NUtech Ventures 2021 Startup Company of the Year: TurfGrade

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10/28/2021 Added

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The Startup Company of the Year award went to TurfGrade. The award recognizes a startup company — founded by Nebraska faculty, staff or students — that has made significant progress in becoming a sustainable business. TurfGrade is led by Bill Kreuser, formerly a Nebraska agronomist. The company is using a software platform to make turfgrass management simpler and more sustainable. Among other features, the platform provides guidance for applying fertilizer and plant growth regulators.

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[00:00:00.255](cheerful music)
[00:00:05.460]- So, my name is Bill Kreuser.
[00:00:06.293]I am the president of TurfGrade.
[00:00:08.133]And, I'm a superintendent at Jim Ager Golf Course
[00:00:11.580]here in Lincoln, Nebraska.
[00:00:13.140]So, Green Keeper App was built in 2015.
[00:00:16.430]And, it was originally this idea of helping engage
[00:00:20.015]our golf course superintendents to use the latest research.
[00:00:25.030]And we wanted to build the tool that helps them
[00:00:27.405]to implement best management practices
[00:00:30.700]when they're managing their golf courses.
[00:00:33.650]So, the app has grown.
[00:00:34.780]And so I've gone from doing a lot of the day-to-day,
[00:00:37.460]to hiring a talented team of software developers, and a CEO.
[00:00:41.460]We're integrating and building new models,
[00:00:44.030]adding new research, and forging collaborations with the
[00:00:46.760]industry to continue to grow our presence as
[00:00:48.841]the premier decision support tool for TurfGrass managers.
[00:00:52.820]We have a a pretty broad reach here at Green Keeper
[00:00:56.350]that expands across the entire country, and even the world.
[00:01:00.210]We have about 750 clients right now,
[00:01:02.950]from all levels of facilities.
[00:01:04.930]The smallest little nine hole par three course,
[00:01:07.260]to golf courses that have major championships,
[00:01:10.100]like US Opens, and also, Sports Turf.
[00:01:12.876]So, with the growth and support that we've had,
[00:01:16.060]we've been able to really invest into our web app and
[00:01:19.400]completely redo the interface so that it's more intuitive.
[00:01:22.646]And that's also allowed us to integrate new tools like
[00:01:25.360]program builders that are gonna allow our superintendents to
[00:01:29.078]be able to craft a program from,
[00:01:32.100]from past experiences and use the latest research in
[00:01:35.580]helping to to build their programs.
[00:01:38.730]I would like to just thank New Tech for being there,
[00:01:41.710]and helping us grow,
[00:01:42.691]and having faith in us as we've continued to grow.
[00:01:46.476]New Tech has engaged us to interact,
[00:01:49.090]and to meet people here in Lincoln or in Nebraska
[00:01:52.370]that can help us to grow.
[00:01:53.780]And then helping us with some of those legal hurdles,
[00:01:56.200]and helping us to navigate some complex negotiations there.
[00:02:01.010]So that's been a big, a big part of support.
[00:02:03.300]And then they just constantly check in,
[00:02:04.575]and then offer feedback here and, you know,
[00:02:08.670]kind of ask the right questions to make sure we're being
[00:02:10.640]directed in the, the right direction to help us to grow.
[00:02:14.320]I like to thank my team, my CEO, Wendy, my developers.
[00:02:18.742]Thank all the industry support that we've had.
[00:02:21.220]Either our customers,
[00:02:22.117]or now some of these larger groups that are wanting
[00:02:25.630]to work with and promote us because there's a
[00:02:27.490]lot of challenges in the golf industry,
[00:02:29.210]both environmental, but economic, labor shortages.
[00:02:32.383]And so, for our industry to really grow and to survive,
[00:02:36.000]and to prosper, and we need to be smarter about
[00:02:39.300]how we're making decisions when it comes to
[00:02:42.050]managing these facilities for all aspects of sustainability.
[00:02:45.228]It's just trying to balance that in the decisions.
[00:02:47.930]And the guidance that we get out of Green Keeper,
[00:02:50.040]helps those superintendents make those right calls to,
[00:02:53.640]to hit all three aspects of sustainability.
[00:02:56.974](cheerful music)

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NUtech Ventures 2021 Startup Company of the Year: TurfGrade

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