Ecologel Solutions LLC

Jim is a leading and respected voice in the arenas of horticulture and soil science. With 30 years experience as both a commercial representative, consultant and scientist, Jim lends enormous credibility to all of Ecologel’s products.

He is responsible for most educational product road shows and technical seminars and is often called upon by the industry and clients alike to speak on subjects of relevance to drought, green care and soil science. As the point man for the BioPro line of liquid fertilizers, formerly owned by Toro®, Jim calls upon a deep list of personal and professional contacts to open doors for product evaluation.
 

Rick started in the industrial coatings business, gaining a significant understanding of the interactions between various structural substrates and protective agents. His initial forays were into technologies for protecting urban structures from graffiti. This lead to the development of products for shielding concrete and other materials from potentially hazardous algae growth.

Securing contracts from such high-profile clients as Walt Disney World, Irwin leveraged these early successes toward the acquisition of US distribution rights to products such as Hydretain. As the driving force behind Ecologel, Irwin is a tireless evangelist for the causes of water conservation and drought awareness.
 

Ed offers a great breadth of knowledge applicable to our business objectives. His background is in law, holding a B.A. from the University of Florida, and a Juris Doctorate from Barry University. In addition to his dedication to Ecologel, Ed also teaches college courses relating to law and business.

Prior experience in the lake fountain industry has provided Ed a solid background in manufacturing, technical capabilities, sales, and exports. He also has experience in aquaculture, which further lends a basis of knowledge in the areas of chemistry and biology. Ed maintains further small business endeavors relating to the equine industry here in Ocala.

Rick Irwin’s son, Nick, grew up around Ecologel’s product line, and worked for the company managing inventory and handling order fulfillment. In addition to these core responsibilities, Nick currently manages the company’s daily operations including accounting functions, sales and trade show attendance.

Nick is also a key player in the testing and evaluation of how Ecologel’s products perform and interact with other product brands. These experiments are crucial in determining the feasibility of potential alliances between the company and its industry partners.
 

John is a veteran in the green industry with over 35 years of experience. After getting his Bachelor's Degree in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State, John began his career in landscape supply distribution. He has worked in all aspect of distribution from purchasing to sales and personnel management.  He has also worked on many landscape design projects and has a strong background in golf.
 
In addition to his career experience, John has served the industry in leadership roles for various associations. He was a past Vice President and Secretary of the Independent Turf and Ornamental Distributor Association. John currently holds a position as the Director of the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research Foundation where he has previously served as a Past President and Vice President.

As the Florida Sales Manager, he is working with local distributors to help maximize their sales potential in various professional and retail markets. John trains distributor staff on Ecologel products, and assists on sales calls. He is also be available to work with customers and assist local Hydretain Advantage Program members.
 

Kevin started his career in the green industry in 1988 and served as a Golf Course Superintendent, overseeing all aspects of course management. Kevin earned an Applied Sciences degree from Ohio State in Turfgrass Management.

Kevin also partnered in launching a lawn maintenance company and was licensed as a commercial applicator in the State of Ohio for Turf, General Weed control, and Aquatics. Beforte joining Ecologel, Kevin joined John Deere Landscapes where he supported sales staff and end users in developing sound agronomic programs and participating in industry training for CEU credits.
 

Robert’s involvement in the green industry began as a teenager, when he started his own lawn business at only 15 years old. Over the next few years, Robert grew fond of the industry through his experience working in landscaping, attending trade shows, and interning at Columbus Crew stadium. Ultimately, Robert earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Turfgrass Science from The Ohio State University.

Before joining the Ecologel Team, Robert spent 5 years developing the Dallas Fort Worth sales territory from the ground up as a Distributor Sales Representative. During that time, he organized client seminars to learn about new products, participated in continuing education classes, planned calibration programs and fostered many successful business relationships. He has a strong passion for customer service and enjoys developing strategies to help customers grow their business.
 

As the daughter of company President Rick Irwin, Sarah has been involved with the Ecologel line of product since childhood: performing odd jobs during summers and weekends. After graduating with a BS in Marketing from the University of Central Florida, she officially joined the Ecologel team in November, 2009.

As a Marketing Representative, Sarah plays a key role in the development of the company’s marketing and advertising programs. She also works with local distributors to promote Ecologel’s products to both professional applicators and end users.