The first Maryland office of FieldTurf Tarkett, offices in Bethesda, got off to a big start Aug. 29 at a special ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD, on Aug. 29.

FieldTurf Tarkett is the result of the recent alliance of FieldTurf and Tarkett Sports. The company provides infilled artificial grass systems, which have been installed in more than 1900 stadiums, universities, schools and parks worldwide.

Tarkett, with manufacturing plants around the globe, is known for its Prestige brand infilled synthetic turf fields, as well as flooring, track, tennis and indoor products. FieldTurf Tarkett is a division of Tarkett a leader in commercial flooring with $2.5 billion in annual sales.

Recent interest from new state projects has required the opening of a Maryland branch office and distribution center, said the company in a news release. FieldTurf Tarkett expects significant growth for the Maryland construction industry and for local contractors and entrepreneurial businesses.

"We hope to assist local and state industry by diversifying current business models to include additional product lines and new areas of site work," said John McShane, FieldTurf Tarkett Regional Director of Specialty Products. "Our team will develop training on the specialized installation of synthetic turf as well as on the complete range of sport flooring applications we now offer."

In addition to the FieldTurf brand artificial grass system, FieldTurf Tarkett now provides a comprehensive line that includes basketball, volleyball, and gymnasium flooring, squash and racquetball courts, floor protection and covering systems, weight room flooring, indoor and outdoor running tracks and a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces.