Bourne Leader

Beverly Hills, CA, December 16, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Tom Cronin had many jobs as assistant to Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director Pamela Landy in "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum" movies; most notably, helping apprehend rogue CIA agent Jason Bourne. Today, respected veteran actor Tom Gallop, who played Cronin in the "Bourne" series, is tackling a much more serious, and real, problem: the mounting water crisis.

California, in particular, is in the midst of its worst drought in 60 years. Some of the Hollywood elite have come under fire for excessive water usage at a time when communities like Beverly Hills are mandating its residents reduce water consumption by more than one-third. Others are taking small individual steps to help with the problem. But for Gallop, his water conservation inspiration came from outside his Hollywood circle.

“I was talking to my long-time friend David Diamond about what could be done to address this critical issue, and he started talking to me about synthetic turf,” Gallop says. “He filled me in on why his company’s green landscaping alternative was in such high demand by homeowners and businesses, particularly on the West Coast.”

Diamond, the Director of Business Development for Turfscape, knew that Gallop was ready to move up to leading man status as the Hollywood community fights one of its most important battles. “Tom is a long-time California resident and is very passionate about conserving water in homes, communities and businesses,” Diamond says. “When we discussed just how big of an impact switching to synthetic turf can have on water reduction, he was sold.”

Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential use, totaling more than seven billion gallons per day. And according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, by 2030, nearly half of the world’s population will inhabit areas experiencing severe water stress and shortages. Synthetic turf requires no water or harmful pesticides that can impact the health of families, children and pets.

Says Gallop, “Six weeks after I spoke to Dave, I came on board.”

Originally, synthetic turf was considered an amenity for professional athletes; in particular, golfers that wanted to perfect their short games on putting greens in their backyards. But synthetic turf has become a more visible presence with the entertainment community. Actor Steve Carrell tweeted last summer that he was replacing his natural grass with synthetic turf. Comedian Chelsea Handler shared a photo with her Instagram followers recently of her dog on synthetic turf in her backyard. Meanwhile, "Brady Bunch" actor Christopher Knight, who has synthetic turf at his home, was quoted in The Washington Post as saying, “Frankly, I’m not really sure why more people haven’t started doing it.”

But the list is growing rapidly, including Jessica Alba, Kristen Bell and one prominent A-list star.

“A friend of mine was shooting a project for Warner Brothers and interviewed an A-list celebrity in his backyard,” says Gallop. “My friend was astonished by the ‘grass-like’ appearance of the synthetic turf that actor had installed, so much so that he had to ask him about it. The actor told him he loved the look and loved that he was doing his part on the water conservation crisis. He’s a huge fan.”

The move to replace natural grass lawns with synthetic turf extends beyond simply the Hollywood elite. The price on synthetic turf has come down to the point where The San Bernadino County Sun estimates that approximately 500 homes per week in Los Angeles County are opting to buy synthetic turf as a result of water shortages. Communities are also offering rebates and financial incentives to homeowners that make the switch to synthetic turf as well.

Not only is there a huge push to buy synthetic turf, but sell synthetic turf as well, as Gallop witnessed firsthand.

“Last month I attended my first West Coast Franchise Expo in Anaheim, and we were overwhelmed with the amount of small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to partner with Turfscape,” he says. “There are so many people that recognize how dire the water crisis is and want to do their part in helping the environment.”

For more than 20 years, Gallop has embraced a variety of roles on hit TV shows like "Will & Grace," "ER" and "The X-Files," but Gallop admits the role he is most excited about is the one he’s playing now.

“I love working with communities, businesses and families,” Gallop says. “It’s not just about a better looking lawn, it’s about a better lifestyle and, more importantly, making a real difference in our water conservation efforts.”

Founded in 2014, Turfscape is the leading synthetic turf landscape solutions provider in North America, providing scientifically engineered, environmentally friendly synthetic turf that saves residential, municipal and commercial custom- ers time and money, improves aesthetic appeal and ensures a safe surface for families, children and pets. Franchise opportunities are available. Go to www.turfscapefranchise.com to learn how owning a Turfscape franchise can serve an existing regional need while leveraging the power of a national brand.

For more information on Turfscape, please visit www.turfscape.com.