Initiative (YDI), in the PRT Department. Arthur says, “YDI has positioned itself as the recognized center and resource for youth development programs. It’s all focused on providing Best Practices to the Practitioners and staff in all phases of youth development, especially in programs involving kids at risk. We were able to start with our investment in the foundation and, though the relationships we’ve established over the years, parlay that with some matching grants to the million-dollar level for the first Chair initiative and another half-million for the YDI.” In their spare time, Sue and Arthur both served terms on local School Boards.
TifTuf which we licensed in 2016 from Te Turfgrass Group/UGARF. FJ would want us to continue our long winning streak with Dr. Burton, Dr. Elsner, Dr. Hanna, Dr. Duncan and many more great Georgia folks dating back to 1956. Te Georgia relationships also set the stage for Arthur establishing farms in Mexico, Malaysia, and two unconventional sod farms: an Indian Reservation in Arizona and a Prison Farm in California.
Other Ventures Along the way, Arthur branched into various forms of real estate and mineral development, including acquiring farms for production of corn, maize, rice, and cotton, and the mineral rights for properties. He’s also kept up his hours and is licensed to practice law, the majority focusing on Trust work.
One building of the new Tenaris plant, currently under construction on a former Milberger turfgrass farm, will have 35 acres under one roof.
Growing and Changing Arthur served on the World Cup Research Team for Indoor Turf with Dr. James B Beard in 1994 proving turf could be grown indoors with the right grass and lighting. Tat led to Milberger Turf Farms’ involvement with washed sod and modular turf squares. It was the beginning of a long friendship with the Aussies, which influenced the 2007 TPI convention being held in Australia when Arthur was President.
In 1998-1999, Arthur worked with Ike Tomas of Tomas Bros. Grass to co-found Turfgrass America, Inc. (TGA). Arthur says, “It became the largest consolidation and roll-up of turf farms and turf retail centers in the United States, covering multiple states and thousands of acres of grass. Te Collier Group of Florida bought out a majority interest in 2004. Ten in 2007, our group sold TGA to King Ranch. I stayed on to serve as the golf and sports director and coordinate the licensing of the proprietary turfgrasses until retiring in 2010 to pursue several business ventures, including sod. I do miss working with the incredible folks at King Ranch, like Kevin Joyce and Tomas Kulak. We still lease some of our turf farms to King Ranch and to other turf farmers, and we still own and operate several original Milberger Farms.
We’re down to 15 turf varieties at our Farms, which is considerably less stress than our high of 42! Tat includes
TPI Turf News January/February 2017
Sue and Arthur started a 52,000-square foot entertainment center on one of the grass farms. “It’s a partnership with the City of Bay City, TX; Mark Schulman’s SMBG, LLC; and my family. We are contributing land for an ownership interest in the project. Currently under construction, phase one will include: 12 bowling lanes, eight theater screens, a games room, party rooms, a restaurant, and more.” In 2004, Arthur started a cow/calf operation, Live Oak Ranch, with a partner, Lindsay Tompson, a long-time friend from college days. “We grow grass for cows,” says Arthur. “We started our herd with all Registered Brangus bulls, a cross of Brahman and Angus, we purchased from David Doguet’ s brother, Mike, a Brangus breeder and turfgrass farmer in Beaumont, TX.”
Sue launched an enterprise in 2007, Karankawa Village. It’s an eight-room, boutique lodge and mercantile store in Matagorda, TX, on the Gulf of Mexico, minutes from the harbor and great fishing. Arthur says, “She does the heavy lifting with that one. I just asked her to have three things there for me—big screen TV, beer and cigars.”
In 2010, Arthur’s Milberger Nurseries bought the 300-acre Peerless Tree Farm in Big Foot, TX, a logical tie-in for the retail garden center and landscaping business.
In another connection with TPI friend David Doguet, Arthur partnered with Dr. Milt Engelke in 2013 to form Team Zoysia International, LLC. Te company serves as the international licensing agent for all of Bladerunner Farms’ proprietary zoysiagrasses. Arthur says, “Milt is a great turfgrass breeder and a very good business partner. We have several growers licensed in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Tailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Spain, and are now expanding into Australia.”
Will Nugent and the Real Estate Deal Te latest collaboration with a TPI Past President involves Will Nugent, 2015-2016, Bethel Farms, Arcadia, FL, and the initiator of the Harmony Outdoor Brands concept. Arthur refers to him as an “extraordinary guy,” and this
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