Category: Blog

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Local Turf Management Community Gathers to Raise Scholarship Dollars

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On August 2nd, Newstripe had the pleasure of sponsoring the 27th Annual Lawn Mower Open, organized by the Colorado Sports Turf Managers Association (CSTMA) at the scenic Pinery Country Club in Parker, Colorado. This annual charity golf event gathers industry professionals from across the state to raise much-needed scholarship funds for students interested in a sports turf career.

With some great weather, fun contests, and lots of professional networking, this event was a definite summer highlight for everyone involved, especially after many months of covid-related isolation.

In addition to being one of the event’s corporate sponsors, Newstripe organized two of the tournament’s on-course games: “Stay on the Green” and “Stay Inside the Circle”. These contests provided a great opportunity for Newstripe to display the incredible accuracy of its two new line striping machines, LineRider GPS+ and NewRider 5000 GPS, that feature automated field layout and steering using advanced GPS technology.

After the post-tournament banquet wrapped up, it seemed that everyone enjoyed being together in a beautiful outdoor setting, taking a much-needed work break for their computers and phones, and raising money to support the next generation of sports turf professionals.

The Newstripe team is already looking forward to next year’s event.

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Newstripe’s R&D Leader Talks Product Innovation

As Newstripe’s fourth employee when he started 32 years ago, Research & Development Manager Kory Mehrer has seen and done it all. From fabrication and welding to painting and assembly, and now product design and development, Kory has held almost every job in Newstripe’s manufacturing facility and sometimes more than one at a time.

Kory’s experience, dedication, and unique approach to product development helps Newstripe keep pace with the evolving needs of its customers and ahead of the competition. He attributes the company’s product development success to four guiding principles:

  • Listen to your customers
  • Be creative & innovate constantly
  • Leverage rapid “prototype-test-learn” processes
  • Nothing leaves the shop until it’s right

When asked about his favorite Newstripe product, Kory instantly goes to the NewRider 5000, first rolled out in 2010. Kory helped lead the development of this popular riding field line striping machine and subsequent upgrades over the years. He believes it’s still the best riding line striper on the market. “I just love taking to long-time customers who bought a NewRider 5000 a decade ago and are still actively using the machine on a daily basis. They just love the product and that makes me proud,” said Kory.

When asked about the product innovation he sees in the future, Kory’s eyes light up. There’s GPS technology, stronger and lighter production materials, better manufacturing equipment, and new technologies that can make stripers more efficient and more environmentally friendly. From Kory’s perspective, the future looks very bright on the product innovation front and that means good things are on the way for Newstripe customers.

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Custom Mascot Stencil Helps High School Boost Team Spirit

A great thing about working with so many different companies and organizations is the fun projects we get to do. This is especially true in our Custom Stencils & Templates department where the Newstripe team converts customer ideas into production-ready custom stencils that help raise visibility for their brands.

One of our favorite projects was one where we worked with the booster club for a Texas high school softball program. They wanted to paint their zebra mascot on their softball field dugouts to boost team spirit and being loyal fans of the softball program, they wanted it BIG!

Newstripe was provided with the overall vision, desired finished size (6 feet x 16 feet), and a good vector logo file. Then we got to work. In less than two weeks, we created four custom stencils using our industry-leading PolytoughTM stencil material that fit together to form the team’s mascot in “Super Size” for painting.

Our customer was blow away with the final result and how quickly Newstripe was able to turn their good idea into reality.

If your company or organization wants to increase its brand visibility, consider partnering with Newstripe to make it happen on or around your field or property with a custom stencil. To learn more, Contact Us.

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Q&A with Newstripe President Ralph Newman About Emerging Trends

Ralph Newman on NewRider 5000

Within his busy spring schedule, we had a chance to sit down with Newstripe President Ralph Newman to get is thoughts about emerging trends in company’s core businesses, which include the manufacturing of products and equipment for Field Striping, Commercial Striping, and Industrial Recycling.

How are Newstripe customers reacting to the gradual loosening of Covid-19 restrictions?

The volume of orders we’ve seen this spring has been truly amazing and our April sales were the highest we’ve seen since our founding in 1981. It seems that customers across all three of our businesses have come out of hibernation with renewed excitement to get back to business as usual. While this means some long days for the team at Newstripe, we really enjoy interacting with customers from across the country and helping them find the right products to get their job done.

Are you seeing any emerging trends that you’d like to highlight?

In our field striping business, we’re seeing growing interest in GPS-enabled machines that can stripe an athletic field in auto-steering mode in record times. While these machines require a significant upfront investment, the ongoing labor savings is impressive and they are a hot topic among large users. We’re also hearing interest from our commercial customers for similar GPS technologies for their pavement and warehouse striping projects.

In our industrial recycling business, customers continue to navigate the ever-changing local, state, and federal regulations about the proper recycling and disposal of their industrial waste. This generates lots of questions from customers that we are happy to help answer. We’re also seeing companies continue to position their recycling efforts as a positive attribute in their company branding efforts which we fully support.

Any trends on the digital and e-commerce front?

The digital side of Newstripe’s business continues to grow across all market segments and it was put into overdrive during the past year of Covid restrictions where customers engaged technology at a breathtaking pace. Lately, we’re seeing an increased demand to combine digital functionality with our in-person product and service support teams to deliver an integrated customer experience.

Are there emerging trends in the supply line for parts and supplies?

Currently, the supply chain is in pretty dismal shape. Unlike the typically slow recovery from a recession, no one expected the “pandemic recovery” to be so quick and robust. Like many domestic manufacturing companies, raw materials, parts, and supplies have been a little harder to obtain due to production slowdowns related to the pandemic. Luckily, Newstripe stocked up ahead of time to minimize these issues for our customers. We’re now seeing gradual improvement on the supply front and expect the situation to resolve itself in the next 6-12 months.

Any closing thoughts you’d like to share?

I just wanted to thank our great customers, distribution partners, and our Newstripe team members for their dedication, loyalty, and flexibility during the last 12 months. It was a unique period of time for everyone and we stood by each other to work through it. I’m looking forward to what the rest of the year may bring.

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Newstripe Hires Keith VanOrman to Lead Company’s Operations

Newstripe, a leading manufacturer of equipment for athletic field striping, pavement and floor striping, and industrial waste recycling, is pleased to announce the recent hiring of Keith VanOrman as Operations Manager.

Keith is a highly accomplished operations leader that brings a wealth of experience to the position. Prior to joining Newstripe, he held senior leadership roles at Rocky Mountain Orthodontics (CO), Turnbull Manufacturing Company (NY), Car Engineering (NY), and Wordingham Machine Company (NY) where he built a successful track record of managing teams that drive continuous improvement and deliver growth in bottom-line results. Keith is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and an active member of Mountain States Employers Council.

In his new role as Operations Manager at Newstripe, Keith will oversee all day-to-day operational activities of the company, including production, logistics, purchasing, and facilities to ensure Newstripe customers around the country receive the innovative, locally manufactured products they’ve come to expect from the company since its founding in 1981.

“Keith brings an arsenal of manufacturing skills and experience to Newstripe, and he will play a important role in helping our company implement its key growth initiatives,” stated Newstripe President Ralph Newman. “We feel extremely fortunate to have Keith join our leadership team.”

Keith may be reached at keith@newstripe.com.

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Newstripe Launches Athletic Field Marking System Guided By GPS Technology

PRESS RELEASE (AURORA, CO) -- Newstripe Inc, a leading manufacturer of athletic field marking systems used by professional, college, and youth sport teams, announced today the launch of Newstripe LinerRiderTM GPS+. This innovative new system leverages GPS technology to improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of marking athletic fields for play and helps maintenance departments reduce their labor costs.

“We’ve watched GPS-assisted technologies revolutionize other industries and knew the time was right to take our field marking systems to the next level,” said Newstripe President Ralph Newman. “After months of joint development with Traqnology North America, we are pleased to offer a hands-free steering system that can stripe a regulation soccer field in less than 15 minutes with accuracy to a quarter inch.”

Newstripe LineRider GPS+ quickly mounts into the rear bed of most commercial-grade UTVs from leading manufacturers like John Deere, Kobata and Ranger, and can mark athletic fields at up to 9 miles per hour, 3x faster than other methods. The system is extremely durable, incorporates the latest advancements in airless spray technology, and is manufactured in the United States at Newstripe’s Aurora, Colorado factory.

“Working with the Newstripe team to bring GPS technology to the sports turf market has been a rewarding experience,” said Todd Ford, General Manager of Traqnology North America. “The feedback we’ve received from our pilot customers after they lined a field as a passive operator has been incredible.”

To learn more about the Newstripe LineRider GPS+ field marking system, call 800-624-6706 or view product details.

Watch Product Video

Press Release PDF

Media Contacts

Ralph Newman, President, Newstripe Inc., ralphn@newstripe.com

Todd Ford, General Manager, Traqnology North America, todd@traqnologyna.com

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GPS-Guided Field Stripers Are The Future In Field Markings

GPS Field Striping

Youth athletics is a multi-billion dollar industry. In fact, it is estimated to be worth over $15 billion. There are a record number of child athletes participating in Little League baseball, Pop Warner football, youth league soccer, and other travel sports. 

Sports complexes are increasing in number to accommodate this rapid rise in kids’ sports. All of these fields need to be constantly re-striped and landscaped to stay looking clean and fresh.

If you own a sports complex or athletic field, when was the last time you thought about updating your field striping methods? Groundskeepers and facility operators need to have the most up-to-date field striping equipment to create strikingly sharp and precise lines on athletic fields. 

Current Challenges with Field Striping for Business Owners

The process of field striping and court marking can be a time consuming and tedious task. If you have an entire sports complex to re-stripe, it can quickly become an all-day task, especially if you have older field striping machines. 

Certain field striping machines can be difficult to handle. They may not accurately stripe warped courts or natural deviations on fields properly. This can create uneven and imprecise lines that do not look good and driving up your costs.

Another challenge of field striping is human error. With older, less accurate field striping machines, it can be difficult to maintain straight lines for an entire field, let alone a whole complex. 

Advanced Robotics

The introduction of GPS field stripers, undoubtedly has speeded up the process of marking out fields. But perhaps now, the need for an operator to walk behind or drive the marking machine is confined to the history book. 

For starters, it now takes 30 minutes instead of four hours to layout and paint a full size soccer field and restriping can be completed in fifteen minutes.

Because everything is computerized, via operator programming on a tablet to produce precisely-positioned lines, the software allows clients to make subtle but sometimes important changes to the positioning of certain lines — for instance, inserting training grids alongside running tracks. 

Because everything is computerized, via operator programming on a tablet to produce precisely-positioned lines, the software allows clients to make subtle but sometimes important changes to the positioning of certain lines — for instance, inserting training grids alongside running tracks. 

This means we can tweak the line marking to satisfy clients’ every need in terms of additional line marking, and that can only further improve customer satisfaction levels.”

How Can Precision Guided GPS Field Striping Help?

Precision guided GPS field striping does all the heavy lifting for you. It can help create an exact measurement for the field or court layout and reduce human error.

What are the Best Field Striping Products For You?

To ensure you have straight and precise stripes on your athletic fields and courts, you need high-quality field striping equipment.

At Newstripe, we offer a wide variety of paint stripers and four models of dry line chalkers. These are created to meet your exact athletic field and court marking needs. 

These field striping machines are designed to work on all the different types of athletic field and sport court materials. These materials include natural turf, synthetic turf, skinned infields, tennis courts, playgrounds, and more.  

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Pavement and Floor Striping Materials and Application Methods / 11.11.20

Pavement and Floor Striping category

How do you know which is the best choice of Pavement and floor Striping materials?

Several variables involved in the job will determine the best choice of pavement marking material you should choose. Today, advanced technologies have made many great options available, from parking lot and highway line paints to thermoplastic pavement markings.

Solvent-based Paints

Many solvent-based paints are banned because of environmental concerns.

The main advantage of this type of paint is that it won’t freeze and can be used in colder weather, unlike water-based paints, which break down in colder temperatures. Oil-based paints are widely used due to their versatility and low cost. However, due to environmental concerns, many people are choosing water-based paints, which offer a greener option with easier clean-up and disposal.

Acetone-Based Paint

Acetone paint is a good product for parking lots and parking garages, as long as it is accepted by the customer and can be used within the jurisdiction where the work is being done. Acetone paint also allows painting to be performed at lower temperatures than water-based traffic paints.

This is an ideal product for striping in the early spring and late fall, as well as temporary striping during winter months. A drawback of this paint is that it can only be cleaned up with acetone solvent, which is a hazardous waste. It must be disposed of properly.

Epoxy Paints

Epoxy paints are two-part component paints used to create a superior product compared to traditional paint, and they work well in high-traffic areas due to their durability. Epoxy paint is longer-lasting than standard traffic marking paint. It offers impact and abrasion resistance. This makes it ideal to use on concrete, although concrete surfaces must be prepped prior to applying epoxy. The epoxy bonds tightly to these surfaces due to a chemical reaction that occurs when the two components are mixed.

There are multiple epoxy products. Highway epoxy paints require specific and specialized equipment for application. This is due to the way that the catalyst and the resin are combined at specific ratios to form the final epoxy coating.

Interior epoxy paints can be utilized for warehouses, industrial and commercial buildings. These products are also two-component products, which can be mixed in pails and applied with walk-behind painting equipment — though the equipment must be large enough to pump the heavy material. Many of these products are only for interior use. The interior products also require an extended cure time of 24 to 72 hours or more.

Because of their effectiveness, epoxy paints are more expensive than traditional paints. Epoxy is typically less sensitive to application factors than thermoplastic options. It also offers the highest level of wet night reflectivity. Epoxy is highly durable and can eliminate the need to restripe roadways on a yearly basis.

Water Based Paint

Because of their water base, these paints are less damaging to the ecosystem than solvent-based paints. They are the most affordable type of paint on the market and are also the greenest option. They dry quickly in warm weather conditions, but dry times can be affected by humidity. They also offer easy clean-up, too.

These are typically the most commonly used paints for line stripers.

While the advantages include easy use, easy clean-up and few fumes, the main disadvantage of water-based paints is that they tend to not perform well in cooler temperatures. Water-based traffic paint also is one of the least durable pavement marking products in weather conditions 50°F and below .

Pavement Marking Tapes

Pavement marking tapes are used for temporary and permanent pavement markings. On certain roadways, temporary striping is performed using removable tapes. These temporary tapes can be applied for construction projects and then removed when the project is completed. There are also temporary cover-up tapes, that can be used to cover existing lines during construction.

Permanent tapes are also used on roadways and intersections.

Thermoplastic Paint

As the name implies, this substance contains plastic, and it is another type of pavement marking material normally found on highways.

All thermoplastics are applied utilizing heat. They are applied using a specialized torch that heats both the thermoplastic and the asphalt and causes the thermoplastic material to bond with the asphalt. Extruded, ribbon and spray thermoplastic are applied with specialized trucks or equipment. This equipment melts the thermoplastic to approximately 400 degrees, and the material is applied in a liquid form. As the material cools, it maintains its shape or line size. Glass beads are added for reflectivity.

Once dry, it’s more durable than many other types of pavement markings and can withstand much more abuse and abrasion than other types of striping. This means it lasts longer than other products.

Factors to consider for application methods:

What is the durability of the road-marking material?

Consider the location where you will be applying the pavement markings. Does the pavement marking need to be extremely durable?

What are the weather conditions in your area? Do you experience a lot of rain? What are the typical conditions during the winter? Will the roads be covered in snow or ice? Areas with mild climates and little precipitation require fewer durable types of pavement markings. You may be able to use traditional paint, even in highly traveled areas.

Is reflectivity a concern? In low-light or adverse weather conditions, reflectivity is essential for road markings that affect safety. Reflective pavement markings reflect the light from car headlights to alert drivers and make the pavement markings visible for drivers. Traffic paint and signage must also adhere to legal standards for reflectivity. Municipalities and state agencies are required to develop and implement a management and assessment program that maintains reflectivity at or above the established minimum levels.

What is your budget for pavement markings? As with any product, pricing varies greatly among types of pavement markings. The materials and application method used affect the overall cost. Consider your project budget as you select pavement markings to use.

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Selecting the Right Field Marking Machine for Your Athletic Fields / 10.12.20

athletic field line striping machine

The art of lining fields, rinks, tracks and courts requires the proper materials and some knowledge of science.

Most dedicated groundskeepers, facilities operators and independent contractors strive to elevate athletic surface preparation to an art form. In fact, some of them may even call themselves artists-and rightfully so. Few things add more visual appeal to a sporting event than the vibrantly marked surface on which it is played.

But whether the canvas is acres of turf, a vast span of ice, miles of track or an entire field-house floor of hardwood, these artists need more than just any old paint on their pallet.

In selecting marking materials for best results on virtually any given sports surface, artistic flair will fade over time unless a little knowledge of science is added to the mix.

Newstripe’s athletic field marking equipment is the preferred solution for fields of any type, indoors or outdoors. From walk behind, light-duty field markers to heavy-duty riding equipment, Newstripe’s high-pressure airless technology results in lower paint consumption and professional, bright lines.
We have a wide selection of field markers for you to choose from. Whether you have a single soccer field, an entire baseball complex or even an airport to mark, we have the equipment and expertise to help you select the field marker that’s right for you.

Newstripe’s athletic field marking equipment is the preferred solution for fields of any type, indoors or outdoors. From walk behind, light-duty field markers to heavy-duty riding equipment, Newstripe’s high-pressure airless technology results in lower paint consumption and professional, bright lines.
Most competitive low-pressure field markers flood the grass and soil with paint. Newstripe’s high-pressure pumps and precision spray tips provide higher quality lines, arcs and circles by applying a fine spray pattern which coats both sides of the grass blade, not the soil.

This results in brighter lines, finishing fields 4x faster and using up to 50% less paint. Newstripe’s high-pressure, airless grass stripers are powered by quality gasoline engines to tackle any field marking application – from small sport clubs to the biggest professional teams.

From a single little league baseball field to a large multiple sport field facility, school or park district, Newstripe has the right field striping machine for you.
Check out Newstripes line of airless field stripers, including the economical 4250™, the professional 4400™ model and the labor saving 4600™ SP Self-Propelled. Plus, the incredible NewRider™ 1700 and NewRider™ 5000 models are the only airless riding field stripers available.

Newstripe’s large product selection of field marking machines includes every possible item that you might need including Field Marking Paint and Sports Field Paint, Athletic Field Stencils and Athletic Field Marking Machines and we offer products and solutions for nearly every sport including Football Field Layout, Soccer Field Marking, Baseball Field Layout, Tennis Court Marking.

Consider Newstripe as your one stop resource for all of your Athletic Field Marking equipment and supplies. Our large inventory of products allows you to rest assured that we only offer the highest quality Field Marking Equipment and supplies.

If you’re looking to mark your lines with supreme precision, accuracy and quality then Newstripe’s the perfect addition to your ground equipment artillery.

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Selecting an Aerosol Can Disposal System / 08.31.20

aerosol can disposal 01

A wide variety of major industries utilize aerosol cans, spanning industrial manufacturing, municipalities and vocational education, among others. What happens to an aerosol can after it has reached its useful life?

Proper disposal guidelines dictate that pressurized aerosol cans are typically sealed in a drum to be processed as hazardous waste at a landfill or facility. The cans are considered to be hazardous because they contain a liquid hazardous waste or are still pressurized, which may cause them to potentially explode at the landfills. Companies that do not dispose of aerosol cans properly risk paying hefty fines.

Properly disposing of the cans, however, will save landfill space and reduce hazardous waste. Additionally, the processed cans may be sold as recyclable steel.

Selecting the correct Aerosol disposal system allows persons to stay clean and mess free while remaining fully compliant with OSHA and EPA standards.

Newstripe’s AeroVent Aerosol Disposal System helps you safely recycle your aerosol cans for recycling and assists environmentally-sensitive companies legally dispose of spent aerosol cans.

All our systems are easy-to-use. Mount the puncturing device onto any standard 30- or 55-gallon drum. Insert a can upside down and clamp into position. Activating the device penetrates the can with an angled pin. Remaining liquid contents pour out into the drum, along with the propellant and drains any remaining product along with the propellant into the sealed drum. A carbon filter absorbs any vapors and odors from the drum. Once full, dispose of it as hazardous liquid waste according to appropriate regulations.

The AeroVent Aerosol Can Disposal System is safe and the enclosed chamber protects the operator when puncturing and draining.

The system is easy to use along with being versatile and is EPA, RCRA, OSHA compliant.

By using an Aerosol Can Disposal System companies minimize the high expense of hazardous waste disposal utilizing the legal, easy way to turn empty aerosol cans into recyclable steel.

Aerosol Can Disposal issues

As noted earlier, leftover materials in partially filled cans may qualify as hazardous waste. If a can is found to be inoperative or malfunctioning, returning it to the supplier will prevent the user from having to treat it as hazardous waste.

Cans that are punctured and drained are not considered to be hazardous waste and may be recyclable. Companies that use a significant number of aerosol cans may wish to consider aerosol-puncturing equipment, which allows the contents of cans to be safely removed and prepared for disposal.

Aerosol cans are normally manufactured from thin sheets of steel. The products they hold are highly pressurized with a number of types of hydrocarbon propellants, from carbon dioxide or butane or propane. In recent years, some scientists and environmental activists have linked chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants to decreases in the planet’s ozone layer. Most manufacturers have shifted to propellants that are thought to be less damaging to the atmosphere

Aerosol cans should never be placed in fires or heated locations, because they may explode, and the propellant may be flammable. Cans that are still pressurized may also burst if place in a garbage compactor.

If cans that contain hazardous wastes are to be disposed, they should be placed in a special closed container displaying markings indicating that the waste is hazardous. The labeling should also indicate the specific types of waste and the date when the container began to be used. Keep records of when and how the waste was disposed or recycled.

Why are aerosol cans dangerous?

Aerosol cans are dangerous because of the unusual mix of substances stored under pressure inside the metal canister. Even if the active ingredient is not a hazardous chemical (eg, food products) the can is still capable of exploding or turning into a dangerous projectile. The biggest problem with aerosol cans in the workplace is their potential to ignite or explode other Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Substance.