FORESTRY RESOURCES INC. ACQUIRES ENGLEWOOD LANDSCAPE SUPPLY

Tuesday June 26, 2007

Forestry Resources Inc. has acquired Englewood Landscape Supply in Englewood, a retail outlet and supplier of landscape and garden supplies, according to Doug Stewart, president of Forestry Resources. The store is the company’s first in Sarasota County and the sixth in the company’s family of retail locations in Southwest Florida.

The current management team will remain and the store will continue to serve its retail and commercial customers, according to Stewart.

"FRI’s primary customer base is in commercial markets serving contractors, landscape firms, government entities and other large-scale operations, and the retail side is second," he said. "The Englewood store has a strong retail base, and growing commercial side, so the two complement each other perfectly," Stewart added. "We will be an asset to the current customers and a great source of professional supplies for new ones, particularly in the commercial areas."

Forestry Resources Landscape Supply in Englewood will supply both the commercial and retail markets from Sarasota south to Venice, North Port, Boca Grande, Port Charlotte, Placida and Rotunda. Over time, Forestry Resources will introduce its line of landscape products and expand the current lines offered. The company is an industry leader and pioneer in the manufacturing of environmentally friendly landscape materials and is widely known for FloriMulch, the company’s signature mulch product that is made from melaleuca trees, the highly invasive exotic.

"We’re very happy to be part of the Forestry Resources family, which will benefit both our retail and commercial customers," said store manager Laura Wood. "The Forestry Resources’ team are experts in environmentally friendly landscape materials and techniques, and the company is an outstanding source of information for us to provide our customers."

A number of upgraded services include computerized account information, which is particularly important to commercial customers, Wood added. "At the same time, while we are now part of a larger company, we still have the hometown feel and provide the personal attention that our customers are accustomed to."

"This is our first acquisition and we anticipate it being one of many as the company grows, population increases and markets expand," Stewart said. "For us, this is a launch point for the future."

For information about Forestry Resources, landscaping and landscape products, and the Southwest Florida environment, call 239-334-7343, visit one of their five wholesale-retail locations throughout Lee and Collier counties, or go to www.gomulch.com on the Web.