job easier, and more efficient and more effective. With our affiliation with Brandt Consolidated, we are now able to offer a wide variety of products through the combination of the companies with Brandt, Grigg Brothers and iHammer. We have the capacity to come out with exciting new technologies with lots of support from Brandt Consolidated.”
Guy Cipriano is GCI’s assistant editor.