Sport Group
German-based global group specializing in synthetic sport surfaces, athletic tracks and courts, with brands including AstroTurf, Polytan, Laykold and Rekortan.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Sport Group is a German-headquartered multinational group focused on the manufacture, sale and installation of synthetic turf systems, athletic tracks, sports courts and related sports-surface products. Its headquarters are in Burgheim, Germany, and it operates worldwide through a network of brands and installation partners. The group traces its roots to Polytan GmbH, founded in 1969 as Firl + Schretter Sportstättenbau OHG in Neuburg an der Donau, and to other subsidiaries with even earlier origins, such as Melos (1936) and AstroTurf (1965). The current group structure emerged in 2006 with the founding of Sportfield Deutschland Holding GmbH, the predecessor of today's group. Sport Group describes itself as one of the world's largest businesses dedicated to sport surfaces. It covers the complete value chain, including research and development, chemicals, manufacturing and installation. Its corporate brands include AstroTurf, Melos, Polytan, APT and SynLawn, while its global product brands include Laykold (tennis courts, official court of the US Open), LigaTurf (football turf), Poligras (Olympic hockey turf) and Rekortan (athletic tracks). These brands are used at elite events and venues, including multiple Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, the US Open tennis tournament and Diamond League athletics venues. The group has grown through acquisitions, notably acquiring AstroTurf and SynLawn in 2016, and has expanded its manufacturing and installation footprint across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and other regions. It emphasizes innovation in sustainability, such as carbon-neutral turf products and tracks made from sustainable materials. In 2019, the German business newspaper Handelsblatt described the group as the world market leader for synthetic turf. Sport Group remains privately held and continues to position itself as a leader in transforming the synthetic sports surface industry.
History
Sport Group's history is rooted in its subsidiary Polytan GmbH, which was founded in 1969 as Firl + Schretter Sportstättenbau OHG in Neuburg an der Donau, Germany. The company specialized in installing polyurethane-bound synthetic surfaces for sports facilities. Polytan was registered as a trademark in 1970. Some of today's subsidiaries are even older: Melos GmbH traces its origins to the rubber goods factory Worthmann & C. Bösch, founded in 1936, and AstroTurf sees the development of its namesake synthetic turf in 1965 as its origin. The Rekortan track surface, produced by Polytan, was installed in the Berlin Olympic Stadium in 1969 and used at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Since 1995, Polytan has produced synthetic turf systems and acquired a polyurethane production facility in Grefrath, operating under the name Polytex. Since 2003, Polytex has operated a fully vertical production for synthetic turf, with a coating and extrusion line installed in Grefrath. Also in 2003, Polytan first participated as a licensee in the FIFA Quality Programme for Football Turf and installed the first FIFA-certified synthetic turf field. In the 2000s, Polytan equipped numerous stadiums and arenas with synthetic turf and tracks, including the Munich Olympic Stadium for the 2002 European Athletics Championships, the stadium in La Paz (Bolivia, 2004), the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg (2005), the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern (2005) and the Stade de la Maladière of FC Xamax Neuchatel (2005). At the 2005 U-17 World Cup in Peru, Polytan equipped four of the five venues. In 2006, Sportfield Deutschland Holding GmbH was founded, the predecessor of today's group. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the German Football Association (DFB) selected Polytan products to build 1,000 mini-pitches with synthetic turf for youth development. These mini-pitches remained an important business area, and Polytan has since built more than 2,000 such facilities in Germany. From 2007 to 2009, the company expanded by acquiring production and installation companies in Australia, Germany, France, Sweden and the USA. With the acquired installation company STI (Sports Technology International), Polytan became a FIFA Preferred Producer for the first time in 2011 under the Polytan/STI brand alliance. In 2012, it was licensed as a Preferred Pitch Producer of the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) and as a Preferred Supplier of the International Hockey Federation. Also in 2012, Polytan equipped the hockey facilities for the London Olympic Games. In 2014, Polytan acquired Team Sports, an Australian provider of sports and leisure facilities. In 2015, the group was restructured: the recently founded Sport Group TopCo acquired Sport Group Holding GmbH. Shortly thereafter, Sport Group Holding acquired Sportfield Deutschland Holding GmbH, the parent company of the previous group. In 2016, the group acquired the US sister companies AstroTurf and SynLawn, a provider of synthetic turf for landscaping purposes outside sports facilities founded in 2006, and in the following year a production facility in Malaysia. Also in 2016, Polytan equipped the hockey fields at the Rio Olympics, and in 2020 the Tokyo Olympics with synthetic turf. The company also received the contract for the next two Games in Paris (2024) and Los Angeles (2028). The group brand Laykold was officially recognized as the equipment provider of the US Open tennis tournament in 2020. Today, Sport Group presents itself as one of the world's largest businesses dedicated to sport surfaces, with a portfolio of corporate brands including AstroTurf, Melos, Polytan, APT and SynLawn, and global product brands including Laykold, LigaTurf, Poligras and Rekortan. The group emphasizes innovation in sustainability, such as the Poligras Paris GT zero carbon-zero hockey turf and the LigaTurf Cross GT zero climate-neutral football turf. In 2019, Handelsblatt described the group as the world market leader for synthetic turf.
- 2024
Polytan equips hockey fields at the Paris Olympics with Poligras Paris GT zero carbon-zero turf.
- 2022
Full recycling of synthetic turf begins via a group subsidiary.
- 2020
Laykold is officially recognized as the equipment provider of the US Open; Polytan equips the Tokyo Olympics hockey fields and introduces CO2-neutral turf LigaTurf Cross GT zero.
- 2019
Handelsblatt describes the group as the world market leader for synthetic turf.
- 2017
The group acquires a production facility in Malaysia.
- 2016
The group acquires US sister companies AstroTurf and SynLawn; Polytan equips hockey fields at the Rio Olympics.
- 2015
Group restructuring: Sport Group TopCo acquires Sport Group Holding GmbH, which then acquires Sportfield Deutschland Holding GmbH.
- 2014
Polytan acquires Team Sports, an Australian provider of sports and leisure facilities.
- 2012
Polytan is licensed as Preferred Pitch Producer of the International Rugby Board and Preferred Supplier of the International Hockey Federation; equips hockey facilities for the London Olympics.
- 2011
With STI, Polytan becomes a FIFA Preferred Producer for the first time under the Polytan/STI brand alliance.
Products and positioning
World's largest sport surfaces business, covering the complete value chain from R&D to installation, with a focus on elite events and sustainability.
Laykold
Tennis court surface, official court of the US Open and other major tournaments.
LigaTurf
Football turf brand, including climate-neutral variants.
Poligras
Hockey turf brand, used at Olympic Games including Paris 2024 with carbon-zero turf.
Rekortan
Athletic track surface, used at Diamond League venues and Olympic Games.
AstroTurf
Synthetic turf brand, widely used in North America for sports and landscaping.
SynLawn
Synthetic turf for landscaping and non-sport applications.
Melos
Corporate brand for sports surfaces and related products.
APT
Corporate brand within the group.
PolyPlay
Surface for playgrounds, kindergartens, schools and recreational sports.
Polytan SMART
Digital performance diagnostics for athletes.
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