Tubex invests in the US

1 February 2011

Forestry | Viticulture | Landscaping | Fruit

Tubex Limited (“Tubex”), the world leading supplier of tree shelters and other woody plant establishment products, is delighted to announce a major development and investment in the US market.

On 25 January 2011, Tubex USA Inc. (“TUSA”), a new US corporation based in Verona in the state of Virginia, was established as a direct subsidiary of Tubex. The new Corporation has been formed with the considerable help of Joe McCue, who will be TUSA’s President and CEO as well as being a minority shareholder in the business.

On the same day TUSA acquired, via an asset purchase, the business of Treessentials based in St Paul, Minnesota. The Treessentials business has been the longtime distributor of the Tubex range of tree shelters, grow tubes (used with young vines) and other plant establishment products like Vispore mulch mat. Two longstanding employees of Treessentials , Kathy Schoen and David Bogue, will join TUSA and remain based in St Paul to provide continuity of service for the customers of Treessentials.

TUSA will have 2 locations initially – Verona in Virginia, which will provide an opportunity to improve the level of service to customers located in the important MidAtlantic coastal region, and St Paul in Minnesota, where Treessentials has been based for some 20 years.

Nigel Skinner, the CEO of Tubex, in the UK, expressed his sentiments:

“This deal represents a significant and extremely exciting development for Tubex in the US. Under Joe McCue’s leadership we will have a much stronger platform for our business in the US that I believe will signal a step change in the awareness and availability of the tree shelter technology across a wider area of the US.

Joe will bring his more than 10 years’ experience with planting trees whilst with Conservation Services, a long standing planting contractor and user of Tubex products, to his new leadership role of TUSA. This will provide the stimulus of a fresh approach and new energy to the distribution of Tubex products in the US, married with the continuity that Kathy and David bring from their long experience and expertise gained with Treessentials.

This has got to be a winning combination for existing and new customers in the US who will benefit from the availability of a wider range of Tubex products, better service offering and a deepening of the technical and practical experience of our customer facing team.

I’m really excited about the opportunity this deal opens up for us to improve our customer offering to the levels that we offer in the UK and Europe, such that service levels will be consistent with the reputation for quality that our products already enjoy.”

Joe McCue, CEO of the new Company, added: “I am honored to be working with Nigel Skinner and Simon White of Tubex Ltd. and with Kathy Schoen and David Bogue of Treessentials. In the decade I worked with Conservation Services, as a Treessentials and Tubex Ltd. customer, I came to appreciate the benefits of using Tubex products. TUSA looks forward to continuing the tradition of customer service established by Treessentials over the past two decades. Our main goal as the US arm of Tubex Ltd. will be to introduce a wider range of Tubex products into the US market as we build a greater awareness of those products throughout the US.”

Following the establishment period Joe will work closely with Simon White, Commercial Director of Tubex, on the strategy of TUSA in the US.

For further information contact:
USA – Joe McCue, CEO, TUSA , telephone 5404308713
UK – Nigel Skinner, CEO Tubex group of companies, telephone +44 (0)1685 883833