Blog Archives

It’s that time once again! We’re excited to get back to the International Erosion Control Association Conference and Expo. This year we’re in Raleigh, North Carolina sharing all things Filtrexx and we’ve got a lot of new things to share. In 2020, we’ll be expanding our toolbox of BMPs and sharing four brand-new-to-us products at IECA.

• Traffic Marker: A lightweight, tough and reusable BMP for high traffic areas. This new product is perfect for roadways, can be run over many times, and also includes handles for easy mobility. It comes in a high visibility orange so that it’s easy to spot by workers.
• SiltSoxx ‘EXTREME’: A tougher sock material that can be dragged on hard surfaces and harsh site conditions. This mesh won’t tear open.
• SiltSoxx Natural ‘PLUS’ biodegradable compost filter sock: A longer functional life, biodegradable compost filter sock. Useful on those work sites where you can’t do easy removal or all-natural products are required. Sock just biodegrades into nature.
• Improved EnviroSoxx: Extra tough ‘EXTREME’ mesh developed for use on hard surfaces. Two new blends of filtering media: Advanced blend and Industrial blend. Improved filter to capture and hold pollutants.

Filtrexx also announced a new manufacturing and distribution partnership with Western Green. We are co-hosting a party with them on Tuesday, February 25 at the Historic Market Hall at 214 E. Martin Street from 7-10PM. There will be food and drinks and all are welcome to attend.

Filtrexx will also be unveiling a brand-new trade show booth at IECA. Stop by booth #729 to see the new and improved space, new videos, product samples, new literature and tons of giveaway items. We’ll also be giving away several $100 VISA gift cards to lucky attendees who stop in. We’re excited to see you all at this year’s show!

As the Marketing Communication Manager for Filtrexx, Teele works heavily in the digital and social arenas of marketing, running the Filtrexx Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. She also serves as writer and editor of press releases, project profiles and most recently, the Filtrexx blog. Teele attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a Master of Science in corporate communication. Teele has worked in marketing roles for various companies around the Twin Cities before landing at Filtrexx in July, 2017.

For Matthew Kearns, erosion control was always a family business. Matt’s father started an erosion control business in the late 1980s with a focus on lawns, sports fields and golf courses. Matt and his younger brother, Chad helped their dad out with the business. When Matt graduated from high school, he joined the military and his brother continued working for his dad. When Matt returned home from his military service in 2016, he and Chad were ready to start their own business.

“We knew we wanted to start some sort of business together,” said Matt. “We already had all the equipment from my dad so we decided to go into erosion control on the construction side. That’s how Grassroots Erosion Control, Inc. started.”

In October of 2017, Northern California saw a series of 250 wildfires, covering 245,000 acres and destroying nearly 9,000 buildings. A debris removal company contacted Grassroots for help with post-fire remediation. At this point, the business was just Matt and Chad but they were able to provide erosion control for 170 lots in Northern California. Grassroots was exclusively hydro-mulching at this time.

In July of 2018, another debris removal company contacted Grassroots for post-fire remediation help on the Carr Fire, which burned in Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. The Carr Fire burned nearly 230,000 acres and destroyed over 1,600 buildings. This time, Grassroots was able to provide erosion control using hydro-mulch and straw wattles on 800 lots.

When the Camp Fire hit in November of 2018, Matt knew they were going to need additional help for the workload that this fire would entail.

“We knew were going to have to hire a crew for Camp Fire,” said Matt. “We needed more bodies. What we really wanted to do was hire locally and give back to the community. We knew people had lost jobs, their homes and were in desperate need of work. We used Workforce Connection to be paired with people in the community who lost their homes and needed work.”

As Matt began to hire crew members unfamiliar with how to install erosion control products, he realized there was a need for education. Matt met with Filtrexx sales representative Bryan Hofmann and they discussed the need for a best practices workshop. Matt had attended a previous erosion control workshop with David Franklin, consultant with Envirotech NPDES Services.

“I had attended two of David’s workshops in the past and David is a great teacher,” said Matt. “Our original idea was to just educate Grassroots crew members, but Bryan took the workshop idea and ran with it.”

Bryan organized over 100 participants in the post-fire remediation workshop held in Paradise, California in May that included consultants, government agencies, erosion control companies and more.

“Our guys really liked the workshop,” said Matt. “We still use David’s lingo from the workshop. I had a few guys that didn’t attend and they really missed out. The workshop was so helpful and I’d do another one in a heartbeat. We’re about education at Grassroots and we want to be on the forefront of change in our industry. We aren’t just doing stuff to do stuff.”

When Matt and his crew aren’t doing post-fire remediation clean-up, they work on Caltrans projects. Matt wants Grassroots to be a leader in the erosion control industry when it comes to product use.

“This industry is always evolving,” he said. “New products are always being introduced and we want to understand how they all work. Some people just throw out BMP’s just to do it. We want to do things with a purpose.

As the Marketing Communication Manager for Filtrexx, Teele works heavily in the digital and social arenas of marketing, running the Filtrexx Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. She also serves as writer and editor of press releases, project profiles and most recently, the Filtrexx blog. Teele attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a Master of Science in corporate communication. Teele has worked in marketing roles for various companies around the Twin Cities before landing at Filtrexx in July, 2017.

Each year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) marks World Soil Day on December 5. Through this initiative, FAO is raising the profile of healthy soil by encouraging governments, organizations, communities and individuals around the world to engage in proactively improving soil health.

Did you know?

• Every 5 seconds, the equivalent of one soccer field of soil is eroded.
• It can take up to 1,000 years to produce just 2-3cm of soil.
• Over 33% of the Earth's soils are already degraded and 90% could become degraded by 2050.
• Soil erosion can lead up to a 50% loss in crop yields.

Source: United Nations World Soil Day

How does compost improve soil quality?

Compost “enhances overall soil health and its resilience to shocks such as drought, including climate change adaptation. Compost is a rich source of organic matter, a substance vital for air, moisture and nutrient retention. Soil organic matter plays an important role in sustaining soil fertility, and hence in sustainable agricultural production." Source: FAO, 2015

Also, compost “acts as a cushion to absorb the impact energy of rainfall, which reduces erosion." Source: EPA, 2012

How can we use more compost to help soils?

Filtrexx products use locally recycled organic materials inside of photodegradable or biodegradable mesh. Diverting these organic materials from landfills and applying them to the soil means a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and preventing soil erosion, which keeps sediment from entering our waterways. Learn more about our environmental impact or contact us to collaborate on a project.

Compost Resources:

US Composting Council

Composting Council Research & Education Foundation

The Compost & Climate Connection and The Soil & Water Connection

As the Associate Marketing Manager for Filtrexx, Kristin specializes in print & digital marketing, graphic design, and website management. She also serves as the moderator for the monthly Filtrexx Webinar Series. Kristin attended the University of Toledo where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in both communication and environmental studies. After completing multiple internships with Filtrexx, she officially joined the Filtrexx team in 2010. In her free time, she enjoys exploring local parks with her husband, spoiling their two golden retrievers, and cheering on the Cleveland Indians.

In this week’s blog, we hear from an international partner using Filtrexx products in a unique way – constructing habitats for bees to help increase populations!

Hi there! I'm Tim Joye a Belgian based cultural entrepreneur. After a collaboration with artist and beekeeper Louis De Cordier in the expo ‘Manmade’ (Belgium), I’ve decided to start a multidisciplinary social and creative project ‘Beesphere' in collaboration with artists, citizens, beekeepers, ecologists and scientists.

WHY?

Bees play a significant role in our food system and economy. 70 out of 100 human crops are pollinated by wild and domesticated bees. Bees suffer from human activities such as pesticides, loss of habitat, domestication, etc. If the bees go extinct, the world would struggle to sustain the 7 billion human population due to lack of fruits and vegetables.

FILL THE SOXX AND SAVE THE BEES!

The project Beesphere wants to contribute in saving the bees by developing temporary and bee friendly ‘beetecture’ for the city (for vacant and undeveloped lots that await a building permit). We want to construct new habitats for domesticated and wild bees combined with educational programs for the local residents who also volunteer in the construction of the artwork.

Our first experimental ‘beetecture’, the ‘Beepod’, is located on an old soccer field in Ghent, which awaits project development in Belgium. We’ve built a custom Geodesic Dome made out of galvanized tubing with an outer shell that consists of Filtrexx SiltSoxx filled with an extensive substrate (used on green roofs), a drip watering system and soil conditioning technology.

This spring we’ve planted the Filtrexx Soxx with 1,500 bee-friendly sedums or succulents, with the help of young volunteers and refugees. The sedums grow very well in this setup and will blossom for the first time from May through September 2020. We hope the 60,000 bees and inhabitants of the Beepod will love them!

But we aren’t there yet! The customized frame needs to be built more budget friendly and more economically. We need to research maintenance friendly and year-round bee friendly vegetation for the Soxx. We also will need to find a more customized Filtrexx media, work on decreasing the weight of the sock as well as building a more lightweight frame for the Beepod. Filtrexx offers several types of mesh and media that we may be able to better fine-tune this project moving forward.

I hope we can pursue our dreams and build a national or international network with Beetecture, Beewalls and other pollinator design and architecture for cities together with architects, designers, artists, bee specialists, companies such as Filtrexx and other partners.

If you want to contribute, or if you want to share thoughts and ideas, please let us know: beespherebelgium@gmail.com. Hope to hear from you soon!

Tim Joye has 15 years of experience in environmental communication and has a background in audiovisual arts and sculpture. In 2008, he started to organize multidisciplinary exhibitions that emphasized on environmental themes. From 2012 on, the focus moved to visual and audiovisual arts and artistic research on neurology, ecology and anthropology. He's coined the idea of an artistic expedition to challenge artists to work outside of their comfort zone. This challenge-based approach stimulates to take risks and walk the path of innovation. He likes to work in unconventional settings, such as factories, bunkers, old warehouses, smalls spaces or museums not compatible with the white walls fetish of the classical art world.

According to the CA State Water Resource Control Board:

The Industrial General Permit regulates industrial storm water discharges and authorized non-storm water discharges from industrial facilities in California. The Industrial General Permit is called a general permit because many industrial facilities are covered by the same permit, but comply with its requirements at their individual industrial facilities. The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and Regional Water Quality Control Boards (collectively, the Water Boards) implement and enforce the Industrial General Permit.

If you have any questions about sampling or the Industrial General Permit, contact our team – we have two QISPs (Qualified Industrial Storm Water Practitioner) on staff to answer your questions or schedule a site visit at your facility.Or, learn more about Filtrexx products featured in the sampling video that may assist in treating storm water pollutants at your site: EnviroSoxx and StormExx.

As the Associate Marketing Manager for Filtrexx, Kristin specializes in print & digital marketing, graphic design, and website management. She also serves as the moderator for the monthly Filtrexx Webinar Series. Kristin attended the University of Toledo where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in both communication and environmental studies. After completing multiple internships with Filtrexx, she officially joined the Filtrexx team in 2010. In her free time, she enjoys exploring local parks with her husband, spoiling their two golden retrievers, and cheering on the Cleveland Indians.

Filtrexx recently developed and released new resources for SiltSoxx compost filter sock products.Product Submittal Forms and Installation Specification References are now available for download.

Product Submittal Forms

Product Submittal Forms are an easy way for Contractors to quickly document the products they are submitting for a project. Filtrexx has put together two versions of this form with all the product information needed for your submittal. Simply download the fillable form, and enter your information for your project.

Product Submittal Form (SiltSoxx, pre-filled on pallets) [PDF] click here
Choose "download" to download the fillable PDF form

Product Submittal Form (Mesh, unfilled) [PDF] click here
Choose "download" to download the fillable PDF form

Installation Specifications Reference

Many times Contractors need a quick reference to an application installation. We’ve included the installation specifications and typical drawings into one page for a quick, easy reference. This reference is available in the most common SiltSoxx compost filter sock applications:

SiltSoxx Installation Spec, Perimeter Control [PDF] click here

SiltSoxx Installation Spec, Inlet Protection [PDF] click here

SiltSoxx Installation Spec, Check Dams/Ditch Checks [PDF] click here

SiltSoxx Installation Spec, Slope Interruption [PDF] click here

Looking for design specifications? Click here for complete Engineer Design Specifications, CADs, and SWPPP Cut Sheets.

If you’re looking for additional SiltSoxx product and performance information, the following overview materials are also available:

SiltSoxx Overview for Contractors & Distributors [PDF] click here

SiltSoxx Overview for Engineers [PDF] click here

Looking for a different type of information? Feel free to contact our team and we’ll get you what you need!

As the Associate Marketing Manager for Filtrexx, Kristin specializes in print & digital marketing, graphic design, and website management. She also serves as the moderator for the monthly Filtrexx Webinar Series. Kristin attended the University of Toledo where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in both communication and environmental studies. After completing multiple internships with Filtrexx, she officially joined the Filtrexx team in 2010. In her free time, she enjoys exploring local parks with her husband, spoiling their two golden retrievers, and cheering on the Cleveland Indians.

Recently, Filtrexx created two videos showcasing our capacity to be action-orientated and the breadth of our abilities with mobile manufacturing, research and development, regulatory, marketing and sales.

The first video is about Filtrexx’s work with the Camp Fire in Paradise, California. In November, 2018 Camp Fire burned over 150,000 acres in Butte County, California, destroying nearly 20,000 structures and killing 86 people. After the fire was contained, post-fire remediation began to get people back to their homes and jobs. Filtrexx hosted a post-fire remediation workshop in Paradise in May to bring together contractors, industry professionals, consultants, governmental agencies and more to address the unique needs of these groups and the importance of picking the right Best Management Practices (BMP) for the very specific type of erosion control that Paradise needed.

The second video highlights our ability to solve problems and get results. We work with contractors, governmental agencies, and industry experts throughout the erosion and sediment control industries to get the job done. Filtrexx is action-oriented, flexible and a collaboration company.

Interested in learning more about our capabilities? Visit filtrexx.com and tell us about your unique project!

As the Marketing Manager for Filtrexx, Teele works heavily in the digital and social arenas of marketing, running the Filtrexx Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. She also serves as writer and editor of press releases, project profiles and most recently, the Filtrexx blog. Teele attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a Master of Science in corporate communication. Teele has worked in marketing roles for various companies around the Twin Cities before landing at Filtrexx in July, 2017.

The top 4 reasons why any sediment control product fails on a project site are issues with – installation, maintenance, design, and performance. Filtrexx SiltSoxx™ are specifically designed to remove each of these issues, thereby minimizing risk to you and your company on any project site.

1. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are one of the only products on the market that do not require trenching, which is both labor intensive and a land disturbing activity. Simply prepare the ground, lay down the SiltSoxx, and stake. It is the industry leader in installation simplicity.

2. Filtrexx SiltSoxx combines one of the highest stormwater flow through rates and heaviest products in the industry, creating a product that rarely moves, floats, overtops, or undercuts – leading to industry leading minimum maintenance requirements.

3. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are one of the only products available that come with university researched and development site specific design and engineering criteria based on virtually any site and regional design storm/rainfall condition. Without this information a product is impossible to design correctly, leading to a much higher risk of major failure from under design or paying too much due to over design.

4. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are the only sediment control product whose performance has been researched by multiple major U.S. universities, and a U.S. federal agency, with results published in leading U.S. environmental scientific peer reviewed publications.

In addition, Filtrexx SiltSoxx are one of the only products that comply with state and federal agency specifications nationwide, and has been verified by a third party to significantly reduce environmental impacts both on and off the project site. Do you care about managing your risk?

Dr. Britt Faucette, Ph.D., is an Ecosystem Scientist, CPESC, and LEED AP. He earned his Ph.D. from the Odom School of Ecology at the University of Georgia where he researched soil-water-plant performances of various BMPs used in soil erosion and stormwater management applications; served as a state specialist in storm water management, organics recycling, and pollution prevention programs; and served as an adjunct professor. Britt coordinates research, design, and training services for the stormwater and organic materials management industries and serves on technical committees and boards with ASTM, GRHC, CCREF, and IECA. In 2008 he was awarded the annual USCC Clean Water Award. Britt has authored numerous peer-reviewed and popular press publications and popular press articles, two books, federal and state specifications, and has been awarded nearly $500,000 in research grants.

What is your role at Filtrexx?

I serve as the Business Development and Governmental Affairs Manager for our California market.

What do you like most about working for Filtrexx?

Filtrexx has never had a legislative governmental affairs representative nor have we had a strategy focused on closely following legislative affairs in California. I have enjoyed crafting this role and having the flexibility to identify and target new opportunities for the company.

What do you find the most challenging about working for Filtrexx?

My role was a new one for Filtrexx. We had never deliberately sought to engage in legislative affairs to expand our markets in California. Navigating the waters of a new role within a company always comes with its share of interesting challenges.

What has been one of your favorite projects to work on while at Filtrexx?

Assisting with the Camp Fire remediation in Chico and Paradise California has been one of the most rewarding projects I have been involved with at Filtrexx. In addition to identifying a great, new market for our products, Filtrexx’s engagement in the local community has put close to ten people back to work that lost their homes as well as their jobs due to the disaster.

What have you learned that you didn’t know before becoming a Filtrexx employee?

Prior to Filtrexx, the vast majority of my experience with governmental affairs came at the federal level. In my current role I have learned quite a bit about how state and local governments function, as well as how state regulatory agencies influence our market.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

Hockey, Long Distance Hiking, and Cycling.

Any random facts we should know about you?

I was almost attacked by a Grizzly Bear summer 2014 while solo hiking and camping in the Bridger Teton National Forest.

Andrew J. Brennan is a graduate of West Point, holds an MBA from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University. A former Army Aviation Officer deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, he led a UH-60 Blackhawk platoon, in addition to staff work for his aviation battalion after pinning Captain. Before joining Filtrexx International Andrew worked in private sector logistics for a Fortune 50 company, ran a successful Veterans charity, and worked as a Federal lobbyist.

Dr. Britt Faucette was recently partnered with Case Western Reserve University based in Cleveland, Ohio and their AIM2Flourish program to promote Filtrexx as a global leader of environmentally sustainable businesses.AIM2Flourish is the world’s first higher education curriculum for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and “Business as an agent of World Benefit”. Their mission is to “Change the story about business from best IN the world, to best FOR the world.” AIM2Flourish provides professors around the world with videos, presentations and materials. They offer monthly video conferences where professors can share experiences and hear what’s new in the program. Professors then bring their learnings to the classroom, teaching students who go out and conduct in-person interviews with business leaders, write stories and contribute to AIM2Flourish.com.

The interview with Dr. Britt Faucette focused on the innovation of Filtrexx and our products. Our removal rates of sediment by our SiltSoxx were a large focus of the innovation section. Our use of organic and recycled materials and the reduction of waste from landfills also landed in the innovation section. However, the big focus was our 2017 environmental impact numbers and what Filtrexx did specifically to help the environment. The tons of sediment entering waterways, waste diverted from landfills and tons of CO2e sequestered from the atmosphere were highlighted in the impact on the environment section. The interview rounded out with focus on our use of regionally-sourced compost, benefitting local businesses and communities.

To read the entire interview, click here.

As the Marketing Manager for Filtrexx, Teele works heavily in the digital and social arenas of marketing, running the Filtrexx Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. She also serves as writer and editor of press releases, project profiles and most recently, the Filtrexx blog. Teele attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a Master of Science in corporate communication. Teele has worked in marketing roles for various companies around the Twin Cities before landing at Filtrexx in July, 2017.

This week we are celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW)! As the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry, Filtrexx is happy to once again sponsor this great event. ICAW is celebrated throughout the United States as well as several other countries each year. With its inauguration in 1995, many other schools, organizations, businesses and people have joined in to recognize the importance of composting and the long-term health of the environment.

The goal of ICAW is to raise public awareness of the benefits of composting to help maintain healthy soil, grow healthier plants, reduce the use of pesticides, improve water quality and protect the environment. The program includes a poster contest that helps choose the following year’s theme, programs at schools and activities and events promoted through public municipalities, government and local businesses.

The theme of this year’s event is Cool the Climate – Compost! It recognizes the connection between soil health and climate. By composting, carbon captured by plants from the atmosphere is returned to the soil. In addition, the compost, when returned to the soil provides resistance to drought and disease, adds nutrients, improves its workability and reduces the release of nitrous oxide.

During ICAW, businesses, organizations and people are encouraged to celebrate the benefits of composting. Events include tours of compost facilities, school gardening programs, lectures by well-known gardening experts, compost workshops and more. To learn more about planning an event or to share information on an event you’re attending, more information can be found through the Composting Council Research & Education Foundation.

As the Marketing Manager for Filtrexx, Teele works heavily in the digital and social arenas of marketing, running the Filtrexx Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. She also serves as writer and editor of press releases, project profiles and most recently, the Filtrexx blog. Teele attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a Master of Science in corporate communication. Teele has worked in marketing roles for various companies around the Twin Cities before landing at Filtrexx in July, 2017.

As Filtrexx Business and Field Development Manager for the Western Region, I often meet with clients with little familiarity of the problem they are struggling to solve. Such was the case when I met with a southern California grading contractor who had recently been awarded the contract for an 804 acre master development project. As great as that opportunity was, during our conversation he divulged that unfortunately he had under-bid the Erosion and Sediment control portion of the grading project and wanted to know what Filtrexx could do to help him right the ship on his projected costs.

It was apparent we would need to be creative and have a sharp pencil. I immediately suggested we contact the Regional Sales Manager out West, Colin Ewart, to join in the discussion as we evaluated not only initial product costs, but total lifetime costs of SiltSoxx compost filter socks compared to other BMPs such as straw wattles and gravel bags. We would also need to consider the option of on-site blower truck filling of our compost sock mesh in addition to utilizing our 5-inch palletized SiltSoxx for the extensive slope interruption applications. After agreeing together on the course of action we would deploy, Colin engaged Nathan Nevois, Filtrexx Sales Rep in southern California, to work out the numbers and provide the contractor with a price quote and sales support.

Within weeks of this meeting the BMP plan was in place:

• 60,000 linear ft of 5-inch palletized SiltSoxx
• 402,000 linear ft of 8-inch Multi-Filament Polypropylene (MFPP) Mesh
• 96,000 linear ft of 12-inch MFPP Mesh

In addition, we brought in a local blower truck partner to provide pricing on the cost of filling the mesh as well as met with them at a composting facility to help in specifying the correct compost filter media to be used.

By working together with the contractor as a team, Filtrexx responded to the challenge and came up with solutions that not only made financial sense, but equally important, under the heavy rain events of early 2019, met the stringent storm water compliance requirements of California. As a team, we met the challenge by working together and achieved more through the synergy created by our collective efforts, skill sets and responsibilities. We will apply the same team mindset to this multi-stage project that also includes plans for 57 acres of flood control and landscaped slopes, and 203 acres for biological habitat development. There’s an unspoken rule in business that the greater the challenge, the greater the need to work closely together to deliver customer-centric solutions. That’s the Filtrexx Way!

Dr. Craig Kolodge is the former academic advisor, field plant pathologist and director for the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and the Agriculture & Natural Resources Research and Extension Center in Santa Clara county. As superintendent of the UC Bay Area Research and Extension Center (BAREC), Dr. Kolodge was instrumental in developing the City of San Jose’s green waste utilization program focused on re-purposing recycled organics to deliver ecosystem benefits. Dr. Kolodge currently serves on the Board of Directors for California’s Association of Compost Producers (ACP) and is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) and a Trainer of Record (ToR) for California’s Storm Water Industrial General Permit. He resides in San Diego county where he travels throughout the Western U.S. demonstrating and teaching the practical application of compost- based Sustainable Management Practices (SMP’s) for storm water management and land conservation/restoration.

While having brunch with some friends last week, I was excited to see that our beverages were served with biodegradable straws. We all raised our drinks to toast the café for being so environmentally responsible. Until… we all realized the drinks themselves had been served in plastic cups! OOPS! It seems that examples like this are all around us.

Whether it’s a business, industry, community or consumer, we all tend to latch on to the “hip” thing that all the cool kids are doing. In the solar industry however, we are seeing corporations not only talk the talk, but walk the walk when it comes to sustainability. In addition to leading the way with renewable and sustainable energy solutions, developers of large solar farms are using sustainable products like Filtrexx SiltSoxx during construction. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are made in the United States and contain 100% recycled organic FilterMedia. SiltSoxx are installed on the ground around the perimeter of the project with no ground disturbance or trenching required. Then, during rain events the SiltSoxx filter sediment-laden stormwater run-off and other pollutants before they leave the construction site. This protects rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and neighboring properties within the watershed. The FilterMedia within the sock is 100% bio-based and sourced both locally and regionally. This creates a huge carbon footprint reduction when compared to using geo-textile fabrics like Silt Fence, to treat sediment and stormwater on a job site.

In fact, using just 200 feet of 8” SiltSoxx on a project is equal to taking 1 car off the road!

Plus, it’s much easier to clean up when construction is complete. The SiltSoxx fabric can simply be cut, and the FilterMedia raked into the final grade by hand. Call it a “low-impact” removal – something that is critical when working next to the newly installed and expensive solar panels. Of course, Filtrexx SiltSoxx can be used on more than just solar projects. Soxx have been popping up on natural gas pipelines, powerlines, residential home construction, road projects and other earth disturbing activities around the country. I guess you could say that the cool kids are on to something hip. But something tells me that Soxx are here to stay. Just in case, be sure to ask your design engineers, project owners, general contractors, and site contractors to use SiltSoxx on their next project!

Nick has a Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University. He has been with Filtrexx for over 13 years and is now managing sales for the Northeast region. He has over 5 years of experience in SWPPP writing/review, stormwater inspections, and BMP installation. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and kayaking with his girlfriend and playing with his Boxer puppy Rudi.

Problem: A tributary of Codorus Creek, which flows to the Susquehanna River, runs through York, Pennsylvania. On most days, the tributary is a foot deep. After a rainfall, like most tributaries, the creek swells to five or more feet causing significant erosion to its banks. The banks had become so eroded that the risk was high that power lines would begin falling into the creek. The local power company was faced with the expensive prospect of having to move several power line poles over a one-mile stretch in order to prevent this from happening. The power company came to the decision to try to restore and stabilize the bank before removing and relocating the poles.

Solution: General contractor Stewart and Tate was familiar with the use of Filtrexx products for bank stabilization through a local Filtrexx installer, River Valley Organics. They inquired whether this technology would help prevent the poles from falling into the creek. River Valley Organics President Doug Caldwell recommended Filtrexx GroSoxx. GroSoxx are a vegetated block system that provides immediate stabilization and vegetation establishment for permanent stabilization.

Success: River Valley Organics and the power company worked together to complete the project. Sandbags were used at the base, as required by Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and then armored with rip rap. Then the bank was excavated to toe the GroSoxx into the bank. River Valley Organics blew in 8” GroSoxx seeded with perennial rye. The GroSoxx were reinforced with rip rap on the upstream side and then the system was buffered with a reinforcing layer of rock. The entire project took six hours to install. The GroSoxx are now fully vegetated, saving the power company time and money.

As the Marketing Manager for Filtrexx, Teele works heavily in the digital and social arenas of marketing, running the Filtrexx Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. She also serves as writer and editor of press releases, project profiles and most recently, the Filtrexx blog. Teele attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a Master of Science in corporate communication. Teele has worked in marketing roles for various companies around the Twin Cities before landing at Filtrexx in July, 2017.

Get to know: Jeff Schmitz, Business Development Manager

What is your role at Filtrexx?

My role in Business Development is to foster business relationships at the strategic level with end use customers to match our corporate sustainability mission with their sustainability initiatives and show how our products can help them achieve their goals.

What do you like most about working for Filtrexx?

Filtrexx is on the cutting edge of developing new and expanding current technologies and applications for erosion and sediment control. It’s exciting to be part of a team dedicated to this mission and knowing the results of our teamwork will have long lasting environmental, corporate and social benefits. We are uniquely positioned as the industry leader to leverage our internal capabilities with our extensive industry experience to drive positive change in our marketplace.

What do you find the most challenging about working for Filtrexx?

Finding ways to tell our story to the correct audience with the best message is a day-to-day challenge as we analyze the drivers behind purchasing and use decisions of our products. We stand alone in our industry in our approach and strategy for telling the Filtrexx sustainability story.

What has been one of your favorite projects to work on while at Filtrexx?

The Filtrexx team was able to convert one of the largest real estate development companies in California to use SiltSoxx on their projects by promoting the environmental sustainability of our products. The development company offset the carbon footprint they generated by land development equipment by using the GHG values saved by diverting organics from landfills into our product. This will have huge positive impacts when these values are included in the environmental impact report used in the permitting process for several very large current and future development projects in Southern California. Filtrexx is well positioned to help the entire state of California reach their recently legislated organic diversion goals in many different industries needing erosion and sediment control.

What have you learned that you didn’t know before becoming a Filtrexx employee?

The sustainability concept in general is a bigger deal than I thought and the environmental aspect of sustainability is getting increased attention all the way from the consumer level to the board room. Clearly, we are moving closer to a potential hockey stick effect on sustainability as political, economic and consumer drivers of environmental initiatives become more influential in our industry segment and others. It has been a long term initiative in some industries we serve but a new and growing initiative in others. Staying on top of these changes and how we can efficiently impact the outcome is an ongoing challenge.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

I do most of the maintenance and repair work on my vehicles at home. It’s been a challenging adventure… and is also my own little economically sustainable activity which blends aspects of work and home! Think sustainably!

Any random facts we should know about you?

Our college marching band participated in President Reagan’s inaugural parade in 1981. It was my first airplane ride and first time in D.C. The Iranian hostages were released that day after 444 days and the crisis delayed the parade. Never forget it.

Jeffrey Schmitz serves as the Business Development Manager for Filtrexx International. He is charged with helping large customers across the US in the oil and gas, utility and construction industries achieve their sustainability and environmental goals with the use of Filtrexx products and EcoPractices, our 3^rd party environmental benefits verification partner. He has 13 years in the building materials industry, a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business from South Dakota State University and an MBA from Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.