Soil Retention

What Soil Retention does

Soil Retention Products, Inc., founded in 1987 by Jan Jansson in Carlsbad, California, is the inventor, manufacturer, and installer of plantable concrete systems used for retaining walls, permeable pavement, and erosion control. The company operates through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Soil Retention Products, Inc. (manufacturing and distribution from a 45,000 sq ft plant on a 10-acre site in Riverside County, California), Soil Retention Designs, Inc. (engineering consulting), and Soil Retention Systems, Inc. (professional installation as a General Engineering Contractor licensed in California, Nevada, and Arizona). The company has reportedly installed more than 12 million square feet of product with zero failures since 1988.

The core product portfolio comprises three registered product lines. Verdura® is a fully plantable Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining wall block system available in six sizes (V10 through V60W) capable of supporting walls up to 60 feet in single-tier height, with the Posi-Dura® mechanical connection system using geosynthetic fabric and PVC pipe; it is Caltrans approved and verified under ICC-ES ESR#3073. Drivable Grass® is a wet-cast, low moisture absorption concrete pavement system (8,000 PSI) with an embedded polymer grid that allows 2'x2' mats to flex and conform to irregular ground surfaces while supporting H-20 vehicle loading. Enviroflex® is a tapered, vertically interlocking articulating concrete block (ACB) revetment system with FHWA testing and 21.5% open area for vegetation and groundwater recharge. All three product lines are designed to enable vegetation to grow through or around concrete structures, supporting LEED credit contributions and low-impact development compliance.

Revenue is generated through three streams: hardware sales of manufactured concrete products (sold through a selective distribution network including Imperial Sprinkler Supply and Super-Sod plus nationwide shipping), professional installation services performed by Soil Retention Systems, Inc., and design/technical consulting provided by Soil Retention Designs, Inc. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is hybrid: enterprise field sales targeting architects, engineers, developers, and landscape architects for large commercial projects; channel partners for distribution; and a DIY retail channel through authorized dealers for residential applications. The customer base spans commercial developers, government/DOT agencies, hospitality, luxury residential, healthcare/research, and military end markets, with named projects for D.R. Horton, Lennar Homes, Caltrans, Tulalip Resort & Casino, Legoland Hotel, Sir Richard Branson's Moskito Island, and Fort McCoy.

Name

Soil Retention

Legal name

Soil Retention

Website

https://soilretention.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Soil Retention Products, Inc. is a family-owned manufacturer of plantable concrete systems, producing Verdura® MSE retaining wall blocks, Drivable Grass® permeable pavement, and Enviroflex® ACB revetment products for commercial developers, government agencies, landscape architects, and residential DIY customers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Green Infrastructure Building Materials

NAICS

Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing (3273), Other Concrete Product Manufacturing (327390)

SIC

Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products (3270), Concrete Products, Except Block & Brick (3272)

akta.pro primary industry

Concrete Pavers, Hardscape & Retaining Wall Systems (IMADAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Earth Retention & Excavation Support (Sheet/Soldier Piles, Diaphragm Walls, Bracing) (IMAFAOAD), Soil Stabilization & Ground Improvement (Lime/Cement, Deep Mixing) (IMAFAKAF)

Keywords

• Plantable concrete systems
• Retaining wall systems
• Permeable pavement systems
• Erosion control products
• Storm water management

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Concrete Product Sales: Sale of plantable concrete products including Drivable Grass®, Verdura®, and Enviroflex® through distribution network. Products are manufactured at company facilities and sold to dealers, distributors, and directly to contractors/developers.
2. Professional Installation Services: Soil Retention Systems, Inc. provides professional installation services for Verdura® and Enviroflex® products. General Engineering Contractor with licenses in California, Nevada, and Arizona. Production rates of 1500-2500 square feet per day.
3. Design and Technical Consulting: Soil Retention Designs, Inc. provides design and technical consulting services to architects, engineers, developers, and landscape architects for critical retaining walls, ACB revetment systems, and permeable paving systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Soil Retention manufactures and distributes plantable concrete systems under three product lines: Verdura® (plantable Mechanically Stabilized Earth retaining wall blocks), Drivable Grass® (permeable, flexible, plantable concrete pavement mats), and Enviroflex® (vertically interlocking articulating concrete block revetments for erosion control). The company sells these through a selective distribution network and provides professional installation and engineering design services through its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Product overview

Soil Retention is a manufacturer of Plantable concrete systems® comprising three core product lines: Verdura® (a fully plantable MSE retaining wall block system available in multiple sizes from V10 to V60 for walls up to 60 feet high), Drivable Grass® (a permeable, flexible, plantable concrete pavement system with 2'x2' mats), and Enviroflex® (a vertically interlocking articulating concrete block revetment system for erosion control). The product portfolio is supported by Posi-Dura® reinforcement components for Verdura® walls and Drivable Turf® artificial turf as an infill alternative. All products enable vegetation to grow through or around concrete structures while providing structural support, storm water management, and environmental benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drivable Grass: A permeable, flexible and plantable concrete pavement system for fire lanes, access roads, driveways, parking lots, bioswales, ditches, and various post-construction BMPs.
• Verdura
• Enviroflex

Products and services

• Verdura® Plantable Retaining Wall System

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12 million square feet installed with zero failures since 1988
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Imperial Sprinkler SupplycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 May 2013Family-owned distributor since 1983, Imperial Sprinkler Supply offers Drivable Grass®, Verdura®, and Enviroflex® through locations in Livermore and Santa Clara (Northern CA), multiple Orange County and San Diego County locations, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County.
• Super-SodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 May 2013One of the South's largest producers of quality turfgrass sod and seed with locations in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. As turf experts, Super-Sod recognizes Drivable Grass® as the best pavement system for healthy turf roots.
• Jonathan Segal FAIAnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect, builder, and developer who has used Drivable Grass® in multiple award-winning projects including The Charmer (2012 residential architect Project of the Year) and The NorthParker. Long-term collaborator creating showcase projects demonstrating product capabilities.
• Sir Richard Branson / VirginnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSir Richard Branson purchased Moskito Island to create the most ecologically friendly island in the world, using Verdura® retaining wall blocks (16,500 + 5,500) for exposed cuts on new roadways to maintain aesthetics and low visual impact.
• ICC Evaluation Services (ICC-ES)coreTechnology or IntegrationICC-ES updated evaluation report ESR#3073 to include Verdura® 30 block and Posi-Dura® reinforcement system, providing evidence that the retaining wall system meets code requirements for building officials, architects, contractors, and specifiers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Keystone Retaining Wall Systems: Manufacturer of segmental concrete retaining wall systems widely used in MSE wall applications. Most directly comparable to Verdura in product category and customer base (engineers, DOTs, commercial developers).
• Redi-Rock: Producer of large precast concrete retaining wall blocks for commercial, transportation, and residential applications. Competes head-to-head with Soil Retention in the MSE/segmental retaining wall market.
• Anchor Wall Systems (Oldcastle APG): Segmental retaining wall block manufacturer serving landscape architects and engineers; now part of Oldcastle APG. Comparable in target customer (specifiers) and product category (SRWs/MSE walls).
• TRUEGRID Permeable Pavers: Manufacturer of permeable plastic-grid and concrete permeable paver systems for driveways, parking lots, and fire lanes. Closest direct competitor to Drivable Grass in the permeable pavement category.
• Unilock: Manufacturer of concrete pavers and segmental retaining walls for residential and commercial hardscape. Comparable to both Drivable Grass (pavers) and Verdura (walls) at the architectural specifier level.
• County Materials: Manufacturer of concrete masonry, retaining wall blocks, and precast concrete products across the Midwest. Comparable as a regional concrete products manufacturer competing in the same retaining wall and hardscape categories.

Broad incumbents

• Pavestone (Oldcastle APG): Broad-line concrete paver and retaining wall brand from Oldcastle APG with deep distribution. Overlaps with Soil Retention's hardscape and wall categories but offers a much wider catalog of conventional (non-plantable) products.
• Belgard (Oldcastle APG): Major national hardscape brand of pavers and retaining walls serving landscape architects and contractors. Comparable customer base to Soil Retention but at significantly broader scale across conventional products.

Others

• Tensar International: Manufacturer of geosynthetic soil reinforcement products used in MSE retaining walls (the same category that uses Verdura + Posi-Dura). Not a direct competitor to Soil Retention's blocks but a closely coupled enabling technology supplier/specifier in the same wall systems.
• NDS (National Diversified Sales): Manufacturer of stormwater management and landscape drainage products including permeable pavers. Comparable end-customer focus (stormwater compliance, green infrastructure) and adjacent product overlap with Drivable Grass.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SoilRetention
• Facebookfacebook.com/plantableconcrete
• Instagraminstagram.com/soilretention
• Pinterestpinterest.com/soilretention
• Xx.com/soilretention
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soil-retention

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Soil Retention