LANSING – As most eyes focus on the scoreboard at the NCAA Final Four at Ford Field in Detroit, State Representatives Mike Lahti (D-Hancock) and Judy Nerat (D-Wallace) will be checking out the craftsmanship of the floor. Connor Sports Flooring, which operates a lumber mill in Amasa in the Upper Peninsula, is the exclusive lumber supplier for the courts at both the men's and women's Final Four games.
"I want to commend the hard-working men and women at Connor Sports Flooring for putting the U.P. on the map as a leader in sports flooring," Lahti said. "This Michigan company took a natural resource from Michigan – our wood – and created something that will be seen by millions."
Lahti and Nerat today joined the Governor and company officials at the State Capitol during a stop to promote the 100,000-square-foot floor. Lansing was just one location on the Final Four floor tour's trek from the Upper Peninsula to Detroit.
There will be six games played on the floors, including the men's and women's national semifinals and the NCAA championship games. The men play their championship game Monday, April 6, and the women's championship game will be held Tuesday, April 7, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
Workers in the U.P. have been crafting sports floor systems for the NCAA for more than 20 years. This year's courts were constructed from Michigan-grown maple and assembled at the Connor Sports Flooring facility in the U.P. The mill began manufacturing indoor sports flooring and outdoor sports surfacing in 1976. Connor currently has more than 100 employees.
"I couldn't be more proud that a U.P. company has taken on such a great role in college sports," Nerat said. "Michigan is in the spotlight for its continued high-quality work with the NCAA. In all walks of life, from sports to paper production, U.P. companies are leading the way."