Devastating Earthquakes On September 4, 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Historical reports note it struck at 4:35 am on a Saturday morning and was felt by many people in the South Island and the southern North island. Te epicenter was just 37 km (22.9 miles) west of Christchurch, causing considerable damage within the city, but no loss of life.


Ten, on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at 12:51 pm a 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked the region. Historical reports state that this time the epicenter was just 10 km (6.2 miles) southeast of Christchurch’s central business district. Te earthquake struck during the lunch hour, while many were on the city streets, killing 185 people and injuring several thousand more.


More than half of the buildings in the central business district were so badly damaged they had to be demolished. Te shaking turned water-saturated layers of sand and silt beneath the surface into sludge that squirted upwards through cracks. Tick layers of silt covered properties and streets. Water and sewage from broken pipes flooded streets in the city and many suburban areas. House foundations cracked and buckled, causing irreparable damage that led to the demolition of several thousand homes.


Te entire region was impacted. Yet, the resilient people rallied and pulled together to rise above the devastation. Roger Morgan says, “My brother Craig was a restaurant/ hotel manager when the 2011 earthquake destroyed our city, including his hotel. He came on board at Readylawn as a contract manager as we geared up for the 40-billion- dollar city rebuild.”


Moving Forward Today, Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand, with a current metro area market of approximately 600,000.


Readylawn has grown, too, becoming Readylawn Industries, Ltd. to encompass multiple divisions. Roger says, “Our farm is now 52 hectares (128 acres), all in turfgrass production. Readylawn sales, from the farm in Christchurch, including delivery on our Hiab crane truck or by hitchhiker forklift truck, account for only a third of the company today. We offer full turf installation services, both standard roll and big roll, for any size project, from small residential to large commercial properties. We provide sports field construction and maintenance. Tat construction team works full-time building or remediating sports fields in the city. Te drained sand carpet sports fields are the company specialty, although our work includes native soil fields for schools and park and recreation facilities, too.”


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Readylawn proudly supplied turf to the World Trade Center Memorial in Christchurch, New Zealand.


Lawnworks Roger reports they’ve added turf maintenance services which are provided through the Lawnworks division. As the Lawnworks website (www.lawnworks.co.nz/) states, “If you need a new lawn, lawn repair, or regular lawn care, Christchurch-based specialists Lawnworks can meet your requirements. We’re the experts to call when you need to install or maintain your: Readylawn, hydroseed, seeded lawn, or synthetic turf.


“Run by the people at Readylawn, who really know lawns, Lawnworks offers specialized equipment and machinery, experienced staff, and the latest technology available to ensure you receive the highest possible standard of turf construction and maintenance, resulting in absolutely premium quality grass.


TPI Turf News January/February 2018


Readylawn has seen some huge changes in the last four decades. Roger says, “When we started the only choices for a new lawn were sprinkling seed or installing turfgrass sod. Hydroseeding is now the big competitor to natural turf establishment because it's the cheap alternative. Tere are about 30 machines in Christchurch now and it’s a race to the bottom as far as pricing. We don’t own a machine, opting instead to work with contract suppliers when hydroseeding for our clients.”


Teir synthetic turf supply and installation division began in 2007. Roger says, “We branched into synthetic turf after troubles in preschool grass areas subject to high traffic and poor maintenance, deciding if you can’t beat them, join them. Tat market covers the range of residential, tennis, small sports courts, schools and preschools—anywhere an artificial turf surface is beneficial. It has been the biggest growth area of the business in the last decade.”


Readylawn also has expanded their retail shop and now stocks a full range of lawn care products, including their own assortment of company-branded fertilizers and grass seed.


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