Updated Government Guide Available on Exporting Wood The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Guide to Exporting Solid Wood Products is now available in an updated edition for 2002. The guide contains useful information about each step of the exporting process and is designed to assist companies that are new to exporting. The guide has been thoroughly revised and contains the latest information exporters need, including a section on financing options and a new section on exporting certified wood products. The guide also features useful contacts within the industry and valuable advice for those considering the global marketplace. The guide may be seen on the Web site of the Foreign Agricultural Service at www.fas.usda.gov/ffpd/fpd.html. Printed copies are available by calling the Foreign Agricultural Service Forest and Fishery Products Division at (202) 720-1001 or 720-0638 or e-mail ffpd@fas.usda.gov. Mulch Manufacturing Introduces Nature’s Reflections Colorant Mulch Manufacturing, a leading producer of packaged mulch products with extensive experience in the manufacture of mulch and colored mulch, has developed a new mulch colorant that it is marketing to other companies that produce colored mulch. The company’s colorants, trade marked as Nature’s Reflections and manufactured in Florida, underwent a lengthy research and development process and have been test marketed for more than a year. Mulch Manufacturing Nature’s Reflections colorants consist of iron oxide as the pigment along with other ingredients to obtain proper binding, suspension, viscosity and color stability. Mulch Manufacturing uses direct suppliers of high quality raw materials to produce a superior mulch colorant. Customers who have tested Nature’s Reflections mulch colorants and are now using them say that it provides excellent performance and yield, according to Mulch Manufacturing. Nature’s Reflections colorants are available in red, black and brown, and Mulch Manufacturing also provides custom colors. Mulch Manufacturing is a family-owned, Ohio-based business that began operations in 1985. The father-and-son team of John and Ralph Spencer began researching alternatives to produce colored mulch as early as the late 1980s. The Spencers also experimented with and developed their own machinery systems for applying colorant to mulch. In the 1990s Mulch Manufacturing devoted efforts to develop its own mulch colorant. The company did extensive research, laboratory analysis and testing and created a formula that showed promise, and then continued to refine it and improve it. Mulch Manufacturing has become a leader in mulch production, particularly in packaged mulch products, offering a wide range of mulch products. The company’s focus is on supplying quality products with good service, and it is committed to being an industry leader in quality, service and price. For more information on Mulch Manufacturing colorants, call the company at (800) 832-4004 or visit the company’s Web site at www.mulchmfg.com.
