Nicholson - Hardie Lauds Carl Pool Products

by Michael Bracken

Carl Pool products have been a important part of our business for as long as I can remember. Their superior plant formulations have insured our customers' success with gardening.

In the beginning, when Carl Pool was in Elmendorf, Texas, all of our products were distributed direct, without a middle man. I remember as a young child the bimonthly visits from the Carl Pool man who came by to take our orders; his delivery truck would follow not long after.

Unfortunately Carl Pool was purchased by an outside investor who thought he could set the world on fire with his marketing expertise. While going to large chain outlets and establishing stong relationships with distributors, he forgot that it was the independent merchant who developed his business and customer base.

We at Nicholson-Hardie, however, stayed with Carl Pool during this transistion. The company continued to make what we considered the highest quaility plant foods, and were able to supply us adequately. Also during the transistion the Earth Safe line was added to fill the niche for well-packaged organic products. These too we have successfully marketed, again with the quality being the key.

The dawn of a new era for Carl Pool arrived when the company was purchased by Vital Earth Resources. The management of Vital Earth returned to the roots of the original Carl Pool philosphy that so impressed me during childhood. Though still distributed through typical garden suppliers, Vital Earth is committed to working with the independent retailer, and I assume others as well. They have hired top notch people to help solve problems and insure that product is available when needed.

Packaging problems are solved swiftly and accurately. Above all, quality is still in the package.

In my estimation there is no other company so keenly aware of the needs of its customers, and ultimately the needs of the consumer. We recommend Carl Pool products whenever we can.

The variety of products, the quality, and the excellent service that Vital Earth has provided us has made us acutely aware of what the term partnering means. It's all about communicating your own and your customer's needs to open and responsive ears.

Carl Pool has been a part of Nicholson-Hardie for a long, long time. Shouldn't they be part of your business? They have always taken care of us, and I am sure they will take care of you as well.

The Vital Earth News / Summer 1995