Grower’s Secret History

The Grower’s Secret Story began in 1995 on a mushroom farm on Maui with a phone call that started a collaboration between two long time friends, Bryan Hiromoto and Wesley Chun. Together, they identified several species of edible mushroom that produced nematicidal compounds. One mushroom was soon found to produce a compound that significantly stimulates plant growth. In 1998, Advanced Biological Research, LLC (ABR better known as Albert Pleus, Bryan Hiromoto, Randy Harve) was formed and the process to produce large quantities of this compound in a liquid fermentation culture was developed. Field validation was conducted in Hawaii and by third party researchers with the support of a federal grant. By 2003, large bioreactor incubation was established and the growth enhancer was sold commercially as Liquid Compost Factor and in retail stores such as Ace Hardware, KMart, and Long's Drugs as PGE.

In 2010, Chaz Berman agreed to commercialize the material and ABR became Grower’s Secret, Inc. The plant growth enhancer was rebranded as Grower’s Secret Professional (GSP), marketing efforts were expanded, and the company explored expanding the product line. After enhancing fish emulsion with GSP, the company has added several organic fertilizers and supplements to their product line. In 2014, we added an organic, high nitrogen fertilizer derived from soy beans called Grower’s Secret Nitrogen 13-0-0 to our family.

By 2015, GSI added Earth Emulsion 2-3-3. Today, we offer 4 products, all designed to sustainably increase agricultural productivity. And we are always looking to follow in our founder's footsteps to conceive, design and produce Innovative Organic Solutions so farmers have more choices to grow sustainably.

As B Corporations and leaders of this emerging economy, we believe:

That we must be the change we seed in the world.
That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.
That, through their products, practices and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.?

Grower’s Secret B Corp Profile

For more information about B Lab and Certified B Corporations,

visit B -corporation.net.

What is a B Corporation?

A B Corporation is a for-profit company that is certified by an independent nonprofit organization call the B Lab. We must meet rigorous standard of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. We are one of more than 1,600 other companies in 42 countries that use business for good. In our case, we are focused on environmentally safe agricultural productivity. As a B Corporation, we strive to adhere to the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence:

“We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good."

This economy is comprised of a new type of corporation - the B Corporation - Which is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, our community and the environment.