Meet the Team: Serge Silva, National Sales Manager, Rekortan, North America

Serge Silva talks industry trends, evolution and taking a track project from conception to reality

Serge Silva, joined the track construction industry as a young man with a love of machinery and dreams of growth and opportunity. Over the 33 years that followed he witnessed the evolution of an industry and became Rekortan’s national sales manager for North America. He took a moment to lend us the insights he has gathered over his three decades in the track industry.

What attracted you into the industry?

Sports construction was always something I was drawn to. It presented me with a career that had lots of growth and opportunities and I found my way into it instinctively via an installation company called Copeland Coating. I joined them in 1990 almost straight out of school and laid my first track with them at the Onondaga central school district. It was a black basemat with structural spray track equal to a Rekortan BS. I was still a young man and it left a lasting impression on me. Brand new to the industry, I was responsible for helping the installation crew and it was my first time seeing the machinery which was really impressive. It’s fair to say I was hooked. I loved it and I stayed.

How did you make your way into Rekortan?

In 1992 I became a track and court installer for Nagle Athletic Surfaces in Syracuse, NY. I gained experience as a supervisor, project manager, estimator and then laterally, a sales manager. Nagle was purchased by AstroTurf in 2018 and I became the national manager for track sales. When AstroTurf became a Sport Group brand, I became firmly part of the Rekortan family even though I had been laying other track brands since day one of my career. I had come full-circle.

“Big trends have emerged around Health and Safety and Environment. Rekortan is a leader in both.”

What evolutions have you seen during your time in the track industry?

The industry exploded in the U.S. in the late 1990s, a movement that was largely driven by schools who were given access to increased funding for athletics around this time. Many schools now have, or are in the market for tracks which has had a massive impact on our industry.

Big trends have emerged around Health and Safety and Environment.

Safeguards for both have rightly increased over the last 30 years and every project needs to take these aspects into account. Rekortan is a leader in both.

Thanks to Rekortan chemists who have incorporated 84% renewable and recycled materials into the gel layer of our Gel track systems and the use of green energy in our manufacturing processes, our Gel tracks are the most environmentally-friendly in the world.

Innovations like our gel systems also ensure greater athlete welfare through increased force reduction that lessens the impact on athletes’ bodies. We use highly experienced and skilled installation partners around the world and provide 24/7 technical support to ensure not just the athletic performance but also the safety of our systems.

What do you love most about the track and field industry?

I love working closely with our clients to deliver the whole project from design to build in a way that is tailored to their needs. At the start of a project, most clients don’t know the full extent of what is involved when laying a track or what is possible. Not all tracks are equal and educating them on what Rekortan brings and seeing one of our tracks go from inception to completion is very exciting. It is equally rewarding to witness the client’s excitement when they see the finished product and the impact that has on their facility.

What is your favorite track?

The Rekortan Gel G13 Encapsulated. It incorporates our latest track technology which provides the speed needed for competition without being so firm that it causes injury. The energy return it provides literally gives life back to the athletes. Not only is it our best performance track, it’s also our best-looking track. And its sustainability credentials are pioneering within the industry.

Who is your favorite track athlete and why?

Usain Bolt; the world’s fastest human over 100m and 200m – events which he simply dominated. His 100m World Record in Berlin in 2009 is the most inspiring race I have ever witnessed. His impact on track and field was huge and really helped to raise the profile of the sport.