Source: Connor SportsThe Official Court(s) for the 2017 Men’s and Women’s Final Four Sugar maple trees harvested from the The Nature Conservancy’s sustainably managed 24,000-acre Two Hearted River Forest Reserve. Approximately 500 trees were harvested from 35 acres, leaving roughly 6,500 trees standing. Open areas allow the forest to diversify, becoming healthier, and the remaining trees continue to provide a host of benefits to both people and nature.The maple for the 2017 courts was single-sourced from The Nature Conservancy’s Two Hearted River Forest Reserve. Connor and The Conservancy partnered to host an educational event in November 2016 focused on sustainable forestry and the timber industry for the Tahquamenon Area School District in Newberry, MI, including a ceremonial tree felling at the school district’s forest, including that important log in this projectThis timber was harvested by Gene Holbrook & Sons, a multi-generational operation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Gene operates the business with the help of his two sons.Connor Sports purchases rough first-grade maple lumber from the supplierRough cut maple arrives at Connor Sports Michigan manufacturing mill located in tiny Amasa, MI (population 250)Maple is cut to widths of 2 and ¼ inches. It is planed and defects are cut from the wood by “knot sawyers” at the Connor mill. Tongue and groove is put in place by a “side-matcher”The basketball court is made portable by assembling it into 4’ X 7’ panelsPatented Connor Sports sub-flooring including recycled plastic materials is put in place to provide the right balance of resilience and shock absorption to assure optimum performance and player safety Portable sections are stacked under stringently controlled temperature and humidityOnce the panels are completed, they are stacked, banded and sent to the Connor finishing partner where it is sanded, sealed, painted and finished. The court is then stacked to be shipped to the arenaThe court is assembled by Connor Sports technicians and laborers in an approximate four-to-six hour process All the maple hardwood used in this year’s Men’s and Women’s Final Four courts is from The Nature Conservancy’s Two Hearted River Forest Reserve in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and is FSC-certifiedIn 2009 an independent environmental engineering firm audited and designated Connor Sports Sports a “Zero Waste Company.”As a member of the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association, Connor Sports adheres to the strict grading and quality standards of that organization.Maple hardwood used in the courts is from a renewable resource, with the U.S. growing six times more hardwood than is harvested each year.Connor Sports recycles 99% of its waste material and offers wood that is Forest Stewardship Council-certified. The FSC mark represents products from well-managed forests. Connor Sports was the first MFMA member to be certified by the Rainforest Alliance, and is the only independently certified Zero Waste sports flooring manufacturer March 24, 2017
