Plant Health Care, Inc. announces establishment of the PHC Education Center in Beaufort, South Carolina (US). a unique learning facility dedicated to the practical understanding of the physical, chemical and biological requirements of plants in urban landscapes and other man-made environments. Four to six workshops will be held yearly at the Center, led by Plant Health Care, Inc. Chief Scientist Dr. Donald Marx, winner of the Marcus Wallenberg Prize for his research on mycorrhizal fungi. Future workshops will be offered to the arbor, nursery, landscape architect, sports turf, agricultural, forestry and land reclamation industries in the U.S., and abroad.

"The Green Industry is non-agricultural, yet for many, many years we managed our landscapes through agricultural methods that relied heavily on chemical treatment approaches," Dr. Marx said. "Today we are wiser and are moving toward a natural systems approach for plant and landscape management. To be successful, professionals must understand how the above- and below ground growth processes of plants work and how significant mycorrhizal fungi and soil bacteria are to plant health. Until now, there were no facilities or curriculum available that gave professionals this information in-depth and ready-to-apply to their own operations."

Graduates of the PHC Education Center Workshops receive 14 continuing education units (CEUs) from the International Society of Arboriculture. For more information about the workshops, contact Plant Health Care, Inc. at 1-800-421-9051 or 1-888-290-2640. Or contact PHC-UK on 01442 864431

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Following an extensive review, Eco-Rating International, Inc. has awarded Plant Health Care, Inc. (PHC, Inc.) with an environmental rating score of 2.67 for its manufacturing processes, products and services which were judged to possess "highly desirable environmental impacts, especially when compared to synthetic agrichemical alternatives." The Eco-Rating International report found that "using Plant Health Care, Inc. products and technical services can lead to a variety of important socio-environmental impacts."

"This is an excellent rating for a company this young," says Marc M. Baum, Ph.D., president and CEO of Eco-Rating International. Plant Health Care, Inc., established in November, 1994, produces the world's largest selection of mycorrhizal-based products. Plant Health Care, Inc. also produces time-release water polymers, biostimulants, beneficial bacteria and organic-based soil nutrients.

The Eco-Rating score of 2.67 was awarded on a scale ranging from -5(worst) to +5(best). Any score of more than zero (0) is considered a "good" rating, Baum says, labeling the subject company as a "green" investment for investors and environmentally conscious customers.

Eco-Rating International judged that the use of Plant Health Care, Inc. products and services in the field, especially the use its mycorrhizal fungi products, improves soil structure, hydrological features and soil ecology. Baum says the products are instrumental in speeding up the reclamation of highly stressed sites, thereby recreating native ecosystems. Plant Health Care, Inc.'s products were further found to emit virtually zero emissions to air, water and ground, and that the products reduce burdens on resource consumption. "The inherent environmental accident risks and health and safety issues associated with producing, storing, transporting and applying synthetic agrichemicals are minimized when the alternative products provided by Plant Health Care, Inc. are employed," Baum says.

PLant Health Care, Inc.'s facility for mass producing its Mycor^TM fungal inoculants was judged to have a very low energy demand per unit of product. Eco-Rating International also found that Plant Health Care, Inc. "stands out from most other bio-inoculant firms, because it has the ability to mass produce a variety of vegetative fungal inocula," Baum says.

Eco-Rating International is the world's first environmental rating agency. Baum said the company was founded in July 1992 in the wake of the worldwide environmental summit in Rio. "We recognized that companies that use sound environmental policies are also companies that meet their economic objectives. Our Eco-Rating provides those companies with recognition for those efforts," Baum said. The environmental rating "provides investors and customers with a tool for rapidly and simply assessing a company's ecological standing. It can also be used as a benchmark, allowing direct comparison of the environmental friendliness between firms and/or projects," he says.

Subject companies, such as Plant Health Care, Inc., commission Eco-Rating International to conduct an extensive internal and external ecological review and must stand by the Eco-Rating that is awarded. Baum says Eco-Rating International references the most stringent international environmental standings. Its evaluation method is similar to that used by companies, such as Standard & Poors and Moody's, to gage the economic solvency of an enterprise or subject.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Plant Health Care, Inc. was established in 1994 to develop products and provide technical support for professionals who adopt a "Plant Health Care" approach to plant and land management. The company has quickly become a leading supplier of plant-health-care-related products and services to the horticulture, forestry and land restoration industries in the U.S. and increasingly, worldwide. Its growth is due to an aggressive acquisition program, product innovations and an experienced technical support team.

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Plant Health Care (PHC) makes its PlantHealthCare.com Sustainable Products catalogue available free-of-charge to professionals who call 01442 864431or visit the company web site at www.planthealthcare.co.uk The 18-page full-color catalog provides 35-plus products for the tree care, landscape design, landscape management, turf management and pond care industries. Products included in the PHC catalogue include mycorrhizal fungal inoculants, biostimulants, biofertilizers, water management tools and microbial pond treatments. All PHC products are formulated to help professionals create sustainable landscapes at a lower cost.

The PlantHealthCare.co.uk catalogue is designed to assist both the experienced and the novice user of biological, natural systems approaches to the landscape. Easy-to-read charts and educational text is included to educate professionals about microbial technologies and how they can benefit the landscape. 

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Plant Health Care Establishes PHC de Mexico
Now Sells its Microbial Biotechnology Products Down South

In 1998 Plant Health Care, Inc. has entered the forestry, ornamental , turf and land reclamation markets in Mexico with the establishment of Plant Health Care de Mexico, headquartered in Mexico City.

PHC de Mexico will warehouse, distribute and sell the Plant Health Care biological product line throughout Mexico. Dr. Luis Fanjul serves as Managing Director of the company, which presently has six employees. In addition, PHC de Mexico is providing reforestation and reclamation consulting services to government agencies and private companies.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Plant Health Care, Inc. is a microbial biotechnology company that develops products and provides technical support for professionals who adopt a "plant health care" approach to plant, turf and land management.

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PHC-Holland will warehouse, distribute and sell the entire Plant Health Care, Inc. product line throughout Belgium, Holland and the Scandinavian countries. Mr. Pius Floris, a leader in the tree care industry in Holland, will manage the new company. The subsidiary is being formed to capitalize on European interest in biological plant care management practices. Plant Health Care, Inc. products are designed to complement "Plant Health Care" and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches which promote preventive plant health over the use of curative, chemical treatments. The Plant Health Care, Inc. product line is based on beneficial bacteria, biological control materials and mycorrhizal fungi, especially endo- and ectomycorrhizal fungal inoculant products for which the company is the world technology leader.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Plant Health Care, Inc. is a microbial biotechnology company that develops products and provides technical support for professionals who adopt a "plant health care" approach to plant, turf and land management.

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