Western Organics

Western Organics, Inc. ("WOI") is a manufacturer and marketer of organic compost and mulches, including sludge-based compost. WOI has been manufacturing, selling and distributing compost, soil amendments, soil mixes, fertilizers, potting soils, rock, and allied organic product since 1970. WOI started in 1969 when Western Pine Industries, Inc. purchased controlling interest in a small corporation called Soil Need, Inc. Soil Need, Inc. was a small marketer of lumber mill sawdust, bark and other organic products in Northern Arizona and New Mexico. In 1974, Soil Need, Inc. expanded its markets into Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and the rest of New Mexico by setting up bagging operations in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Queen Creek (Phoenix), Arizona. In 1980, Soil Need, Inc. merged with a competitor, Grow King Fertilizer, Inc. and the Queen Creek bagging operation was moved to larger facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. The merged company became Western Agricultural Products Corporation (WAPCO). In 1989, WAPCO purchased an organic bulk operations plant in Heber, Arizona. WAPCO assumed the organic manufacturing operation. Due to aggressive growth in existing markets and expanding further into retail outlet distribution, WAPCO changed its name to Western Organics, Inc. in 1991. Further growth was realized through the purchase of the garden division of Clark County Wholesale in Las Vegas Nevada in 1992, and the garden products sales division of Far West Forest, Inc. in 1994. By late 1995, one of the major suppliers of Cedar began competing with our customer base. In effort to ensure quality and our position in the market place we built a plant in Lewiston, Idaho in the fall of 1996. WOI joint ventured with a company in Idaho, called Medley Cedar, and created Groundcovers International, LLC. Medley Cedar owns and operates two cedar mills and GCI packages and ships the Cedar - sawdust material supplied by them and others. In this same year, Union Kempt in Savanna, Ga. shut down their bagging operations of Pine bark and Cypress. Far West had enjoyed over 10 years of marketing for Union Kempt and negotiated the raw material supply. We found another bagging operation called K&B of which packaged for us until late 1996. There operation had reached maximum production and they declined the furtherance of our contract. WOI built a 40 acre plant in Blackshear Georgia. WOI purchased a Phoenix based company called Lawn and Garden. They have been in operation for over 15 years. WOI approached L&G with regards for a joint sales effort and possible other synergy. After a few months of reviewing, it began to be apparent that the idea would be very difficult to accomplish without one owner. It was then suggested that WOI purchase L&G, whiich they did. WOI corporate offices are currently located in Tempe, Arizona with a national sales and distribution network. Sales have grown from just under one million dollars to over 28 million in 1998. WOI is an employee owned Private Corporation. Our opportunities and requirements to fulfill the needs of our customers and stay ahead of our competitors, has developed and provided continued growth to over 150 families directly and an innumerable number indirectly. It is our desire to continue this growth as new opportunities arise. Our next expansion goal is Hugo Texas and Southern California.