2012 NCAA basketball court in New Orleans

AMASA — The small town of Amasa is the home of the manufacturing plant that built the last eight Final Four courts including the 2013 floor for the Georgia Dome.

Amasa, population 250, has produced the court for the NCAA Final Four for the past eight years. The town houses one of the manufacturing operations of Connor Sport Court International, the company responsible for the creation of the northern maple surface featured each year during the Final Four. The portable floor is built in Amasa then disassembled and transported to one of Connor Sport Court International’s finishing facilities, and then moved to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

“Portable floors such as those used in the Final Four enable venues to quickly install the floor in time for the games, and then remove it immediately afterwards,” said Conrad Stromberg, plant manager. “This enables venues to have a basketball game one night, and hockey the next.”

“We’re proud of the Amasa plant and the work they do each year,” said Ron Cerny, president and CEO of Connor Sport Court International. “They work hard to ensure that the safety, quality and performance of the floor improves each year.”

The hard work put in by the workers of the Amasa plant casts a positive light on the state of Michigan. “This hard maple court, which began as rough lumber in the Upper Peninsula, provides a terrific opportunity to bring a piece of Pure Michigan to each of the stops along this tour,” said George Zimmermann, vice president of Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  “We are proud of the hard work and craftsmanship our Michigan workers put into building the official Final Four floor and look forward to seeing it in the spotlight of March Madness.”

In addition to the NCAA Final Four courts, Connor Sport Court International’s Amasa plant also manufactures about 750 playing courts every year for schools, gymnasiums, colleges and NBA teams. The Connor plant is the largest full-time employer in Iron County with 125 employees. According to Stromberg, 70 percent of their employees come from Iron River and Crystal Falls.