groundbreakers you tell us
Dr . Earth
PO Box 460 Winters , Ca 95694 1-707-448-4676 drearth . com
26 Years in Business “ A Chance to Change the World ”
Among the first companies to merge probiotics with organic products , Dr . Earth ’ s strength lies in its ability to innovate , create a family of manufacturers , and use existing relationships to grow together . The company owns three federal patents and manufactures a complete line of organic fertilizers — both dry and liquid — soils , controls , fungicides , and OMRI-Listed weed killers . Based in California , they now distribute in every US state and employ a staff of 122 . Founder and CEO Milo Shammas explains how Dr . Earth has been expanding over three decades and what lies at the heart of their success .
What did you and your partners do before starting this company ?
I founded the company when I was 25 years old in Los Angeles , California . I worked in multiple industries prior to Dr . Earth , including construction of custom homes with my older brother as an architect and general contractor . I worked in landscape installation during these construction jobs . I also worked both in front and behind the camera whenever I could , as I grew up with all the major studios within walking distance from my home .
How did you get into this industry ?
I was an organic gardener when I was seven years old and took botany when I was 12 years old , while in Grade 7 . I loved plants and loved to grow them . I came up with a fertilizer idea which was to add living organisms to organic fertilizers to make them work . And they did ; by the time I was 27 years old , I had single-handedly changed the face of the lawn and garden industry .
What were the startup years like ?
Hard , exciting , full of promise . I was terrified and had to beg , borrow , and work with what I had . I never expected anything and everything was difficult because it was new and I had no one to help me . Some of my struggles included paying the bills and dealing with regulations at the city , county , and state level . That was the hardest . I asked as many people as I could for advice how to overcome these challenges . I was in desperate need of a mentor with experience .
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