Q&A With Aquatrols

1.At the 2018 Golf Industry Show, the major theme in the Aquatrols booth centered on “Conservation.” Why was that a focus this year?

Conservation has always been central to everything we do at Aquatrols. This is a 63-year-old company with a heritage based entirely on making better use of resources. A key priority for our CEO Matt Foster is that we honor that heritage as we continue to move forward.

We introduced a new motto last year: “Respect the Drop.”

Internally it’s a reminder that each of our employees represents more than 60 years of Aquatrols’ history, something much larger than ourselves. Each one of us plays a critical role in carrying on that heritage and reaching our shared goals as a company.

Externally, it’s a reminder that water is vital to every aspect of life. If we’re going to continue to grow as a global population and sustain our way of life, we need to be responsible and respectful consumers of water and other natural resources. That’s what Aquatrols has always been about.

2.While you are honoring that heritage, there have been some changes at Aquatrols over the past few years. What kind of changes might we see in the coming year?

Our company vision is clear: to pioneer solutions that advance conservation and health for the agriculture, horticulture, and turf industries. To that end, we are building an organization that can make the largest relative impact possible. This doesn’t mean that every individual project has to achieve some extraordinary contribution towards conservation in its own right, but a significant amount of our resources will go directly towards the work of stewardship and conservation in our industry.

We’ll also be working to introduce products that advance true efficiency in terms of utilizing renewable natural resources. We are working to establish a “Conservation Based Solutions Portfolio” that extends beyond the scope of water management. Our product pipeline is focused on new products in three distinct areas: water management, nutrition conservation, and AI distribution and retention.

3.Are any of those products available now?

We launched two new products – Zipline powered by AquaVita™ Technology and Aqueduct Flex – at GIS 2018. Zipline is something entirely new for Aquatrols. It is truly a “nutrition conservation” product as it helps to unlock existing bound nutrients in the soil, making them more available to the plant. We are very excited about the AquaVita Technology component, a proprietary technology that we’ll be doing more with in the future.

4.What else can we expect to see from Aquatrols in 2018?

We pride ourselves on being a resource for our customers and our ability to inspire the industry as a whole, especially when it comes to conservation. It takes bold steps from bold individuals to accomplish that. As the 2018 season goes on, we will be rolling out new videos and podcasts focused on the golf industry – from addressing struggles, to celebrating successes, and everything in between. We’re going to be including superintendents and thought leaders in the discussions. We want to make it as interactive as possible. We are going big when it comes to having serious conversations in our industry. Stay tuned.

5. In your view, what is the most important factor for superintendents when thinking about the future of our industry?

Optimism. Today the news cycle is absolutely exhausting. If it is not Washington D.C., it is violence, the climate or social upheaval. But largely we believe most people working in this industry today are happy and enjoy what they do and see a bright future. We need to get much louder about the positive things going on out there. This industry is full of brilliant people who are driving innovation and being proactive in their efforts to be environmental stewards. We need to share these important initiatives – with each other and with the general public to tell the true story of golf to the world. Our goal as a company is not only to continually innovate and improve, but also to inspire others. We might not be able to change the world, but we can change our corner of it.