Soil Retention

With a license to distribute European designed Loffelstein® block throughout Southern California, Arizona and Southern Nevada, Swedish immigrant, Jan Erik Jansson began doing business as Loffel Retaining Walls, Inc. in 1987. After a brief experience with outsourcing the manufacturing of blocks, the first manufacturing plant was founded in the Southern California community of Perris. It consisted of a block machine installed under a canopy situated in a desert field. Construction equipment was rented and crews were inexperienced. Over time dedicated and talented crews were formed, manufacturing equipment was refined and a business was developed.

Recognizing ways to improve upon the Loffelstein® product, Jansson repeatedly modified it to more effectively fit various market segments. The evolved and improved products were patented and trademarked as Verdura® (derived from "Verde" for green and "Dura" for durable) products. Early on the company was focused on sustainability and environmental concerns. Continuing to manufacture and market both Verdura® and Loffelstein®, the company name was changed in 1993 to Soil Retention, Inc.. The new company name more accurately reflected its business direction. As time went on, more products were developed by Jansson including a riverine scour protection system called Enviroflex® and a flexible, plantable pavement system called Drivable Grass®. Jansson coined and trademarked the phrase "Plantable Concrete Systems®" to describe his products and the way they worked. The company was producing "Green" products before "Green" was the thing to do.

Today, the multifaceted organization consists of Soil Retention Products, Inc. as the manufacturing and licensing arm, Soil Retention Systems, Inc., the construction and installation entity, Soil Retention Designs, Inc., the research and design operation, plus Toy Rentals, Inc. which owns and rents all construction and transportation equipment of the Soil Retention companies.

Soil Retention's main manufacturing plant is situated on a 10 acre site adjacent to the I-215/SR74 interchange in Perris (Riverside County), CA. It consists of a 45,000 ft2 facility housing five block machines, curing area, quality control department, research and development lab, equipment production/maintenance shop and yard area where product reserves are maintained at high levels to serve customer needs on short notice. Soil Retention also maintains a facility in Palmetto, Florida and contracts with producers across the nation to manufacture Drivable Grass®.

Products manufactured at the Perris facility include the full range of Verdura® and Candura® fully plantable MSE retaining wall products. Verdura® walls range from low gravity walls for raised bed planters and garden terracing to 50-foot geotxtile supported walls using the larger size blocks. Candura® walls employ a pin mechanism are generally 20-foot and under. Enviroflex® the articulating concrete block (ACB) erosion control mattresses developed for channel bottom and slope revetment is manufactured using fiber reinforced concrete (FRC). Drivable Grass®, a permeable, flexible, and plantable concrete pavement system has been used for "green" driveways, fire lanes, overflow parking, stormwater BMP's, and much more. These products, by their inherent attributes, offer opportunities for implementation in Low Impact Development (LID) designs as well as energy and resource conservation practices compatible with the LEED® system of sustainable construction developed by the U.S. Green Building Council of which Soil Retention is a member.

Soil Retention products are distributed via sales networks appropriate to the products being marketed. People involved in the marketing process include direct employees as well as manufacturers representatives located strategically within specific marketing territories. Marketing is conducted via a wide variety of advertising methods to a diverse target market audience that includes homeowners, general contractors, design professionals, local and national developers, regulatory agencies, distribution outlets, and anyone else that may use or affect the use of Soil Retention products.

Soil Retention
2501 State Street
Carlsbad, CA 92028
Tel: (760) 966-6090
Fax: (760) 966-6099
E-mail: sales@soilretention.com
Web site: http://www.soilretention.com