News & Media

Forterra's Products Will Be Used in a new line of Hutcheson Blended Sand Mixes and Green Topdressings Sold to Golf Courses and Others in Sports Turf Industry Across NA and Internationall

• Hutcheson Sand & Mixes contracts for exclusive rights to Forterra's products for 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

Puslinch, Ontario, January 2009 - Forterra Environmental Corp. (TSX-V: FTE-V), an emerging leader in the production and sale of premium organic soil-enrichment products based on worm castings, today announced that it has signed a contract with Hutcheson Sand & Mixes giving Hutcheson exclusive rights to use Forterra's products in sand mixes for the "Professional Sports Turf" industry, including golf courses and sports fields.

The agreement is for five years with an option for an additional five-year term. Forterra will supply Hutcheson with Forterra Worm Castings, EndoPro, and Worm Castings with EndoPro for blending into sand products for the turf-grass industry.EndoPro is a new product developed by Forterra that enhances its worm castings with beneficial fungus to improve the speed of seed germination and disease control.

Hutcheson will have the rights to use the Forterra and EndoPro trademarks for sales and marketing purposes. Hutcheson and Forterra also have agreed to work together to develop additional products for turf-grass applications, including landscaping.

Hutcheson Sand & Mixes, headquartered in Huntsville, Ontario, is recognized as a global leader in employing innovative technology to produce high quality sands for a wide variety of applications. Hutcheson is the Official Sand Consultant for the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) and managed the sourcing, production, logistics and placement of the sand for the Beach Volleyball complex at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.It has been serving the golf course industry for more than 30 years, providing innovative solutions to their needs from topdressing to bunker sands, divot mixes, and other specialty sand products. Hutcheson's products can be found on an estimated 850 golf courses across Canada and the United States, including approximately 600 courses in Ontario.

In 2009, the privately held company is continuing to expand its international business beyond North America.

"After thoroughly evaluating Forterra's products," said Bruce Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hutcheson Sand & Mixes, "we are very confident that they will be a very sought-after addition to the high-quality products that we offer to golf course superintendents and grounds managers in the golfing industry in particular as well as others in the Professional Sports Turf industry".

"Hutcheson is a market leader in the turf grass industry. Our non-calcareous sand and mix products are preferred by turf grass professionals because of their superior quality and consistency which provide an ideal root zone material for turf grass. We believe that incorporating Forterra's products in a mix enhances fertility in an environmentally friendly way by allowing nutrients in the soil to be more available to plants. It may also contribute to reducing existing environmental problems by reducing nutrient runoff, leaching and waste. Using our new mixes will help professional turf managers control costs on fertility as well as protect neighbouring lands".

"We are looking forward to working with Forterra in joint marketing programs at industry trade shows and through our other channels, as well as in the further development of products for the global turf-grass industry," Mr. Smith said. "Hutcheson estimates that it will require us to supply it with approximately 1500 tons of Forterra Casting plus EndoPro" said Rick Denyes, Forterra's President and Chief Operating Officer.

"The actual volume of Forterra's products that we sell to Hutcheson and our future revenues," he continued,"of course will depend on the success of the marketing and sales efforts to the turf-grass industry.Our companies feel very optimistic that the demand will be significant as potential customers are made aware of the benefits that our products will offer them.We are immediately jointly launching our marketing to golf superintendents and landscapers at trade shows and through other marketing efforts".

About Forterra Environmental Corp.

Forterra manufactures and markets environmentally friendly soil enhancers, using worm castings, which boost fertility while restoring the soil with organic matter for sustainable, longer-term benefits, including stronger root growth, and drought and pest resistance. Forterra products contain only organic material. They are ideal for golf courses, sports fields, lawn care, parks, nurseries, orchards, and vineyards. Essentially, Forterra uses red wriggler worms to convert organic material into vermicompost or worm castings. Worm castings contain micronutrients, which are required for healthy plant development. Worm castings also contain microbes, which increase the rate at which plants take up available macronutrients and micronutrients. Further information is available on the company's website at www.forterra.com.

Hutcheson Sand & Mixes Announces the Distribution & Rental of Cherrington Beachcleaners

The compact Cherrington Models 950 and 800 are versatile (pdf), efficient Beachcleaners, in a compact package - if you have a smaller beach that you really care about maintaining, this is a perfect choice for you.

Highest quality results: Cherrington Beachcleaning system offers significantly better results for your investment. After the beach has been "Cherringtonized" no other method of raking or tine cleaning their beach will come close. Like other Cherrington Beachcleaners, our compact models actually lift the tops few inches of sand, screen out debris, and put the cleaned and fluffed sand back onto the beach. There are several interchangeable screen sizes to choose from, and an included automatic grooming comb leaves a beautiful finish on the beach.

Versatile: These machines offer efficient beachcleaning on straight stretches of beach - in addition, working around cabanas and beach enhancements and on smaller beaches is easy for these maneuverable units.

Self-contained, Maneuverable, Portable: The Cherrington Models 800 and 950 are compact, can be towed by various vehicles, is easy to maneuver and takes little storage room. 

That's a beginning! We appreciate your interest in Cherrington Beachcleaners and will be happy to tell you more, or reserve a Cherrington for you..

Beijing Olympics 2008 

Hutcheson Sand & Mixes along with the FIVB and BOCOG have completed the New Beach Volleyball Venue for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing's Chaoyang Park.

This wonderful new 12,000 seat stadium has successfully completed the test event leading up to the Olympic Games in 2008.

Hutcheson Sand monitered the production and testing of the entire 17000 tons required to complete the venue in Beijing over the past few months including the installation of the sand!

Congratulations to all the contributing parties at the FIVB,BOCOG and the sand producer involved in this exciting venue for the world to see in 2008.

The Olympic Beach Volleyball venue in Beijing, 15 August 2007. 

Bernice Chan - CBC Sports

Hainan Island is the most southern part of China. Sometimes it's referred to as "the Hawaii of China" for its fine sand beaches and palm trees. You can see the potential of the place becoming a fantastic resort and already five-star hotels are encroaching on this area to develop it. The soft sand on the beaches is one of the biggest selling points of this Chinese paradise. Some 17,000 tons of it was shipped up north to Beijing to create the beach volleyball venue in Chaoyang Park, east of the city.

The park is large, with some areas holding old amusement rides, or paths for people to walk or ride along. And the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground is on a former industrial site. Three of the old factories have been converted into facility spaces used by Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) officials, athletes, competition personnel, security, technicians and the media.

It's the first time a beach volleyball venue has been built in China. The venue includes a main competition ground, two exercise arenas, and six practice ones. Wrapped around the venue are the spectators' seats, all 12,000 to take in the bumps, volleys and spikes of the competitors.

Organizers have taken a lot of care into making sure the sand is clean and fine enough to meet FIVB standards. Canadian company Hutcheson Sand and Mixes was hired by FIVB to be the official sand consulting and testing company. Todd Knapton was in Beijing to oversee the preparation of the sand. And according to organizers, Knapton was pleased with the construction of the venue.

After the Games the sand won't be shipped back, but instead used to create a "beachside bathhouse" near a lake in the park. Sounds like another oasis will be springing up for Beijingers to beat the summer heat.

Canadian sandman brings the beach to Beijing

By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer Aug 15, 1:40 am EDT

For beach volleyball players, the sand is every bit as important. The surface of the court dictates strategy, helps them avoid injuries and stays cool in the summer sun.

Picking the right stuff for the Olympics was as complex as choosing the White House Christmas tree, and much more expensive, with organizers spending $1.28 million to find the sand for the Olympic venue at Chaoyang Park , prepare it and ship it to Beijing .

"I spent many a sleepless night before I finally found the right recipe," said Todd Knapton, who led the project for a Canadian company that has supplied sand for the last three Olympics. "We hit it right on the nose. I still say that's some of the best sand I've ever seen in the world."

Knapton had samples sent to him from a half-dozen spots in China , and made four trips over the past three years before finally finding what he needed on Hainan Island , in the South China Sea .

"We could have brought sand from elsewhere," he said, "but the Chinese really wanted to use sand from their country. I think it was a pride thing."

Anyone who's been to the shore knows the feeling of sand sifting through the toes: the crunch of the seashells, the smell of seaweed, the feeling of the fine silt that sticks to your feet and tracks all the way back to the hotel shower.

But the Olympics is no walk on the beach.

Good volleyball sand isn't necessarily the same stuff you'd want for sunbathing or a jog at the shore. It must have the right shape, so it doesn't compact and get hard like cement; the right size, so it doesn't get dusty; and the right color, so it doesn't get too hot (and looks good on TV).

"The quality of the sand is hugely important to the game," American Kerri Walsh said. "This sand is beautiful. Wherever they brought it from is great."

Players know that the characteristics of the sand can change the tone of a match, or determine the outcome. Fine sandcan leave divots that cause twisted ankles and knees, or it can pack into a hard surface that favors jumping and spiking-more like the indoor game.

"Sometimes you feel like you want to wear shoes," Walsh said derisively.

If the grains are too big, the players get scraped up. If the sand is too deep, it's like trying to run in a children's ball pit. If the sand is too shallow, or the grain is too fine, it won't drain properly after rains like those that soaked Beijing this week.

"Thanks to the sand, we could go on with the playing without delay," said Angelo Sequeo, beach volleyball coordinator for the FIVB. "When the players are psychologically comfortable with the sand, they can dive and jump without any problems."

The federation looks for a consistency and depth that gives way when athletes try to jump or run, making it harder for them to play the power game and, ideally, allowing for longer volleys and exciting points.

"It makes for a better game of volleyball," said Sinjin Smith, a former Olympian who is now an FIVB official. "There are more volleys-and what's the name of the game? ‘Volley-ball'-and you struggle to put the ball away."

Actually, that's just half of the name.

Although the sport had its origins on the California coast, you don't need a beach to play beach volleyball anymore. Many international tournaments are held far from the water, with specially selected sand that must meet the federation's painfully precise specifications.

In his lab at Hutcheson Sand and Mixes, about 100 miles north of Toronto , Knapton runs it through a sifter to make sure it's the right mixture of coarse and fine granules, with at least 80 percent of the grains from 0.5-1 mm in diameter, no more than 6 percent between 1-2 mm, and so on.

And don't even think about gravel (over 2 mm) or silt (under 0.05 mm).

Once the source had been picked, Knapton settled on a mixture of two sands-one gold, one more white-mining it from separate pits and combining it for the right color and consistency. It was blended and washed, a process that took two weeks.

Loaded onto a specially washed cargo ship it had to be sent back three times so it wouldn't contaminate the sand-the 17,000 tons of sand spent nine days at sea traveling to the port of Tianjin . About 1,100 trucks carried it on the last leg to Beijing at night, to avoid the traffic.

Once at the venue, a conveyor belt brought the sand to laborers who used shovels and wheelbarrows to spread it over the two competition courts, seven practice courts and two spectators' courts. All of the surfaces had to be the same, so the players could rely on the consistency.

"That's what we've tried to do," Knapton said. "Create the perfect surface, time and time again,"

Understanding the sand is as important for some players as knowing the wind direction or whether they need sunglasses. Before she plays, Walsh grabs a handful and lets it run through her fingers.

Others don't spend too much time thinking about it.

"I don't really know what makes it good," American Sean Rosenthal said. "But I know it when I'm playing on it."