|  FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Monty's Plant Food Co., a Louisville-based
firm that produces foliar-applied fertilizer and soil conditioning products,
has been selected winner of the 2005 Agribusiness of the Year award.
The award was presented to company co-founder Montrose
"Monty" Justice during the annual Farm-City Celebration Luncheon
at the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center.
The agribusiness award, sponsored by Greater Louisville
Inc., recognizes the agribusiness in the 13-county Louisville metropolitan
area which is judged the best in categories such as financial growth,
progressive management, employee relations and overall contribution to
the farm economy.
This year's winning company got its start in the garage
of its originator, a retired inventory control manager and gardening expert,
and in eight years has seen the scope of its business change dramatically.
At the start the liquid plant food product was marketed in small plastic
bottles as Monty's Joy Juice, and aimed primarily at gardeners and backyard
flower enthusiasts in the Louisville area. These days, according to the
firm's chairman and chief executive officer Kevin Voss, Monty's is going
after commercial agricultural producers across the country and overseas.
"We think the timing is great for an alternative fertility
product like ours," Voss said, "because farmers are facing unprecedented
high prices for conventional fertilizer due to the rising cost of petroleum.
Unlike granular fertilizers, our product is shielded from those significant
price spikes."
Voss says the secret to Monty's plant foods' effectiveness
lies in the compounds' proven ability to strengthen the soil and boost
plants' foliar structure and overall plant health.
The products also boast a proprietary humic technology,
which by improving soil health enables plants to better utilize what nature
already provides, he noted.
Monty's President Dennis Stephens says commercial farmers
are turning to the firm's products in growing numbers, convinced by the
results of side-by-side field trials on a variety of crops.
It's a particularly attractive option to producers who
are focused on sustainable practices. The Monty's fertility program begins
with a seed starter and soil conditioner, followed later in the growing
season with a foliar-applied liquid fertilizer, often used with herbicides
and insecticides.
"All we ask of farmers is that they keep an open mind to try Monty's
on a portion of their crops so they can see first-hand the benefits of
using our program," Stephens said.
Other highlights of Monty's newfound commercial success
include:
- Double-digit sales growth in each year since the company's 1997
founding
- A global sales network through a joint venture Monty's International
which includes Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia
- Packaging and shipping facilities in Louisville and Florence
- Alliances with researchers and other agribusinesses to develop
new products and new marketing outlets, both in the agricultural and the
horticultural areas
- Support of local FFA chapters through earmarked funds based on
acreage of county crops utilizing Monty's products
- Donations of Monty's products to international relief organizations
for distribution to farmers in developing countries
Monty's is the 13th Louisville-area firm to win designation as Agribusiness
of the Year. The award program is administered by GLI's Agribusiness Industry
Network.
-30-
|
