UP company builds all March Madness basketball courts

AMASA, Mich. (WLUC) - Snowfall kept Amasa residents inside Monday.

But less than three miles away is a business that built the basketball courts in the NCAA Basketball Tournaments.

Connor Sports builds courts for all levels of competition, from high school to professional.

Connor Sports Flooring Mill Manager Joseph Barker says staff go above and beyond in their work.

“The workforce is very, very involved in the product and they have a lot of pride in what they do,” Barker said. “They truly do care about what’s going out the door. That’s kind of hard to find in manufacturing. You know, you don’t see that all the time. A lot of people just want to come in and get paid. These guys really care.”

Beginning with lumber from the Upper Midwest and Canada, the wood is cut and organized many times to check for faults and imperfections.

Digital scanning and printing machines help with this, but a team of manual graders put the final stamp on wood before being sent away to be finished.

Barker says he enjoys seeing the final product.

“Having people look at it is great and watching the athletes play on it is excellent,” Barker said. “But just looking at the court when it’s finished, it’s such a gem when they’re done. The way the grain pops, just the way everything comes together. I’m a wood guy at the end of the day.”

Some of the flooring is turned into a portable court and comes together like a giant puzzle.

Process Improvement Leader Rob Rottier says he takes pride knowing his work is seen on national television.

“There’s a lot of pride involved in making these floors,” Rottier said. “Being able to make something and see it on TV three, four weeks later is pretty awesome.”

Connor Sports expects to make almost six million feet of basketball flooring by the end of this year.

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