Check this page often to learn more about what's happening behind the scenes at Ecologel. From new product development to events we'll be attending to global news items affecting our mission and more, we'll keep you posted here
Take a few minutes to listen to an audio interview with Ecologel's Agronomist, Jim Spindler
Check out this great article on Hydretain that appeared in the June 2001 issue of Sports Turf Magazine. It discusses the challenges and costs associated with maintaining greenscape investments in the face of drought and rising awareness of water conservation concerns.
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Team Additions:
May 9, 2011:
Ecologel Gains New Marketing Representative, Kiersten Spindler
 As Jim Spindler’s daughter, Kiersten has been involved with the company from an early age, attending trade shows and performing other tasks in the office. After graduating from Barry University in Miami, FL with a BA in English Literature, she began working for Ecologel in May 2011. Living in Miami has also allowed her to develop a second-hand knowledge of Spanish.
Before joining the Ecologel team, Kiersten worked for an advertising company over summer breaks, maintaining connections and keeping in contact with both clients and factories. At Barry, she was in charge of planning, promoting, and coordinating student events for Sigma Tau Delta, giving her the experience and ability to organize large functions.
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Apr. 11, 2011:
Ecologel Gains New Executive Assistant, Ed Wilson
 Ed Wilson has joined Ecologel as an Executive Assistant to Company President, Rick Irwin. Ed offers a great breadth of knowledge applicable to our business objectives. His background is in law, holding a B.A. from the University of Florida, and a Juris Doctorate from Barry University. In addition to his dedication to Ecologel, Ed also presently holds a position as a Professor within the School of Business at Rasmussen College. Among the courses he teaches are: Business Law, Labor and Employment Law, Marketing Ethics, and Career Development.
We are excited to continue to increase the diversity of backgrounds amongst our team here at Ecologel, and we are furthermore enthusiastic to continue in this period of growth. Ed comes to us from the Lake Fountain industry, where he has experience in manufacturing, technical capabilities, sales, and exports. He also maintains his own small business endeavors. Additionally, he has a background in aquaculture, which further lends a basis of knowledge in the areas of chemistry and biology.
This diverse background has proven to be an excellent match for the challenging and exciting nature of our work here at Ecologel Solutions. Ed can help provide meaningful insight toward business decisions, has a fundamental understanding of the manufacturing industry, and can offer quality organizational and communication skills toward facilitating increased efficiency within our office.
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Apr. 4, 2011:
Ecologel welcomes new team member Kevin Lewis as Northeast Technical Sales Manager.
 Kevin started his career in the green industry in 1988. Golf course maintenance was the first step. Over the next 8 years Kevin gained knowledge of intensive golf maintenance programs. In 1995 he took a position at The Links at The Renaissance where he was promoted to Golf Course Superintendent overseeing all aspects of golf course management. Throughout the working years Kevin attended classes and received an Associates Degree of Applied Sciences from The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Turfgrass Management. Along the way Kevin also partnered in starting a local lawn maintenance company and later worked and consulted for another small lawn care operator.
Kevin was licensed Commercial Applicator in the State of Ohio for Turf, General Weed control, and Aquatics. In 2008 Kevin’s career path shifted gears to join the Technical Services Department at John Deere Landscapes where he assists in product support to sales staff and end users, develops sound agronomic programs, assists in equipment issues, and participates in industry training for CEU credits.
Most recently, Kevin has joined the Ecologel Solutions team where he will be working in the northeastern quarter of the United States in order to build relationships with applicators and distributers alike through agronomic and technical knowledge of the Ecologel and BioPro lines. |
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Latest News:
December 2011
Ecologel’s Agronomist, Jim Spindler travels to China.
During this time he was able to visit historical sites in Beijing, Guangzhou, Kunming, and Shanghai. He toured the Forbidden City, as well as other cultural districts in Beijing. Jim was also able to see some unique Christian shrines, including cathedrals in three of the cities. He also sampled a variety of traditional Chinese dishes including mutton, pigeon, and other various chicken, beef, fish, and vegetable dishes. For the business portion of the trip, Jim spoke at conferences, attended trade shows, and visited distributors. He participated in both the Golf Forum in Beijing and the Golf Expo in Guangzhou. Jim also visited two of Kunming’s top resort golf courses. This trip was a tremendous opportunity for Jim in regard to personal and professional growth, and was also highly productive for Ecologel Solutions in building better relations with contacts and furthering business development in China.
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November 29, 2011
Spindler attends Florida Ag Expo
On November 9th, Ecologel's agronomist, Jim Spindler, travelled to Balm, Florida to attend the Florida Agriculture Exposition. While there, he was able to hear Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam, welcome the attendees to the show. According to Jim, Putnam shared his view that there is a bright future for Florida agriculture, but there are also challenges. In his opinion, “Water is the most significant long-term issue facing the state of Florida.” This issue concerns both water quality and quantity.
Jim was also able to attend multiple panels discussing agriculture related issues, such as government regulations, labor, water-use, and pending food safety regulations. After attending a grower panel titled “Problems and Needs for Vegetable and Small Fruit Production,” Jim commented, “water usage is a significant issue for strawberries growers in Central Florida. Strawberries require large volumes of water to protect their crop from frost in the winter and for production. Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has changed permitting requirements for new water well so that no new permits will be granted in the Plant City/Dover area. A strawberry grower on one panel predicted new strawberry production will likely move further south.”
Jim’s experience at the Florida Agricultural Exposition confirmed that there are great opportunities for Hydretain and other Ecologel products in fruit and vegetable production.
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November 10, 2011
Ecologel Welcomes Sunshine Industries New Agents
Ecologel welcomes Sunshine Industries’ new agents, Dennis Chu and John Leper, who will be representing Hydretain in Asia. As agents, they seek out new distributors throughout Asia. We congratulate them on their recent signing of an agreement with a major distributor in China to promote Hydretain throughout the golf, sports turf, and landscape markets.
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October 31, 2011
Ecologel Introduces Hydretain Advantage Program at GIE+EXPO
With 750 Exhibitors and an expected 17,500 attendees, the 2011 Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+Expo) was the perfect setting for the launch of Ecologel’s new Hydretain Advantage Program. The Hydretain Advantage Program is designed to provide support to all professional applicators who have added Hydretain or Hydretain products to their service offering. Once enrolled, applicators will have access to sales and marketing materials, product training, and ongoing technical support.
Centrally located in Louisville, KY, GIE+EXPO is typically known as one of the largest shows in the industry. This year, the event was attended by company president, Rick Irwin, and NE Technical Sales Manager, Kevin Lewis. After the show, both Rick and Kevin commented that the Hydretain Advantage Program was well received by the attendees. According to Rick, “Industry professionals were eager to learn about the program. In this business, competition can be tough, and companies are always looking for opportunities to stand out amongst the crowd. For the past several years, Hydretain has been used by lawn care and pest control companies to combat drought stress, high water bills and watering restrictions throughout the nation. With the development of the Hydretain Advantage Program we are providing the tools to help applicators turn a great product into a multi-seasonal revenue opportunity.”
For additional information, or to enroll in the Hydretain Advantage Program, please visit www.hydretainadvantage.com
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October 17, 2011
Ecologel’s agronomist Jim Spindler travelled to Beijing
China to introduce Hydretain to the Chinese golf market. While there, he was the keynote speaker at the Forum of China Golf Course Design Construction and management, discussing the benefits of incorporating Hydretain into a maintenance program. In the coming week, Jim will be attending another golf show as well as visiting and training Hydretain distributors.
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September 15, 2011
Ecologel Attends FTGA
Ecologel's Agronomist, Jim Spindler, and Marketing Representative, Kiersten Spindler, attended the 59th annual Florida Turfgrass Association show in Palm Beach, Florida.
As this was Kiersten's first tradeshow with Ecologel, it was an excellent opportunity for her to interact with both customers and distributors in the Southeastern region of Florida. Jim and Kiersten were also able to attend an educational seminar on the environmental benefits of turf in Florida. |
September 2011
No Rain? No Problem!
Hydretain provides hope for landscapes during record drought.
After learning about Hydretain at the Texas Nursery and Landscape Show, Mesquite based landscape company Ron’s Organics, Inc. began using the water conservation technology. In August, they treated drought stressed Bermuda lawns that required daily irrigation. One week after the application of Hydretain, watering was reduced to every other day. Two weeks after the application, watering was reduced to every third day; resulting in a 66% reduction in irrigation frequency. In addition to the water savings, the treated lawns showed a significant improvement in turf quality within three weeks.
With Texans currently facing the driest year on record, Hydretain offers a solution for water conservation and landscape protection.
 
 
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August 2011
Ecologel Exhibits at TNLA Expo
The 2011 Texas Nursery and Landscape Expo was held at the Dallas Convention Center from Friday, August 18th through Sunday, August the 21st. As an exhibitor at this event, Ecologel Solutions, LLC showcased the Hydretain, Aqua-T, CytoGro and BioPro line of products.
With Texas in the midst of the worst drought since the 1950’s, Hydretain was particularly well received by show attendees. Texans, as well as residents from surrounding areas affected by the drought, are currently faced with the challenge to protect their turf, landscape and agricultural investments with a limited water supply. Due to these abnormally dry conditions, it is no surprise that many industry professionals are seeking information about products for drought protection and water management. Numerous professional landscapers, retailers, and industry affiliates stopped by the Ecologel booth to discuss how Hydretain can help them in their fight against drought.
During this show, Ecologel was represented by company President, Rick Irwin and associate, Ed Wilson, who both enjoyed interacting with other exhibitors and attendees alike. Afterwords, Rick commented, “This year’s TNLA show provided the opportunity to offer a water management solution to the customers, local distributors and other industry professionals in this drought stricken community |
July, 2011:
Ecologel’s Jim Spindler receives Competent Communicator certificate
Ecologel would like to congratulate agronomist Jim Spindler for receiving his Competent Communicator certificate from Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is a worldwide educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills. To receive this certificate, Jim was required to give ten public speeches with the intent of developing proper vocal intonation, body language, incorporation of visual aid, etc. Jim has been attending Toastmasters meetings since October 2009. |
May, 2011:
Ecologel’s agronomist addresses greenhouse growers association in Dominican Republic
During the end of May, Ecologel’s agronomist, Jim Spindler, was invited to the Dominican Republic by Sunshine Group Industries, an international marketer of Hydretain products. In addition to the Dominican Republic, Sunshine Group Industries is presently working in locations such as the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East, South Africa, and Russia. Jim was hosted by Valentina Khalife, the director of marketing in Latin America for Sunshine Group Industries.
Jim, Ecologel’s Certified Professional Agronomist, was asked to address the nation’s greenhouse growers association. His presentation focused on water conservation and the economic benefits of using Hydretain in multiple agricultural applications. Many greenhouse managers were enthusiastic about the technology and were excited to examine Hydretain as an option to use in their operations.
An important highlight of the visit was the establishment of several product trials in various applications, ranging from greenhouses and farms, to golf courses and agricultural plantations. These trials concentrated on corn and plantain production, citrus research, and golf course maintenance. The results from these tests will help give Ecologel more information pertaining issues in dealing with applied watering, aid agriculture production, and maintain turf quality while managing water use. Jim anticipates that the “trials will demonstrate how Hydretain will help extend the available water during seasonal drought periods and save money associated with pumping water.” Costs for pumping water are extremely high, and cutting these costs through Hydretain usage is advantageous to farmers and golf courses alike.
In addition to interacting with the greenhouse growers and establishing trials, Jim also had the opportunity to train sales representatives and educate farmers who were eager to learn about the benefits of using Hydretain. Hydretain will surely have a positive effect on the green industry of the Dominican Republic. |
May 15, 2011:
Ecologel's Agronomist Travels to Trinidad to meet with Farfan.
In the second week of May, Ecologel’s agronomist Jim Spindler traveled to Trinidad where he worked with Sandy and Andrew, distributors for FT Farfan, supplier of agricultural, home, and garden products, to discuss using  Hydretain at golf courses, greenhouses, and farmsteads. While there, Jim trained sales and store personnel on the advantages of using Hydretain such as eliminating drought stress, reducing watering requirements, increasing seed germination, and maximizing crop production. Jim also helped to establish multiple test plots at two golf courses on both greens and tees as well as in greenhouses to experiment with germination rates.
Another exciting event was an interview, focusing on Hydretain, between Jim and Andrew broadcast on a popular radio station that gives agronomic tips to local farmers. The topics covered included general product information, where it can be used, how to apply it and that it is safe to use on food producing agriculture. For the full broadcast, visit. |
May 10, 2011:
Moisture Manager Lawn Product Saves Home from Fire
Hydretain Technology Also Addresses Critical Environmental Issues
A local veterinarian’s home was apparently saved from the Weeki Wachee brush fire on April 30 which destroyed 70 acres of property because he had treated his lawn with a product that keeps the grass from drying out. Dr. Mike Brannan’s home sits in the midst of over 12 acres of woods with his house on a hilltop just east of Tooke Lake and US Highway 19 near Weeki Wachee. His home is divided from the woods by a large lawn which he had treated with a product called Moisture Manager (a private label of the Hydretain which helps protect plants from drying out in between periods of rainfall or irrigation. The woods were totally scorched but the fire stopped where the woods and grass meet. The lawn had not been watered since the previous Saturday.
Brannan had heard the Hydretain product discussed on radio station WFLA 970 AM and decided to send an email message to “Florida Gardening” host Mark Govan reporting how his home had been spared from otherwise certain destruction by the fire. Govan turned around and emailed Rick Irwin, owner and founder of Ecologel (www.ecologel.com), the manufacturer of Hydretain products. “I have to believe,” Brannan said, “the Lesco Moisture Manager played a role in saving the house.” Ecologel Solutions LLC, headquartered in Ocala, Florida, was founded in 1991. The company specializes in the production and promotion of environmentally responsible products for water conservation, plant nutrition, pond and lake management, and anti-fungal coatings.
The company’s flagship product technology, Hydretain®, is a unique and advanced liquid which is fully biodegradable and made from food grade materials. It allows all manner of plants, including food-producing
agriculture, to thrive with far less water. Hydretain has been tested by several major Universities, including the University of Florida, and is used on top golf courses around the world. Information and copies of research are available at www.hydretain.com.
“We are committed to saving the World’s water,” said Rick Irwin, “and we are very excited to hear about additional benefits of our product, beyond helping with water conservation.” Hydretain is available in the garden center at many retailers in Florida, including Lowe’s, and at John Deere Landscape under the name “Lesco Moisture Manager.”
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