Nature’s Reflections is a specialty division of Mulch Manufacturing that manufactures over 60 natural mulch colorants and the Cheetah and Cheetah Cub mulch colorant equipment.
“The founder of Mulch Manufacturing, John Spencer, wanted to create a way to make his own natural wood colorant rather than continue to buy liquid dyes from our vendors, who are now our competitors,” said Jeff Merlin, general manager of Nature’s Reflections. “He always had in his mind that he can do things for himself and that he can do it better than anyone else,”
Spencer visited China in the early 1990s to learn how a company there developed its dyed colorant. China has a specialized natural form of iron oxide that cannot be reproduced synthetically in the U.S. Mulch Manufacturing has continued to work exclusively with the same Chinese business since then.
“Our specialized colorants last six months to one year, depending on which region it’s located,” noted Jeff.
“For our ‘next-generation’ mulch colorant product, Nature’s Reflection’s Softscape®, the color lasts up to four years and uses different additives,” said Jeff. It is a nonhazardous synthetic iron oxide colorant. “It just pops. It’s beautiful. And it’s high-color with an almost glossy sheen to it. It takes the mulch to the next level.”
Nature’s Reflections is committed to high quality – in its products, ingredients, equipment, and staff. “Our aim is to be unrivaled in the mulch colorant industry,” said Jeff. “That’s our goal every day.”
“Becoming a subsidiary of Sustainable Green Team was the next stage of our company’s growth,” said Jeff. “We needed to diversify ourselves because the mulch business is such a seasonal business.”
“Tony (Raynor, president and CEO of Sustainable Green Team) is a true entrepreneur, and he’s awesome to work for. He’s given me the freedom to take Nature’s Reflections to the next level. We all feel very lucky to have what we have with Tony and Sustainable Green Team.”
