What Ferti-lome does

Ferti-lome, legally Voluntary Purchasing Groups, Inc. (VPG), is a privately held US manufacturer of consumer lawn and garden care products founded in 1968 and headquartered at 230 FM 87, Bonham, Texas. The company sells fertilizers, plant foods, fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, potting mixes, soil amendments, animal and insect repellents, and application accessories across six product categories under four sub-brands: ferti-lome (core consumer), Hi-Yield (lawn and garden specialty, including the KILLZALL non-selective weed killer line), Natural Guard (natural products), and Fertilome Green (OMRI-listed organic line). Manufacturing is US-based, and several SKUs across sub-brands carry OMRI certification for organic use.

The business model is channel-exclusive: Ferti-lome products are sold only through independent dealers — garden centers, farm supply stores, and independent lawn and garden retailers — and explicitly not through big box retailers. The company supports this network with at least 15 Regional Sales Managers covering US West, East, Central, South, Gulf Coast, Northeast, and multiple state-level territories; a Senior VP of Sales and Marketing (Todd Eggen); a National Accounts Director (Randy Greene); and a dealer portal providing training, advertising materials, and catalog access. End customers are residential homeowners and gardening enthusiasts, with use cases spanning weed control, pest management, plant nutrition, soil conditioning, and garden maintenance.

Revenue is generated entirely through one-time sales of physical goods distributed via the independent-dealer channel; pricing is dealer-set and not publicly disclosed. The company maintains an organic social presence on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube but has no e-commerce platform, mobile app, or developer-facing API. Ferti-lome is privately held with no disclosed external investors, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and operations confined to the United States. Geographic restrictions apply in 22 states/territories, reflecting state-by-state pesticide and product registration requirements.

Name

Ferti-lome

Legal name

Voluntary Purchasing Groups, Inc.

Website

https://fertilome.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ferti-lome is a privately held US manufacturer of consumer lawn and garden care products — fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, potting mixes, and repellents — sold exclusively through independent dealers under four sub-brands including an OMRI-listed organic line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lawn and Garden Care Products

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532), Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253)

akta.pro primary industry

Turf & Ornamental Specialty Fertilizers (Golf, Sports Turf, Landscaping) (AFABACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fertilizer Production & Granulation Services (Tolling, Compaction, Prilling) (AFABABAI), Specialty Fertilizers for Horticulture & Controlled Environment (Greenhouse, Hydroponic, Nursery) (AFABACAL), Fertilization Programs (Granular & Liquid) (HSAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Lawn fertilizers
• Garden care products
• Weed control solutions
• Plant pest control
• Potting soil mixes

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Garden and Lawn Care Product Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of fertilizers, plant foods, fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, potting mixes, soils, and gardening accessories under the ferti-lome, Hi-Yield, Natural Guard, and Fertilome Green brands. Products are sold exclusively through independent dealer distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ferti-lome manufactures and distributes residential lawn and garden care products including fertilizers and plant foods, herbicides for weed control, fungicides for plant disease, insecticides for pest control, and potting mixes/soils. The brand is sold to end consumers (homeowners and gardeners) primarily through independent retailers and dealers in the United States.

Product overview

Ferti-lome ( Voluntary Purchasing Groups, Inc.) is a multi-brand lawn and garden care products company operating four sub-brands: ferti-lome (core consumer brand), Hi-Yield (lawn and garden specialty brand including non-selective weed killers), Natural Guard (natural/organic products), and Fertilome Green (dedicated organic/OMRI-listed line). The portfolio spans six core product categories: Potting Mixes and Soils (including Ultimate Potting Mix in multiple sizes, Organic Ultimate Potting Mix, specialty mixes such as Cactus Mix, Succulent Mix, Orchid Mix, African Violet Mix, and Seed & Cutting Mix, as well as Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss in various sizes, horticultural amendments like Perlite, Vermiculite, and Charcoal, and garden soils including Organic Garden Soil and Organic Raised Bed Mix); Plant Foods and Fertilizers (encompassing water-soluble fertilizers like 20-20-20 All Purpose, specialty formulas for trees/shrubs, lawns, roses, azaleas, palms, tomatoes, and acid-loving plants, both organic and conventional options); Pest and Weed Control (Insecticides across aerosol, liquid, and granular formulations, Herbicides including selective lawn weed killers like Weed-Out and Weed Free Zone, non-selective killers like KILLZALL, and fungicides); Animal and Insect Repellents (CritterGo for deer and rabbits, MoleGo for moles, MosquitoGo for mosquitoes, GrasshopperGo, and Snake Repellent); Sprayers and Application Equipment (Chameleon hose-end sprayers, hand pump sprayers in multiple sizes, backpack sprayers, measuring cups, and bedding trays); and miscellaneous products (Stump Remover, Root Killer, Leaf & Grass Bags). Products are sold exclusively through independent dealer distribution — not at big box stores — and the company has been serving the market since 1968.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hi-Yield: Lawn and garden products brand offering fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides.
• Natural Guard
• ferti-lome Green

Products and services

• Ferti-lome Fertilizers and Plant Foods Fertilizer and plant food products formulated for residential lawns, gardens, and indoor/outdoor plants, sold to homeowners and hobbyist gardeners through independent retailers.
• Ferti-lome Herbicides / Weed Killers Lawn and garden weed control products for residential users to manage unwanted vegetation in turf and landscape beds.
• Ferti-lome Fungicides Plant disease control products to prevent and treat fungal diseases on residential lawns, ornamentals, and garden plants.
• Ferti-lome Insecticides / Pest Control Insect and pest control products for residential lawn and garden use to manage damaging insects on plants, shrubs, and turf.
• Ferti-lome Potting Mixes and Specialty Soils Potting mixes and specialty soil products for residential container gardening, planting beds, and general landscape use by homeowners and hobbyist gardeners.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Scotts Miracle-Gro: The largest US consumer lawn and garden care company, with brands including Scotts, Miracle-Gro, Ortho, and RoundUp. Directly comparable in product categories (fertilizers, pesticides, growing media) and target customer (homeowners), though distributed through national retailers rather than exclusively independent dealers.
• Bonide Products: Privately held US manufacturer of consumer lawn and garden pest control, fungicides, and fertilizers. Closely comparable mid-sized competitor with similar product categories, independent dealer distribution emphasis, and OMRI organic line.
• Espoma Company: Family-owned US manufacturer of organic and natural lawn and garden products, including potting mixes, plant foods, and pest controls. Directly comparable in product range and customer base, with even stronger organic positioning than Ferti-lome.
• Lebanon Seaboard Corporation: Manufacturer of consumer and professional turf and lawn care products including the Preen and Lebanon brands. Comparable across fertilizers, weed control, and soil amendments, and a major independent-dealer channel competitor.
• SBM Life Science (BioAdvanced): Owner of the BioAdvanced brand (formerly Bayer Advanced), selling consumer lawn and garden insect, disease, and weed control products. Direct comparable in pesticide/insecticide categories and target homeowner segment.
• Jobe's Company: Manufacturer of consumer fertilizer spikes, plant foods, and soil amendments. Closely comparable in target customer, product categories, and independent retail distribution.
• Dr. Earth: Manufacturer of organic and natural fertilizers, soils, and pest control products for the consumer lawn and garden market. Comparable in organic positioning, OMRI-listed product credentials, and independent channel distribution.
• Premier Tech: Manufacturer of consumer and professional growing media, peat moss, and soil amendments. Comparable in the potting mix, peat moss, and soil amendment categories where Ferti-lome has its Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and specialty mix lines.
• GardenTech (TechPac): Manufacturer of consumer garden pest control products including Sevin, Garden Safe, and Over'n Out. Direct comparable in insecticide and lawn care categories and homeowner target customer.

Broad incumbents

• Central Garden & Pet: Diversified lawn, garden, and pet products company that owns multiple consumer garden brands (Amdro, Sevin, Ironite, Pennington). Overlaps Ferti-lome's categories but operates as a much larger, publicly traded multi-brand portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fertilome
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ33xGg5St13iLPIQnMcE_A
• Facebookfacebook.com/fertilome
• Pinterestpinterest.com/fertilome
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voluntary-purchasing-groups-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ferti-lome