PUSLINCH, ON, Jan. 9, 2009 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX News Network) --
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- Hutcheson Sand & Mixes contracts for exclusive rights to Forterra's
products for blended mixes marketed to golf courses, sports fields,
and other turf-grass industries
- Hutcheson expects to purchase approximately 1,500 tons of Forterra
products in the first year of the agreement
- Agreement includes Forterra Worm Castings and EndoPro, a new product
that enhances worm castings with beneficial fungus to improve speed
of seed germination and disease control
>>
ForterraEnvironmental Corp. (TSX-V: FTE-V), an emerging leader in theproduction and sale of premium organic soil-enrichment products basedon worm castings, today announced that it has signed a contract withHutcheson Sand & Mixes giving Hutcheson exclusive rights to useForterra's products in a new line of blended sand mixes for the"Professional Sports Turf" industry, including golf courses and sportsfields.
The agreement is for five years with an option for anadditional five-year term. Forterra will supply Hutcheson with ForterraWorm Castings, EndoPro, and Worm Castings with EndoPro for blendinginto sand products for the turf-grass industry. EndoPro is a newproduct developed by Forterra that enhances its worm castings withbeneficial fungus to improve the speed of seed germination and diseasecontrol.
Hutcheson will have the rights to use the Forterra and EndoPro trademarks for sales and marketingpurposes. Hutcheson and Forterra also have agreed to work together todevelop additional products for turf-grass applications, includinglandscaping.
Hutcheson Sand & Mixes, headquartered inHuntsville, Ontario, is recognized as a global leader in employinginnovative technology to produce high-quality sands for a wide varietyof applications. Hutcheson is the Official Sand Consultant for theInternational Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) and managed the sourcing,production, logistics, and placement of the sand for the BeachVolleyball complex at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. It has beenserving the golf course industry for more than 30 years, providinginnovative solutions to their needs from topdressings to bunker sands,divot mixes, and other specialty sand products. Hutcheson's productscan be found on an estimated 850 golf courses across Canada and theUnited States, including approximately 600 courses in Ontario.
In2009, the privately held company is continuing to expand itsinternational business beyond North America. Further information onHutcheson is available at the company's website www.hutchesonsand.com.
"After thoroughly evaluating Forterra's products," said Bruce Smith, President and Chief Executive 
,Hutcheson Sand & Mixes, "we are very confident that they will be avery sought-after addition to the high-quality products that we offerto golf-course superintendents and grounds managers in the golfingindustry, in particular, as well as others in the Professional SportsTurf industry.
"Hutcheson is a market leader in the turf grassindustry. Our non-calcareous sand and mix products are preferred byturf grass professionals because of their superior quality andconsistency which provide an ideal root zone material for turf grass.We believe that incorporating Forterra's products in a mix enhancesfertility in an environmentally friendly way by allowing nutrients inthe soil to be more available to plants. It may also contribute toreducing existing environmental problems by reducing nutrient runoff,leaching, and waste. Using our new mixes will help professional turfmanagers control costs on fertility as well as protect neighboringlands," Mr. Smith continued.
"We look forward to working with Forterra in joint marketing programsat industry trade shows and through our other channels, as well as inthe further development of products for the global turf-grassindustry," Mr. Smith said.
"Hutcheson estimates that it willrequire us to supply it with approximately 1,500 tons of Forterra WormCastings plus EndoPro. This would amount to sales of between $0.5million and $0.75 million in 2009," said Rick Denyes, Forterra'sPresident and Chief Operating Officer.
"The actual volume ofForterra's products that we sell to Hutcheson and our future revenues,"he continued, "of course will depend on the success of the marketing and salesefforts to the turf-grass industry. Our companies feel very optimisticthat the demand will be significant as potential customers are madeaware of the benefits that our products will offer them. We areimmediately jointly launching our marketing to golf superintendents andlandscapers at trade shows and through other marketing efforts."
About Forterra Environmental Corp.
Forterramanufactures and markets environmentally friendly soil enhancers, usingworm castings, which boost fertility while restoring the soil withorganic matter for sustainable, longer-term benefits, includingstronger root growth, and drought and pest resistance. Forterraproducts contain only organic material. They are ideal for golfcourses, sports fields, lawn care, parks, nurseries, orchards, andvineyards. Essentially, Forterra uses red wriggler worms to convertorganic material into vermicompost or worm castings. Worm castingscontain micronutrients, which are required for healthy plantdevelopment. Worm castings also contain microbes, which increase therate at which plants take up available macronutrients andmicronutrients. Further information is available on the company'swebsite at www.forterra.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Thisnews release contains forward-looking statements based on currentexpectations. These forward-looking statements entail various risks anduncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially fromthose reflected in these forward-looking statements. Such statementsare based on current expectations, are subject to a number ofuncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially fromthose contained in such statements. These uncertainties and risksinclude, but are not limited to, availability of resources, competitivepressures, changes in market activity, the ability to sign contractswith customers, the development of markets for worm castings, itsability to breed and maintain a sufficiently large worm population, andregulatory requirements. Risks and uncertainties about Forterra'sbusiness are more fully discussed in the company's disclosurematerials, including its annual information form and MD&A, filedwith the securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Forterra assumesno obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update thereasons why actual results could differ from such statements.
<< The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has neither approved nordisapproved of the contents of this news release. >>
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SOURCE: Forterra Environmental Corp.
Investorand Media Relations, Richard W. Wertheim, Wertheim + Company Inc.,Email: wertheim@wertheim.ca, (416) 594-1600, (416) 518-8479 (cell)
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