Scotts Professional Names Ward Gunter Specialty Agriculture Sales Agronomist

Marysville, OH, November 18, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Scotts Professional is pleased to announce the promotion of Ward Gunter to the position of specialty agricultural sales agronomist.

Based in Vero Beach, Fla., Gunter will help develop new product formulations for specialty agriculture, including strawberries, avocadoes and citrus fruits. His focus in the Eastern Region of the U.S. is an extension of Scotts’ success with Agrocote®-based fertilizer formulations in other parts of the world. Agrocote is a patented polymer coated/sulfur coated urea (Poly-S®) that has been formulated specifically for a variety of specialty crops including citrus, potato, banana and others. Its primary advantages are more efficient nutrient delivery, reduced nutrient runoff and volatilization, diminished environmental impact and reduced input costs.

Prior to his promotion, Gunter served as a territory manager for Scotts Professional in Florida, where he was responsible for developing new end user accounts as well as maintaining existing accounts. During his time as a territory manager, Gunter was instrumental in the development and expansion of Scotts’ unique CitriBlen® product, a blend of coated nutrients made and marketed specifically for mature Florida citrus as a one application per year N-P-K fertilizer.

“We’re extremely pleased to have Ward in our newly created agronomist position,” said Craig Whatley, regional business manager for Scotts Professional's Eastern Region. “His sales experience, exceptional insight into the Florida citrus industry and knowledge of the unique nutritional needs of agricultural crops make him the right person for the job. Ward will continue to be a valued member of our team as we pursue our goals in the Eastern Region.”

About ScottsMiracle-Gro:

With nearly $3 billion in worldwide sales and more than 6,000 associates, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with products for professional horticulture as well. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligene® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com.

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