$890,000 deal unites makers of environmentally friendly products
BY MICHAEL BURKE
Journal Times | Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 12:00 am
RACINE - Locally based Pacific Sands, which makes low-chemical water treatment and cleaning products and systems, will buy Franklin-based Natural Choices Home Safe Products.
Pacific Sands, co-owned by Michael Wynhoff and Michael Michie, announced the acquisition agreement Tuesday.
Publicly held Pacific Sands will pay $890,000 in a combination of cash and shares of the company's common stock.
Pacific Sands, in Rapids Business Center at 1509 Rapids Drive, started in 1997 in California. In mid-2004, Racine native Wynhoff, 42 - who was then consulting for environmental products companies - and Michie, 45, of Kenosha bought the tiny company and brought it here.
Since then they have grown the firm about 12-fold, to about $700,000 in annual sales, said Wynhoff, the president and chief executive officer.
Pacific Sands focuses on low-chemical products for pools and spas and a chlorine-free pool maintenance system. Most products are made here.
Natural Choices was founded in 1995 by Catherine and Dr. Marion Myers. The firm primarily makes Oxy-Boost commercial and home cleaning products.
Natural Choices also has a private label and custom formulation business which designs and manufactures custom-blend, specialty products sold worldwide in both boutique and big-box stores.
"Our acquisition of these popular, well-established product lines is a dramatic step toward our continuing goal of being a leading competitor in the environment and health-friendly products marketplace," Wynhoff said. "I'm particularly excited that we are now able to offer a complete line of safer household and maintenance solutions through established sales channels to the sharply expanding environment and health-friendly marketplace."
The Myers will join Pacific Sands as employees, bringing employment at Pacific Sands to about a dozen people.
Pacific Sands is traded on the NASDAQ OTCBB under the stock ticker: PFSD. For more information, visit
http://www.pacificsands.biz or http://www.ecoone.biz