From setbacks to success: How TurfMend’s co-founder is redefining sports turf care with innovative solutions

For sports turf managers active on X (formerly known as Twitter) they’ve surely seen it and read about it: a relatively new seed mix that boasts some of the biggest sports arenas across America as fans.

But what is TurfMend and who is behind this X account (@TurfMend)? And why did a powerhouse in the lawn care industry help take it to the next level?

In a word? Persistency.

A fresh start

Jeff Stahman, co-owner and CEO of TurfMend (his wife Amy is the other owner) always dreamed of being a golf course superintendent. He went to school for it at Kansas State University, did the internships and eventually was hired as a second assistant superintendent.

He and his wife traveled all over, from one golf course maintenance job to the next, pursuing his dream. He worked on golf courses in Idaho, Maryland, the Cayman Islands, Utah, Oregon and Washington.

Finally, after years of hard work, years as an assistant superintendent, his dream became reality. He was hired as a golf course superintendent.

And then, like many superintendents … he got fired.

“The way I was fired, I’ll never forget it. And it really hit me hard, and I was really depressed, because you work your whole life for this. You go to school for it, you do the internships,” Stahman says. “You work 80 hours a week, and you get canned? I was really, really down — really depressed. I gained weight, and I just kind of felt lost.

Photo: TurfMend

“And (starting TurfMend) rejuvenated me a good little bit,” Stahman continues. “And I’ve never been happier.”

Stahman was living in eastern Oregon when he fell out of the golf maintenance industry. First, he took a job at Lowe’s, then worked for the local school district. It was at this time when an associate in the golf industry called him and told him … he needed to seriously consider starting his own divot mix business, because the divot mix Stahman had developed as a superintendent was far superior to anything else available in the market.

His wife loved the idea and told Stahman it was time to give this business venture a try. After four years of building TurfMend as a side-hustle, they looked into ideal locations to relocate and decided on Evansville, Ind., based on its central location. The family packed up once more, but this time, not for a new golf course, but for a new opportunity.

“I don’t really give up, I guess.”

It would be fair to say there were some hiccups along the way.

“Being able to take the divot mix from making it in the field, to being able to find a way to make it shelf-stable, is way harder than you would think,” Stahman says. “That’s where we failed a lot, and it cost me. You think you got it, and then you don’t, and it costs a lot of money.”

Stahman had a relentless persistence to make sure that whenever anything went wrong, he’d make it right. He’s proud that he never lost a distributor, he says, despite some early failures.

“I always try to do the right thing, because if I had an issue with someone’s product, I’d want them to do that,” he says. “I think if you don’t, your reputation is going to precede you, and you’re going to fall flat on your face. I think it’s absolutely vital to own up your mistakes and fix them the right way.”

While business was good, it wasn’t great. To get to the next level, Stahman felt like he needed advice, or perhaps a mentor. While they were still in the beginning stages Stahman reached out to a stranger who he knew only based on his social media feed. He decided to call John Perry, founder of Greene County Fertilizer Co.

“I had to call him quite a few times before I got a call back, because he had no idea who I was,” Stahman laughs. “I don’t really give up, I guess.”

John Perry (left) and Jeff Stahman. (Photo: John Perry)

A friend in need

John Perry’s day job is CEO and founder of Greene County Fertilizer Co., a company that manufactures and supplies soil amending fertilizers for the lawn care industry. Based in Greensboro, Ga., (and yes, that is in Greene County) the company blends its bio-based fertilizers in a 30,000 square foot manufacturing plant.

But his side hustle is the creative force behind Lawncology (YouTube.com/@Lawncology), a YouTube channel with 30,000 subscribers where Perry discusses all things lawn care. It’s not uncommon for Perry to be stopped by a stranger in an airport who wants to show him photos of his lawn.

Stahman was a Lawncology follower and wanted to connect with Perry.

Perry? Not so much.

“The first thing I’ll say is, Jeff is relentless. He doesn’t take no for an answer,” Perry says. “I kind of pushed him off to the side for a while.”

Eventually Perry relented and told him to send him a bag of TurfMend — so he could see for himself.

The results? Perry was underwhelmed.

Photo: TurfMend

“I asked him, ‘What are you going for here?’ I don’t get it. It’s not memorable,” Perry says. “I told him, ‘If it were me, I’d do this … and if you want, I can mock this up for you.’”

Stahman said yes, and Perry came back to him with some suggestions: lighten the bag to save on shipping; rebrand the slogan and logo to stand out more; work harder to let people know what you stand for.

Stahman again said yes, and TurfMend was rebranded with a new slogan and logo: repair the bare! A silhouette of a bear was the new logo.

“I did this for him because of who he is. I got nothing out of this except seeing a guy who became my friend be more successful,” Perry says. “And now, I think he has a product that is unique and people are really going to stand behind.”

Stahman now returns the favor by recommending Greene County Fertilizer products to his sports turf and superintendent customers. He also sprays the company’s wetting agent on his compost.

“Any time I can help John out, I do, because he’s done a lot to help me,” Stahman says. “I always recommend his products, because I’ve seen them work. Their granular wetting agent will be very good for superintendents and sports groundskeepers, and the cost point is much lower than others.”

The strengths of TurfMend, in Perry’s opinion, is the unique composition of the compost in the bag. It makes for easy use — throw and go, he says. He adds that TurfMend won’t germinate inside the bag, which is another unique attribute. And lastly, he adds again, that Stahman is relentless.

No worries

Mason McMurphy

Mason McMurphy, grounds supervisor, sports turf, for the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kan., learned of TurfMend when he saw it on X, and was intrigued. McMurphy and his crew are responsible for 64 acres of sports fields — 16 football fields, 12 soccer fields, 12 baseball fields, plus 10 synthetic baseball/softball fields and seven synthetic football fields.

McMurphy messaged Stahman on X and Stahman responded with a sample. McMurphy has been a customer ever since.

“Our main use of TurfMend would be on our soccer fields, the soccer goal mouth, the corner kick area and player bench areas — those really high-use areas on our soccer fields,” McMurphy says. “They get beat up like a golf course’s driving range, so we’re always feeding them. And the goalies wear depressions (into the field) easily. For us, the compost addition to the seed is a big benefit. Then we’re not only just putting seeds down, but we’re also counterbalancing that depression that the goalie makes as well.”

With so many fields to maintain, his crew is oftentimes stretched thin. For those ultra-important areas that experience a lot of wear, TurfMend has given McMurphy peace of mind.

“There’s multiple reasons why I go this route for us — and this is honesty — it’s convenient,” McMurphy says. “It’s a huge time- and labor-saver for me, because we don’t have to worry. We can grab a bag and go. I’m limited on staff. It’s all high-quality compost for us. I see the benefits from seed not moving because of the compost and then the moisture retention around the feet. That’s huge. It’s a big difference between this and your make-it-at-home mix.”

Lows and highs

Though there have been some bumps along the way, Stahman looks back and is grateful for all his experience in the turf industry. He says he thinks his failures have made his company stronger.

“I think all the experience in the turf industry makes me better at this job, because I can look somebody in the face and tell them about my own experiences,” he says. “Turf guys like us know — being a superintendent, being a sports turf guy — is so underappreciated by so many people. To know that these guys rely on my product … it’s a huge honor that they trust us.”

Stahman has gone from the low of being fired and having to take a job at Lowe’s, to seeing his own product on Home Depot’s website. His business is up 900-percent from when he and his family relocated to Indiana and was able to dedicate all of his efforts to TurfMend; and he thinks bigger things are still yet to come.

“Business is better than I ever dreamed of. I’m able to take care of my family and pay my bills,” he says. “It’s more than I ever would have imagined. To be able to do this for a living, and help out turf guys around the country, is a dream come true.”