Lee Tennis, Maker of Har-Tru, Teams Up with Jose Higueras to Advance the Clay Court Experience

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Pat Hanssen
2975 Ivy Road
Charlottesville,
434-295-6167
phanssen@luckstone.com

02/23/07 - Charlottesville, Va.--Lee Tennis, the maker of Har-Tru®, announced today that it has formed an official year-long partnership with Jose Higueras, an international tennis icon and a veteran coach, to promote the benefits of playing tennis on clay courts. This partnership will allow Lee Tennis and Higueras to reach thousands of tennis players and pros about the ultimate clay court playing experience through Lee Tennis’ seminars, conferences and promotional, advertising and public relations materials.

“We are thrilled about Higueras’ willingness to transfer his knowledge and passion about the health of the game to our players and pros alike,” said John Welborn, director of business development for Lee Tennis. “Jose shares our same philosophy of playing the game on clay courts and he’s an advocate of clay tennis courts as they are integral to the success of developing new players while retaining existing ones.”

Jose Higueras, founder of Jose Higueras Tennis, noted “being committed to advancing the clay court experience among tennis players and pros is my top priority, therefore partnering with Lee Tennis was a natural choice as the company embodies the same beliefs about taking the game to the next level.” Higueras added, “Playing on clay courts affords my students [players] slide comfort; hence, minimizing the risk for injuries while maximizing health benefits.”

According to Welborn, collaboration and innovation are important to the company’s success and path when seeking strategic partners that allow Lee Tennis to always provide its players, pros and contractors with the latest and best array of tennis surfacing options. Further, Lee Tennis and Higueras believe in investing in the future of tennis and the clay court experience specifically. Higueras has dedicated his life to advancing the game by serving as a world renowned coach for more than two decades. And Lee Tennis has been investing in the future of clay courts as the company believes clay is central to the long-term success of recruiting new players and the tennis industry as a whole.

About Jose Higueras:
Having more than 20 years of coaching experience, Jose Higueras shares his knowledge with his students through the world-class Jose Higueras Tennis in Palm Springs, Ca. His game was rooted in the qualities he’s known for: patience, hard work and sense of fair play. Higueras, a winner of 15 ATP (the Association of Tennis Professionals) tournament titles, ranked in the world top ten. Additionally, Higueras received the ATP sportsmanship award in 1983. For information on Jose Higueras and his tennis program, please visit www.higuerastennis.com.

About Lee Tennis:
An affiliate of Luck Stone Corporation, LEE Tennis has played a vital role in the development of the HAR-TRU tennis court. Having 40,000 Har-Tru courts, Lee Tennis has been the mainstay on the clay court business in North America since 1964. Lee Tennis’ dedication to quality and refinement has made LEE's HAR-TRU surfacing the premier selling surfacing material in the United States. To support surfacing, Lee Tennis manufactures a full line of quality maintenance equipment and accessories, and provides expert technical consulting and customer support. Lee Tennis is represented by some of the leading tennis real property contractors in the U.S., and our products are sold in many countries around the world. Please visit www.hartru.com for more information.

About Luck Stone Corporation:
Luck Stone Corporation is one of the largest private, family-owned and operated aggregates supplier in the U.S. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Luck Stone is the 9th largest producer of crushed stone in the nation. It operates 17 crushed stone plants in Virginia and North Carolina, 2 sand and gravel operations, 6 architectural stone centers and 2 granite fabrication facilities. The company’s real estate arm, Luck Properties, strives to develop real estate that is community- and environmentally-friendly. Luck Stone also owns Lee Tennis/HAR-TRU®, the world’s most popular type of clay tennis court and a leading supplier of court accessories. Luck Stone is committed to environmental stewardship and community involvement and has been recognized nationally for its conservation and community relations programs. Please visit www.luckstone.com for more information.

###

Company Website
leetennis.com
Company Profile
Tenniswire.org/companies/lee_tennis/index.html