In the world of manufacturing, vertical integration is the holy grail. VI is even more appealing when you can not only sell your own product, but, in addition, get somebody to pay to rent it while you are in the process of manufacturing and selling it. The Stocker family in Snohomish, Wash., has accomplished just that. The family's product is turf, and it recently went the extra marketing mile by setting up a driving range on the turf as it is grown. Thus, its turf is being, essentially, rented outwhile it is being grown for a later sale. Tim Stocker, the patriarch of the family-owned Choice Turf, says the idea had been kicked around in the family for four years. In November of 2001, the driving range became a reality. It is still picking up momentum after its first year of operation, but it has already become a profitable addition to the sod business--and enhances it through the extra exposure.
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