Imagine having a lush lawn that remains green year round. Now imagine you never have to water, mow, fertilize or weed it. The answer to your care-free, beautiful green dream lawn is artificial grass. Over the years, artificial grass has evolved to appear so lifelike that it’s hard to tell the difference between real and artificial grass.

One company that has helped the development and enhancement of this ingenious product is Artificial Grass and Landscaping (AGL). Ivan Couto, president of AGL, who helped build the business from the ground up, explains that the company grew from IC Improvements (ICI), an artificial grass manufacturing company that installed artificial turf on football fields. After 20 years of using the product in the sports turf industry, word spread of the low maintenance grass and people began requesting it for their front lawns. AGL was founded to fulfill these residential and commercial requests.

When most people think of artificial grass, they’re reminded of Astro Turf which was invented in the early 1960s. This thin green carpet was used to cover baseball fields and outdoor stadiums. Couto remembers helping install the artificial turf at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton with the company that was then called the Astroturf group.

“We basically became an installation company and over the years we developed installation methods and got involved in the research and development (RAD). That’s what brought us to today where we design and install artificial grass worldwide.”

Since the Astroturf days, the grass itself has changed dramatically, so now it looks and feels like real grass.

“We’ve done a lot of R&D and we’ve passed our findings on to suppliers worldwide. We’ve also partnered up with a lot of companies that produce the raw materials, so we’ve been involved with new developments in the industry,” Couto says.

Aside from installing artificial grass in residential and commercial properties, AGL has also had the opportunity to have some fun with the product. The company has done some work in Hollywood with the Emmy Awards, the Oscars, and the Teen Choice Awards.

“They’ve been involved in the whole green program,” says Couto. “So it’s been very interesting to introduce AGL grass into that whole concept.” Maybe one day Hollywood will have the stars walking down a green carpet, instead of red.

What does the future hold artificial grass and AGL?

“Currently were working on new developments to make it more affordable for the general public,” Couto explains, adding that the company is also working on improvements to make the product more environmentally and esthetically pleasing. “One of our main focuses is making sure that we’re protecting our environment.”

For more information about the many uses for artificial grass, visit AGL’s website at www.aglgrass.com.