From Pharmaceuticals to Turf: The Unlikely Journey of George Mullan
- Aug 13
- 3 min read
By Charles Henderson, OBI Sports
When George Mullan first stepped into the world of turf, it wasn’t part of a grand masterplan. In fact, it was something of a gamble.
More than 26 years ago, Mullan was firmly embedded in a very different industry. His career had been forged in pharmaceutical turnarounds in the United States - high-pressure environments filled with corporate restructuring, balance sheets and boardrooms. Turf, by comparison, was almost alien. His only real exposure came from growing up on a farm, where land and soil were part of everyday life rather than a business proposition.
That grounding would prove more important than anyone could have predicted. Little did anyone know at the time it would see George lead SIS to play key roles in the delivery of the Russia World Cup 2018, Qatar World Cup 2022 and now the 2026 World Cup.
SIS Pitches was acquired in 2001, and by 2003, Mullan had decided to relocate to the UK - a move that would define the next two decades of his life. At the time, SIS was a modest operation: a small business turning over roughly €100,000 a year and, by his own admission, not making any money.
“I had a choice,” he reflects. “Go back to America and pharmaceuticals, or give this a real go.” He chose the latter, and it's fair to say it's not gone too badly.
From early on, SIS Pitches developed a reputation not just for quality, but for ambition.
While the UK market was competitive, international markets told a different story. The company expanded into Eastern Europe, Africa and South America, exporting not just pitches but professional standards built on the UK’s reputation for football and surfacing excellence.
One of the most memorable international chapters came in Angola, where SIS spent six to seven years delivering major projects, including work linked to the Africa Cup of Nations. Beyond stadiums, the company helped build a public park in the capital city - a project defined as much by people as by product.
“The people were amazing,” Mullan recalls. “The country was in bad shape at the time, and you had to think outside the box constantly to get anything done. Anything you needed, you had to do yourself. It was hard - but it was great fun.”
International work inevitably produced stories, some amusing, others tense. Mullan remembers negotiating the movement of 88 trucks of turf from Georgia to Azerbaijan at three o’clock in the morning with a man who had consumed a considerable amount of whisky. By morning, the money was in the account, accompanied by a final warning: if the project went wrong, “don’t come back”.
Innovation at SIS has become a foundation of the company. Perhaps their greatest was SISGrass, often born of rejection. When denied a licence to use existing hybrid turf technology, the company chose to build its own instead.
Years of development followed, alongside mistakes and refinement, until SISGrass emerged as a globally recognised system.
“We’re not just selling yarn,” Mullan explains. “We’re selling a complete system.”
That mindset continues today through ongoing R&D investment, new product launches such as BioX, its new BioYarn as an alternative to plastic-based solutions, and strategic acquisitions that strengthen SIS’s position across the sports surface industry.
Looking ahead, Mullan is candid about the industry’s biggest challenge: attracting young people to it. With automation and AI reshaping employment, he believes sports turf remains a hands-on industry with long-term employment opportunities if it can improve its appeal and visibility.
As an industry, entrepreneurship is very limited, but it is something he is extremely passionate about. His advice to aspiring industry entrepreneurs is refreshingly simple: develop a good product, avoid exaggerated claims, and deliver exceptional customer service. In a small industry, reputation still matters.
From a struggling start-up acquisition to a global operation, George Mullan’s journey is proof that success can grow from humble beginnings, provided there’s the courage to take a risk and the determination to keep innovating.
