e-par environmental tool comes to U.S.

A longtime fixture among environmental management programs overseas is coming to America.

e-par, an environmental management system started in Australia by Terry Muir that has been adopted by golf courses in his native country as well as Europe, is launching e-par USA.

“The goal for us was to create a user-friendly EMS that conformed to the international standard, ISO 14001, while using a golfing logic that the industry could identify with and understand," Muir says. "Launching in an organized way in the United States is the culmination of many years of effort.”

e-par will officially launch the American version of its program at next week's Golf Industry Show in Las Vegas. The complete release from e-par is posted below.

Newly-Created, e-par USA, Launches Golf’s Most Complete
Environmental Management Tool

The Australian firm e-par, developers of the award-winning e-par Environmental Management System, is pleased to announce the launch of e-par USA. This newly-created entity is poised to better-expand the reach of the e-par platform of programs and services into the United States, including the launch of the new e-par V2 Environmental Management System (EMS) for golf.

E-par founder Terry Muir is excited at the prospect of serving the golf industry in the United States through this new entity and EMS. “At e-par we just want to make the best environmental management products for golf, and we care about our products because we know our customers care about the environment,” states Muir. “The goal for us was to create a user-friendly EMS that conformed to the international standard, ISO 14001, while using a golfing logic that the industry could identify with and understand. Launching in an organized way in the United States is the culmination of many years of effort.” The e-par system provides all the templates and examples required to build an EMS for the complete golf facility in the United States. 

Over the past two years, golf industry leaders in the United States, specifically the Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America, worked with e-par to update the EMS for use in the United States. After pilot-testing with nearly 50 leading golf facilities across the country, “e-par Version 2” is ready for use, complete with regulatory and compliance information specific to the United States.

“Version 1 of the e-par EMS was great for golf, but to the e-par team great isn’t good enough,” Muir continues.  “So we took what works well and made a new e-par that is even better. For example, we have reduced the user’s time developing their EMS by over 70 percent; we have automated risk assessments and linked them to automated environmental improvement and training plans, and perhaps most importantly, we have simplified legal compliance by automatically listing the environmental laws and regulations relevant to each user’s location.” E-par V2 also features sustainability reporting and benchmarking with automated email reminders to the user to prompt completion of periodic environmental tasks. With widgets to help users map their watershed and an online assistant called Mia to guide users through the new e-par, the new e-Par V2 EMS for golf contains ways for the entire golf facility—including golf course, clubhouse and pro-shop operations—to become a part of a complete sustainability solution.

The official launch of the e-par V2 EMS, and e-par USA, the organization newly-created to support its launch in the United States, will take place during the Golf Industry Show, February 28th through March 2nd, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information contact e-par USA at info@eparusa.com or by phone at (855) 372-7872.

About e-par and the e-Par EMS 

The term e-par was developed by Terry Muir and is a play on the phrase, “are you on par environmentally.”  Originating in Australia in 2003, Terry applied the term "e-par" to a golf course specific environmental management system (EMS) he was developing as part of his Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and Technology.  The e-par EMS follows a golfer through an 18-hole golf course.  At each hole a playing tip (instruction) is provided for the user and EMS documents are provided at each shot.  The e-par system provides all the templates and examples required to build your own EMS for the complete facility.  For more information about e-par, visit www.epar.com.au.