Stabilizer Solutions

Houston Astros Start New Season in New League with New Warning Track

Stabilizer Solutions — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:11:56 -0700

Photo courtesy of Fansided.com

The Houston Astros opened the 2013 baseball season with a victory on Sunday against the Texas Rangers. This was a historic night for the Astros as the team has moved from the National League Central Division to the American League West Division. This realignment puts the team in direct divisional competition with the Texas Rangers.

There was another first on Sunday night. It was also the first night that the Houston Astros debuted their new "*Hilltopper Waterless Warning Track.*":http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/products/hilltopper-warning-track-mix Although rain is not an issue, being in a retractable roofed stadium, the problem is dust accumulation inside a domed environment. With the new Hilltopper Warning Track, the groundskeepers no longer have to worry about coating the seats with dust after a routine drag.

Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus Earns ASLA Award

Stabilizer Solutions — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 07:23:37 -0700

"A former barren, over-paved air force base is transformed into a Sonoran Desert Campus oasis that is true to the region and an inspiring place to learn - campus enrollment has doubled since project completion." "*Click here for link*":http://www.asla.org/2012awards/199.html

Thanks to Ten Eyck Landscape Architects the desert ecosystem is reclaiming the streets, one campus at a time. The firm has been awarded their third ASLA Professional Design Award for the Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus - New Academic Complex in Mesa, AZ. The other two awarded projects are also campus projects at The University of Arizona in Tucson and Arizona State University respectively. While the ASLA Design Awards are the field’s highest honor, almost all of Ten Eyck’s projects have attracted Arizona ASLA Awards, The Valley Forward Environmental Excellence Awards, and the Tempe Beautification Award.

Ten Eyck’s success is well deserved as she and her team make innovative design an imperative. And what exactly is innovative landscape design?

In an interview for Architype Review, Ten Eyck’s Todd Briggs talks about the firm’s design philosophy.

"It’s now exemplified and reinforced the idea of architecture and landscape being so interconnected that neither can successfully exist without the other in an urban context...habitat creation, resource sustainability and holistic design become the norm rather than the exception." "*Click here for link*":http://www.architypereview.com/20-landscape-architecture-/projects/599-underwood-family-sonoran-landscape-laboratory/dialogue

Pushing the distinctions between the site and architecture,Ten Eyck’s award winning projects give users a chance to physically experience integral design. Projects that embody these precepts of design can be found elsewhere, but Ten Eyck has uniquely defined a new way of designing in the desert, which, resource strapped, can be ultimately more elusive.

Stabilized Decomposed Granite was also born from the desert and uniquely responds to its challenges. Each of the three Ten Eyck projects honored by ASLA have incorporated Stabilized Decomposed Granite for aesthetic attributes as well as for its water-loving and heat reducing porosity.

"Using a combination of concrete, and stabilized decomposed granite and offset planting for the mall reduces glare and helps with psychological cooling for desert dwellers." "*Click here for link*":http://www.asla.org/2012awards/199.html

At Stabilizer Solutions, we are honored to work with a firm that celebrates the complexity of the Sonoran Desert.

Diamondbacks First Pitch

Stabilizer Solutions — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:54:53 -0700

Stabilizer Solutions' President Jon Hubbs threw out the first pitch for the Diamondbacks game on September 20th. Hubbs was selected for his contributions to the Diamondsback Field Building program. See the pitch "*here.*":http://www.facebook.com/StabilizerSolutions

Apply Now for ASA Complex of The Year Presented by Stabilizer Solutions

Stabilizer Solutions — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 07:20:21 -0700

It is already that time of the year again, to nominate your favorite softball field complex for the ASA Complex of the Year Award presented by none other than Stabilizer Solutions. To learn more about what it takes to be complex of the year, read more about last year's winner by clicking "*here.*":http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/news/james-i-moyer-sports-complex-named-asastabilizer-solutions-complex-of-the-year To submit your complex for field of the year, simply email us at info@stabilizersolutions.com and we will send you an application form.

Levitated Mass Unveiled, Stabilized Decomposed Granite Performs

Stabilizer Solutions — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:24:30 -0700

LOS ANGELES– June 25, 2012 – On Sunday Morning, the ribbon was officially cut on artist Michael Heizer’s highly anticipated “Levitated Mass” exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Thousands of visitors turned out to catch a glimpse of the 340-ton stone sculpture after speeches by Michael Govan, the CEO of LACMA and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who urged the crowd to view the decomposed granite (D.G.) as a reminder to conserve, as Los Angeles is still in a desert.

From Drop Box

Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. worked closely with the design team throughout the past year, to help solve unique engineering problems that the site posed. The overall goal was twofold, to support an estimated 1 million visitors within the first year using mostly natural materials, and to develop a groundcover for the 2.5 acre site derived from the same parent material as the 340-ton boulder, meeting the artist’s unique vision. With approval from the artist, Michael Heizer, the team quickly settled on Stabilized SoCal Gold D.G. with 15-lbs of "Stabilizer":http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/products/stabilizer per ton.

From Drop Box

Stabilizer Solutions representative, Clayton Hubbs worked with the quarry to engineer the needed particle size on the SoCal Gold D.G. to support the expected 1 million visitors a year. Hubbs says, “many quarries simply throw a binder into the D.G. that is dug up from the ground, which can be very inconsistent. When my company created the first Stabilized D.G. over 30 years ago, we developed the science required to support this kind of traffic. The science is not only dependent on the binder’s strength, but the particle size of the D.G. We went to great lengths to blend the correct amount of natural D.G., fines, and crushed angular rock to increase the load bearing capacity of the Stabilized D.G.”

Beyond the difficulties that go along with 1 million visitors, the site requirements posed even greater challenges. As the concrete supports slope down below the boulder, the surrounding Stabilized D.G. is sloped (under 8%) to the bottom of the concrete supports. This percentage of slope is usually not a problem for Stabilized D.G., but given the fact that in the rare event of rain, most water would drain down the slope to drains positioned just near the concrete, extra precautions were taken. The company recommended the use of its newly developed, StaLok® Concentrate, a polymer topcoat specifically designed to work with Stabilized D.G. in unique areas such as this. The StaLok Concentrate provided a non slip surface on the slope that would solve the sites drainage issues, while closely matching the appearance of the surrounding Stabilized D.G.

From Drop Box

After the plans were made to properly handle water on the site, drainage moved from a functional concern to an aesthetic concern. While critical to the operation of the site, the design team did not want the channel drains located at the base of the concrete supports to be visible. Stabilizer Solutions turned to its in-house laboratory to develop a material that would visually blend in with the surrounding Stabilized D.G. and support traffic, all while allowing water to percolate to the channel drains. After much experimentation with its different binder technologies, the company utilized a larger 3/8 inch D.G. with a new proprietary binder mixture, poured into place above the channel drains.

From Drop Box

While attention to detail was so critical in the design and construction phases, the small details largely went undetected by the crowds at the opening on Sunday. “I guess you could say the materials did their job,” said Hubbs. “The Stabilized D.G., StaLok Concentrate and drain covering largely went unnoticed. The crowds marched wherever they pleased, sloped or unsloped, drain or no drain, without having to think twice about where to take a step. I expect with the amount of time put into the design and installation, that the crowds will being doing the same thing for years to come.”

From Drop Box

Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. Provides Professional Playing Surface for Women’s College World Series

Stabilizer Solutions — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:39:28 -0700

PHOENIX– May 31, 2012 – The competition at the NCAA Women’s College World Series begins today with 8 teams from across the country competing. Each team will be vying for a chance to show off their talent and hard work at the championship, taking place June 4, 2012 at the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. This year, the playing field received a professional makeover from Phoenix-based, Stabilizer Solutions; giving these collegiate players a taste of the big leagues.

The ASA Hall of Fame stadium is regarded as one of the finest softball facilities in the nation. To ready the four fields, soil technology company, Stabilizer Solutions, supplied it’s “Pro Red®” Infield Mix to the fields, providing players with a more stable and consistent playing surface. This mix is also used at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., which plays host to the men’s College World Series, as well as in the softball stadiums at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. and the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.

As the official Field of the Year Award sponsor, Stabilizer Solutions has been supplying it’s professional playing surface products to the ASA for more than 5 years. With this latest improvement to the stadium, Stabilizer Solutions President and Chief Executive Officer Jon Hubbs said, “We’re incredible fans of the ASA and the professionalism that these players display. We’ve provided our Pro Red Infield mix to give these athletes a playing surface that is consistent, no matter what the weather. This surface will provide a playing surface that balances both rainy and dry conditions, keeping a damp soil consistency longer – making it the ideal surface for a competition of this caliber.”

The ASA Hall of Fame field currently utilizes Stabilizer Solutions’ Hilltopper Mound clay on the pitching mound. The Hilltopper Mound Clay reinforces the pitching mound without the need of water, resulting in fewer holes and less need for costly repairs. Stabilizer’s Hilltopper Warning Track Mix was also used in the warning track. Comprised of natural soil and enhanced with polymer, the track remains stable and is provided with additional protection from the elements, especially the Oklahoma rain. A product that produces no dust, Stabilizer’s Hilltopper mix allows groundskeepers and maintenance crews to drive over it, without covering the bleachers in dust. Hilltopper also holds moisture at the appropriate level, requiring no additional watering.

To find out more about Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. and the products used in the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium and hundreds more, visit: www.stabilizersolutions.com. Connect with Stabilizer Solutions on Facebook.

Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. Puts Finishing Touches on Justin Upton Field

Stabilizer Solutions — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:42:05 -0700

From April 5, 2012

First day is right around the corner and what a way to celebrate the new season with the grand opening of a new (old) ballfield. Justin Upton Field is the latest installment in the Diamondsback Charity field building program.

From April 5, 2012

Justin Upton received help from fellow outfielder Chris Young and coach Kirk Gibson to reopen this historic field at University Park in downtown Phoenix. Also on hand were Mayor Greg Stanton, City of Phoenix officials and field workers, and of course Team Mascot DBaxter.

From April 5, 2012

Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. is proud to have participated in every Diamondsback field since the team's inception. Being that Justin Upton Field must accommodate many different needs, the infield was kept entirely skinned with "Stabilizer "Pro Red" Infield Mix":http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/products/stabilizer-pro-red-infield-mix. To clearly designate the "Hilltopper Clay":http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/products/hilltopper-mound-clay mound, the company covered it with its dark crimson colored Hilltopper Conditioner. Finally the warning track is composed of Stabilized 1/4" Minus Sedona Red.

From April 5, 2012

Barney Lopas and MLB Groundskeepers pull off Amazing Field Transformation

Stabilizer Solutions — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:35:53 -0700

The Orange High School baseball field has undergone an amazing transformation thanks to Barney Lopas and the Angels Grounds Crew with support from the MLB Groundskeepers Conference and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund.

From Drop Box

*Barney puts the finishing touches on the field with the help of Hall of Famer George Toma.*

At Stabilizer Solutions we were fortunate to witness the transformation first hand. The change is truly remarkable, to read the full story click "*here.*":http://www.foxsportswest.com/01/10/12/Angels-groundskeepers-donate-a-baseball-/landing.html?blockID=643566&feedID=3707. Also, for a great slideshow and more of the story click "*here.*":http://angels.ocregister.com/2012/01/11/angels-groundskeepers-step-up-for-orange-high/115432/ Our very own Jim Greer is photographed with Hall of Famer Rod Carew.

Join Stabilizer Solutions' Clayton Hubbs, for the Science of Skin Infields at Upcoming Sports Turf Manger Association (STMA) Annual Conference

Stabilizer Solutions — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:09:33 -0700

*Clayton Hubbs, Barney Lopas and Grant Trenbeath Discuss “The Science of Skin Infields” on January 11, 201*

PHOENIX– January 9, 2012 – For professional groundskeepers, the skin – or exposed soil surfaces of the ball field – is where the player's respect is earned. Yet, many groundskeepers still struggle to understand the best way to take care for it. At the upcoming 2012 STMA Annual Conference, three industry professionals will present on the right tools needed to manage the infield skin. Clayton Hubbs, the director of operations for Stabilizer Solutions, Inc., a Phoenix-based soil technology company, will be joined by Los Angeles Angels Head Groundskeeper, Barney Lopas and Grant Trenbeath, head groundskeeper for the Arizona Diamondbacks, in their talk taking place on Wednesday, January 11, 2011 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Focusing on “The Science of Skin Infields,” Hubbs, Lopas and Trenbeath will share how to choose the best infield-mix to fit the needs of any field. With more than 70 percent of the baseball game action occurring on the infield skin, it is important to understand what to consider when constructing, amending or maintaining an infield.

“The components involved in protecting and maintaining your infield skin are extremely temperamental. It takes the right combination of particle size analysis, choosing the proper infield mix for your climate and the right maintenance routine that makes all the difference.” said Hubbs.

STMA's Annual Conference & Exhibition takes place January 10 -13, 2012 in Long Beach, Calif. For more information, visit www.stma.com.

Pakenham Racing Club switches to StaLok

Stabilizer Solutions — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:58:26 -0700

Pakenham Racing Club's new 2400-meter track will be bigger than Melbourne and Sydney's marquee racecourses at Flemington and Randwick, making it one of the bigger tracks in Australia. After an exhaustive search, track officials have decided to go with StaLok reinforced natural turf provided by Evergreen Turf. Read the entire article "here":http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/news/pakenham/318/story/143658.html