By Michelle Talsma Everson
If your backyard could use a makeover but the thought of continuous landscape maintenance makes you hesitate, then artificial turf may be for you. With the motto of, “We build a better backyard in no time,” local entrepreneur and veteran Shawn Ramey is a leading expert in artificial grass and hardscape design. His company, Elite Turf, offers these services to residential and commercial clients across the Valley. With an emphasis on quality customer service, he encourages Valley home and business owners to consider the many benefits of artificial turf.
“There are a lot of perks to installing artificial grass,” Ramey explains. “Here in the desert, there’s the water conservation angle. There’s also a lot of money to be saved as water usage prices go up. Many customers get back the money they spent on the installation in water savings. In addition, artificial grass is better for those with allergies to real grass and you save on time and energy with no yard maintenance required.”
A 10-year veteran of the Navy, Ramey and his father Brian, also a decorated veteran, founded American Team LLC in 2006. In their early years, they offered full property renovations, remodeling the insides of homes and complete landscape designs. “Once my dad passed away, I started to focus more on mastering landscape design,” Ramey explains. “As artificial grass started to become a hot commodity, I quickly realized this is the future for water conservation and maintenance-free landscaping for customers.”
Knowing that he was on to something big, Ramey became fully immersed in learning everything he could about the artificial grass industry. Fast forward to today, and with his business re-branded as Elite Turf, he is known as a leading expert in residential and commercial artificial grass and hardscape design. Sharing his knowledge, he has been instrumental in the training and development of many Arizona-based artificial grass companies and installers.
“As a fully licensed, bonded, and insured contractor, I have installed, directed, overseen or been directly responsible for over 5,000 residential and commercial projects over the years,” Ramey says. “Some of these projects include fields for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the White Sox, Arizona Sports Complex, and many more.”
Commitment to Customers and the Community
“We’re much more than a grass installer,” according to Elite Turf. “We are elite artificial grass and paver installers that pay attention to detail installing synthetic grass with high-end quality materials and installation at a reasonable price without compromising the quality of install.”
With more than fifteen years of experience and extensive industry knowledge and expertise, Elite Turf does installations of artificial grass and hardscaping (the built environment that is incorporated into a landscape). Ramey shares that, while he owns the company, he is very hands-on and enjoys working with clients on all types of projects.
“It’s not about how many jobs we can do, it’s about how many jobs we can do well,” he explains. “I’d rather have fewer jobs and do them perfectly. I want customers to be happy always—that’s my focus and priority.”
For those interested in installing artificial grass with Elite Turf, Ramey explains that the first step happens when he and his team meet with the potential customer and get to know them and what they’d like their outdoor experience to be. “With our technology and expertise, we can basically take a ‘blank’ backyard and provide the customer with multiple options on what it could look like,” he explains. And, for those afraid of having a long, drawn-out home project, this process often takes a matter of days, and it’s most often seven to ten days from first meeting to complete install.
For extensive detailed jobs, Elite Turf can do 3-D renderings as well. In addition to artificial turf, many clients add in hardscaping elements.
“A beautiful-looking yard has equally impressive pavers, fire pits, driveways and other hard surfaces,” according to Elite Turf. “Our team will revamp all your exterior surfaces for a more impressive look. That means everything from retaining wall installation to colored concrete and classic-looking pavers.”
Knowing that expense plays a role in these projects, Ramey shares that Elite Turf will match any competitor’s price and he offers an impressive multi-year warranty on his work. He also makes sure that, once one of his crews are on site, the process goes as smooth as possible for clients.
“Each of my five crews comes with a project coordinator, whose sole job is to make sure that customers are in-the-know from start to finish,” he explains. “This helps to put clients at ease, knowing that there will always be someone to communicate with them and answer any questions they may have.”
In addition to focusing on customer satisfaction, Ramey also believes in the importance of giving back to the community. As a veteran, he makes regular donations to nonprofits like Wounded Warrior and other veteran-serving organizations. He also is a regular contributor to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. And, as the dad of three busy young athletes, he supports Pinnacle High School and Arizona Sports Complex—volunteering and providing turf for their sports or fundraising needs.
“I’m a veteran, so I know what it means to serve,” Ramey explains. “What matters most to me is that customers are satisfied with our services and that we are good stewards to the community that has helped us grow so much over the last 15+ years.”
This spring, Elite Turf is waiving taxes on all new jobs in a just-announced tax season promotion.
To learn more about Elite Turf and its artificial grass and hardscape design services, visit eliteturfaz.com or call 602-980-9936.
This content is sponsored by Elite Turf.
