Recently, the fine folks at The Sea Pines Resort contacted us to repair their pier walkway that is overlooked by their historic Harbour Town Lighthouse. After nearly 25 years of exposure to high foot traffic and climatic conditions, the pier lumber had grown weathered and worn. Exposed nails and splinters were becoming a growing concern for this coastal attraction.

Our President, Bob Amelung, was flown out to not only evaluate the situation, but collaborate with the Director of Facilities to ensure he and his crew were comfortable with PEM installation techniques.

Our solution, you ask? After careful consideration, we decided upon the PEM High Traffic Chocolate Brown Matting. This specific matting is designed to withstand high levels of foot traffic as well as the wrath of Mother Nature.

Before the 4 man crew began laying the 6,000 sq ft of matting, we went through and flipped the lumber to create a smooth surface that would afford guests comfort and safety.  Over the next 3 days Bob supervised the installation process serving as technical adviser for the crew, thus giving management the assurance the matting was installed correctly.

Want to see more pictures from the trip? Head on over to the official PEM Surface Creations Facebook page to check ‘em out!

Want to learn more about the PEM High Traffic Chocolate Brown Matting? Give us a call today!

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For the second year in a row, over 5,000 square feet of PEM High Friction matting was utilized as timing mats throughout the 26.2 mile course. While we aren’t running side-by-side with those running fanatics, we are thrilled to know we supported their efforts! Runners and fans alike were sure to notice the bright red matting spotted throughout the race, including the start and finish lines.

Marathon running is a sport of excess. Most people focus on the most popular number – 26.2 – the number of miles traveled in each race. The 2012 London Marathon sported some other pretty impressive numbers though:

• 170,150 – Number of applications to run the 2012 London Marathon
• 1,000,000 – Estimated number of spectators at the event
• $55,000 – Prize money awarded for first place man and woman
• 101 – The age of the oldest man running. Wow. Yes, you read that right. 101!
• 188 – Number of runners whose birthday was on race day
• 600,000 – Total number of items in the runners’ goody bags
• 1,250 – Number or portable toilets at the start, on course and at the finish line. That’s a lot of loo’s!
• 7,400 – Total number of marshals overseeing the race
• 750,000 – Number of water bottles handed out throughout the race
• 100 – Pounds of petroleum jelly
• 200 – Bottles of baby oil
• 3,450 – Number of trash bags filled after the race. For the record, they’re called rubbish bags in London. Love that!
• 29 – Number of Guinness World Records set at this year’s race.  Did you know there’s a record for the fastest marathon in a two-person pantomime costume? We didn’t!

Have a race coming up?  Give us a call at 1-800-783-2358 for information about using our non-slip surfaces at your next event!

B.E.S.T. or Bio Equestrian Stable Technology is PEM’s complete matting system designed with the horse in mind. It’s a combination of two industry changing new products – B.E.S.T. Mat and B.E.S.T. Odor Control. If you’ve ever been in a barn, you’ll know that second piece is key!

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Research and Coop Extension, released an article called “Horse Stable Flooring Materials and Drainage,” discussing the importance of good flooring for horses. The article identifies important characteristics of the ideal flooring solution:

• Easy on legs; has some “give” to decrease tendon and feet strain
• Dry
• Non-odor retentive
• Provides traction; nonslippery to encourage the horse to lie down
• Durable; stays level, resists damage from pawing and has a long life
• Low maintenance
• Easy to clean
• Affordable

Sound familiar?   We thought so too! B.E.S.T. Equestrian Matting goes above and beyond. It’s easy to install and the porous construction allows moisture to flow through, keeping bedding dry. The textured surface provides traction, even in wet spots! The matting’s soft material is ideal for a horse’s delicate legs.

But what about the smell?   B.E.S.T. Odor Control makes short work of that! This simple spray on application will stop odor at the source, removing airborne organic odor from stalls, stables trailers and more! It’s 100% natural, which means you won’t have to worry about using it around your animals or family. Plus, it accelerates biodegration of compost piles by up to 50%. That’s a win-win-win.

How do these products save you money?   B.E.S.T. Matting will prolong your stall bedding life by up to 50%.  B.E.S.T. Odor Control will reduce the odor, also cutting down on the frequency you have to clean the stall. Used together, you’ll reduce your labor and maintenance costs!

We’d love to talk to you about how B.E.S.T. Mats and B.E.S.T. Odor Control will benefit your barn. Give us a call at 1-800-783-2358 for more information.

In 2011, the Missouri General Assembly passed the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act. In doing so, law was set to improve the standard care for dogs across the state, including components that directly affect animal health and welfare.

Senate Bill 161 put improved flooring standards at a priority. Wire strand flooring was prohibited for new construction and phased out of existing facilities. In addition, elevated flooring now requires special approval. All dogs housed on elevated flooring must be provided a SOLID surface on which to lie in a recumbent position. In order to qualify as a solid resting surface, flooring cannot allow any portion of the dog’s feet or toes to pass through. It must protect the animal’s feet and legs from injury, and must be large enough to hold all the occupants of the enclosure at the same time comfortably.

PEM was tested for over five years in a “Blue Ribbon Kennel” in the state of Missouri. The Blue Ribbon Kennel Award is given by the Missouri Department of Agriculture to top kennels who satisfy all of the program guidelines. Only seven kennels to date have received this classification out of hundreds of facilities statewide.

PEM’s “Solid Resting Surface“ was approved in February 2012 by Matt Rold, Animal Care Program Coordinator with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The Solid Resting Surface exceeded expectations and satisfied all of the requirements for approval. The product is easy to clean, low maintenance and highly durable.

“When I started using them in the dog runs and bed areas, I found how easy they were to clean,” reported Louise Loeb, owner of Loeb-A-Rosa Kennels, a Missouri Blue Ribbon Kennel. “lt was also nice to know your products have PEM Antimicrobial in the plastic formula, protecting against the growth of bacteria and mold.”

Earlier this spring, PEM attended our first dog show, hosted by the Missouri Pet Breeders Association in Springfield, MO. There were over one thousand dog breeders from Missouri and adjoining states in attendance. PEM’s Solid Resting Surface drew great interest by all at the show and we look forward to further exploring opportunities and applications within the industry.

PEM^® SOLID RESTING SURFACE

• Approved by Missouri Department of Agriculture for “Solid Resting Surface”.
• 1OO% Made in USA – Thermo Plastic Formula.
• PEM^® Antimicrobial formula to guard against the growth of bacteria.
• Low Maintenance – feces easy to remove and wash, ready to use over and over. Sweep, water wash down or vacuum.
• Porous Construction allows urine and water to pass through, keeping dogs dry.
• PEM^® offers three thicknesses for different weight dogs – Fluff, Light Weight and High Traffic. Fluff used for whelping pens only.
• PEM^® available in three widths: 24”, 36” and 72” wide x 25’ long Rolls.
• PEM^® available in several colors: Blue, Gray, Sandstone, Hunter Green and Black.
• Cuts easily with standard razor knife to custom fit any application.
• Can also be used for shade by attaching to pens using standard nylon ties.

Please call 1-800-783-2358 for more information.

It’s always nice to see a familiar face, and there were plenty in the crowd at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Golf Industry Show gave us a great opportunity to catch up with current distributors and clients – educating them on new additions to the product line, providing 2012 pricing, discussing potential applications for the upcoming golf season, and discussing previous applications.

We love hearing feedback on our clients’ experiences utilizing the PEM products on their golf course applications. PEM High Traffic Matting continues to be well received as the “best product available” to reduce slips and falls on the golf course. Many customers at the event said it’s “the best product out there,” and after having our same matting on their courses for 7-10 years, we think they’d know! What a great compliment to our products’ longevity and performance.

PEM also unveiled the new PEM High Friction matting to rave reviews. The new matting features an aluminum oxide grit which is combined with a urethane binder, creating a high friction surface coating. This new product is designed for the toughest applications, with a focus on safety and durability. The latest releases in golf footwear seem to be trending towards less of a spike, and our new PEM High Friction matting works perfectly to protect against slips and falls, even on slick, wet surfaces.

We love to keep things fresh and new in the exhibit booth. This year, we added the PEM Walk Bridge – a real walking bridge, providing clients an opportunity to get a true feel of walking on PEM. This true-to-life application will certainly become a staple at future golf shows!

PEM also made several great connections to further our international distribution. With talks underway in countries like Australia, Singapore, South Korea and Japan, PEM is on its way to covering the world, one application at a time. We hope to establish relationships in some of these new international distribution areas, joining our existing networks in Mexico and Canada.

Want to learn more about the new PEM High Friction matting? Give us a call today!

Less than an hour from PEM’s headquarters, the Missouri Baptist Hospital, in Sullivan, Missouri, recently installed PEM Playground Matting at their newly renovated fitness track. Updates to the public facilities were funded through a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health to implement a Healthy & Active Communities program. The goal of the program is to improve overall community health by increasing opportunities for physical activity. In total, twenty-eight Missouri nonprofits have received more than $5 million in grants awarded by the Foundation.

The surface installed at Missouri Baptist Hospital is a combination of our poly-green foam subsurface topped with the durable PEM Playground Matting. The resulting combination is soft, slip-resistant and safe. Thanks to the mat’s flow-through design, residents will have a dry fitness surface, even after heavy rain. No one likes working out in sloshy conditions!

PEM Playground Matting is the perfect solution for outdoor, all-weather environments.  As the residents of Sullivan will attest, the area is home to cold, wet winters and hot, humid summers. PEM Playground Matting offers superior weatherability, even in the toughest conditions. Our matting will not lose its resilient qualities due to extreme ranges in temperature, weather or ultraviolet exposure, making it the ideal solution for outdoor surfaces.

If you’re in the area, or passing through, stop by Missouri Baptist Hospital’s Public Fitness Track to see PEM Playground Matting in action. We’d love to see some shots of you trying it out!

The trainers have designed a state-of-the-art workout facility for heart-bursting cardio and muscle-aching resistance workouts. These high intensity workouts take their toll on the contestants’ physical and mental being, and the trainers turn to the yoga studio to provide a relaxing, comfortable environment for stretching and low-intensity exercise. PEM’s soft matting has been installed in the yoga studio as the perfect flooring solution for this space.

If you’ve been following along with this season’s antics, you’ll likely have spotted PEM Yoga Flooring in several episodes along the way. It seems to be a favorite of the red team. In Episode 2, aired January 10th, they were seen doing stretching exercises on the soft Yoga Flooring, while in Episode 5, aired January 31st, they utilized the Yoga Flooring as a slip-resistant surface for a cardio workout. If they keep this up, we might just have to cheer for the red team exclusively!

The unique features of PEM Yoga Flooring make it a perfect fit for The Biggest Loser yoga studio. The textured finish reduces slippage and the porous design allows for fast evaporation and a quick dry. Plus, our antimicrobial formula guards against the growth of mildew, fungi, and bacteria – an absolute MUST in a high-use facility like the set of The Biggest Loser.

Keep your eyes peeled as Season 13 of The Biggest Loser continues. We’re sure to see more PEM Yoga Flooring along the way! Visit the PEM Surface Creations Facebook page for photos throughout  the season and tune in Tuesdays at 7:00pm on NBC for the latest episodes.

At PEM Surface Creations, we have been a regular participant in the event which showcases many of the best innovations to operators of golf facilities and golf course management professionals.

This year we have a new product we are very excited to showcase. Drum roll please….our new high friction matting! You may have heard about this matting in the past, especially around the London Marathon. Now though, we have perfected our golf matting with high friction grit.

You may ask, what is high friction matting? Easy, we add an aluminum oxide “grit” material which is combined with a urethane binder, creating a high friction surface coating on our mating. It is designed for the toughest applications and is scuff resistant for added durability.

The high friction matting comes in both high traffic and lightweight, and comes in all six colors. And even though we are only now showcasing the product to golf pros, we have installed our first application! A golf course in St. Louis came forward about very high traffic sections of the course. High friction matting served as a solution and we had had very positive feedback!

For more on high friction matting, give us a call today! Or if you are at the Golf industry Show stop by our booth #1574!

For those of you who do not know about The Biggest Loser, it is a show where contestants are brought to a ranch to lose weight and become healthy. Along the way, contestants are eliminated for not keeping up on their weight loss, until only one contestant remains. That person takes come $250,000 and a brand new lease on life.

This season the contestants are paired up with a family member or friend. The trainers the contestants are work with are specifically the excuses the contestant uses – hence the season title “No Excuses.”

You may be asking, how did PEM making on the set? Well, it turns out one of show’s producers goes to a yoga studio which has a PEM application. She liked surface and ordered it for the set.

We are excited to see our matting on TV! Keep an eye out for the show on Tuesdays at 7:00pm on NBC.

We love to see familiar faces and we have been happy see many past customers returning. The last few years have not been easy for many and offering a superior product at a low price has been near and dear to most. We see this as a sign things are improving within the industry and that customers have recognized our commitment to keeping prices competitive.

This year, we launched our high friction matting in response to a request from a customer.  The response was to this matting has been amazing. In fact, it was even used through the London Marathon!

But, it was not just our new high friction matting getting the attention! Our matting was used at the Duel in the Pool, Frys.com Open, McGladrey Classic, SEC Swimming Championship and NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship.

We do not have a resolution, like lose weight or eat better, but plan to continue improving our design and bringing slip-resistant matting to different industries.

Happy New Year!