Inc. magazine Names Earth-Kind One Of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies

NEW YORK, Aug. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine today ranked Earth-Kind, the leading manufacturer of naturally-efficient solutions for indoor home maintenance, 2,712 on its seventh annual Inc. 500|5000.  Earth-Kind joins the exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies including Fuhu, LivingSocial, Edible Arrangements, CDW and Lifelock, among other prominent brands.

In a stagnant economic environment, the median growth rate of 2013 Inc. 500|5000 companies is an impressive 142 percent with honorees having created over 520,000 jobs over three years, and aggregate revenue reaching $241 billion. Earth-Kind achieved 129% sales growth over three consecutive years by bringing the first professional quality natural rodent repellent, Fresh Cab, to the retail market.

As the wife of a farmer, founder and CEO Kari Warberg Block saw first-hand the damage that rodents could do to farm equipment but at the time, there were no effective, non-toxic solutions on the market. In 1995, she sought to change this and created an earth-friendly, rodent-repellent made with biodegradable ingredients that were safe for children and pets.

"The demand for environmentally sound products with proven efficacy is increasing across retail, government and industrial channels and the intersection between safe and effective no longer needs to represent a fork in the road," said Block. "We are committed to investing in the communities in which we live and work through the utilization of natural, renewable resources; a responsible carbon footprint; and our commitment to developing new and innovative products that meet customers' needs. Being recognized as one of America's fastest growing companies speaks to the values of our company and the fortitude of our employees."

Today Earth-Kind occupies a 7,000 square-foot facility with plans for expansion and has posted an impressive 25 percent sustained job growth rate per year over year for the past three years. Earth-Kind manufactures Fresh Cab® Rodent Repellent, all-natural air fresheners and private label products for the professional pest management industry.

"Earth-Kind's innovative approach to developing products which prevent rodent-caused harm to people's homes, workplaces and property is a model worthy of study for all entrepreneurs," said Kerrie MacPherson, principal at EY and executive sponsor of the firm's Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program, which recognized Earth-Kind CEO Kari Warberg Block in 2012. "The company's commitment to market-changing innovation and sustainable growth is exactly the kind of entrepreneurial excellence our program celebrates and supports."

Sales of Fresh Cab® have driven growth in retailers such as John Deere, ACE Hardware, The Container Store, Menards and Tractor Supply Company.  The company now serves over 15,000 retailers In the USA and Canada, and is positioned for fast growth through the industrial and government channels which are moving to adopt safe, natural solutions as regulations call for integrated pest management strategies to be employed by public schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.

"Not all the companies in the Inc. 500 | 5000 are in glamorous industries, but in their fields they are as famous as household name companies simply by virtue of being great at what they do. They are the hidden champions of job growth and innovation, the real muscle of the American economy," says Inc. Editor Eric Schurenberg.

In addition, Block was recently recognized as a runner-up for National Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The three top small business people named were chosen from among 54 entrepreneurs who had been their state/territory's Small Business Person of the Year. Block was previously named North Dakota's Small Business Person of the Year 2013.

For more information on Earth-Kind, visit www.earth-kind.com. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/5000.

About Earth-Kind   
Founded in 2000 by farmer and entrepreneur, Kari Warberg Block, Earth-Kind's mission is to preserve the good and prevent the rest. Earth-Kind develops and manufactures naturally-efficient solutions for indoor home maintenance, including rodent and odor control. Its products give consumers choices that are safer and more effective than their toxic counterparts. Earth-Kind invests in its community through the employment of developmentally disabled citizens; the utilization of natural, renewable resources; a responsible carbon footprint; and a commitment to developing new and innovative products that meet our customers' needs. Earth-Kind products are third-party verified for safety/efficacy before being introduced to the market.

Methodology   
The 2013 Inc. 500|5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2009 to 2012. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2009. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2012. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2009 is $100,000; the minimum for 2012 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.'s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at www.inc.com/500.

SOURCE Earth-Kind