ProGame shock pads: Shaping sport environments around the world

In the world of sport, one name stands out in shock pads as the globally recognized leading brand in the artificial turf industry: ProGame

ProGame Shock Pads International Sales Manager

ProGame is part of Trocellen GmbH and is Europe’s leading supplier of polyolefin solutions with manufacturing plants in Germany, Italy and Malaysia. ProGame supplies 75 countries around the world, with more than 2 million metres of shock pad installed to 300+ pitches each year. ProGame is tested and approved by test institutes, with several turf producers and meets the requirements of FIFA, World Rugby, RFL, GAA, and FIH-certified pitches, working closely with the industry to support improving standards of artificial pitch systems.

As an industry leader, ProGame is at the forefront of the industry, setting and raising standards around the world in playability, durability, and sustainability through our active membership of ESTC across Europe and SAPCA in the UK. The brand is not only globally recognised for its quality and reliability in artificial turf systems, but also for its complete service ethos which sets it apart in the market.

Q&A with Martin Laidler

ProGame Shock Pads International Sales Manager

Q: How has ProGame developed since you joined the company in 1999?

A: Trocellen had been producing cross-linked PE foam since 1972 and I have been with the company since 1999. When Luca Girelli our Business Unit Manager (who came from the respected Radici Group), and I started the standalone ProGame business back in 2010, we knew we had a great product. We set about establishing our name and developing the right set of products and services that met the market needs in shock pads.

We quickly realised that our markets didn’t want someone who just sold a shock pad, but a supply partner who works closely with them to define and deliver the complete solution they are looking for. Today that is what ProGame delivers to its partners. Our product is of course world-class, but it is the whole package which sets us apart. We work across a range of sports and markets from private customers to publicly-funded pitches across a wide range of sports around the world.

We pride ourselves on the personalised customer service from the whole team and work closely with our customers to ensure that our on-time delivery record is second to none while supporting customers with in-season short lead times. ProGame is now heavily involved in shaping the industry and advising partners on the future standards they need to achieve with artificial pitch systems.

Q: What is your role in the company and how has it changed?

A: When I started the focus was on getting to know our customers and understanding their product needs. Very quickly Luca, Bjorn (our Application Engineer) and I recognised that this complex market structure needed partners who could provide a complete service. So, my role has evolved into one of working closely with customers as a strategic partner.

Q: What are the significant challenges you’ve faced over the years and the ones to come?

A: The market has changed dramatically since 2010. I have seen the market move from finding the cheapest shock pad to one where the quality of the whole system is now highly valued by not just elite sports but grassroots facilities too.

Some of the biggest challenges facing our sector today are, of course, around environmental sustainability, which every part of the artificial sports pitch industry must face up to very quickly. This is an evolving challenge for the whole sector, and we have been leading on working with innovative partners in system designs and internally within the Trocellen Group to meet the sustainability challenges. We have now introduced both bio-based and recycled shock pads within our portfolio which are rapidly growing in demand as customers expect both sustainableand low carbon footprint solutions. Trocellen, ProGame’s parent company, has invested heavily in modernising its European manufacturing facilities to reduce its carbon footprint with the use of 100% renewable energy and zero production waste protocols all independently verified by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification. We have further to go, but we are leading the way as a manufacturer of shock pads, with our products complying with all PEFCR regulations. Communicating the emerging complexity of sustainability options with shock pad systems is a real challenge for the industry. With competing claims and standards, differing regulatory timelines and a lack of clear transparency within the sector, there is a real challenge for all brand leaders within the sector to be clear and transparent about the claims of their products, their traceability and their lifetime. As standards emerge and are further defined, the importance of ProGame’s extended lifetime, smaller carbon footprint and producer responsibility all contribute to the sustainability mix for customers.

For more information on ProGame and its products, visit: [progame-shockpads.com](https://progame-shockpads.com/)

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