Kent, Ohio – February 28, 2006
OASIS® Grower Products, the leading supplier of propagation media to the horticultural market, announced it has acquired the FERTISS® Propagating Plug System product line from Fertil S.A.S of France. The transaction includes production, distribution and sales and marketing rights in the continents of North and South America.

FERTISS®, a soiless rooting plug, provides easy rooting and seeding of most plant types. The rooting plugs are composed of a special blend of long fiber sphagnum peat, perlite and vermiculite, wrapped in a cellulose non-woven net. Roots easily penetrate the wrapping and are naturally air pruned, resulting in a faster and better take. The product will be sold under the registered name, OASIS® FERTISS® Growing Medium, and manufactured at the company’s Kent, Ohio facility.

“We take pride in providing growers with a diverse selection of high-quality media, and our acquisition of FERTISS® helps to further that commitment,” said John Sutherland, Director of Sales and Marketing, OASIS® Grower Products. “We can now meet the needs of virtually any grower. With our established nationwide distribution channels, we can deliver what they want, when they want it.”

Based in Kent, Ohio, OASIS® Grower Products provides the most comprehensive range of products developed for vegetative plant propagation and hydroponics seed germination. Its flagship brand, OASIS® foam growing media, is highly engineered and tested for the highest possible quality standards for dependable performance. OASIS® foam brand products, WEDGE®, ROOTCUBE®, HORTICUBE®, and XP-SYSTEM®, are best suited for more difficult to root plant types and high-value unrooted cuttings. Crops such as poinsettias, geraniums, and hibiscus perform extremely well in this media.

The company also manufactures NATUR-PLUG® Growing Media, a mix of peat and coir that is bonded with a polymer to create a strong bond for structural stability. NATUR-PLUG's formulation is well-suited for crops such as perennials, herbs, and foliage.

Through an efficient network of representatives and distributors, OASIS® Grower Products’ media are readily available in the U.S. and Canada. For more information on the company’s propagation media solutions, please call customer service at 800.321.8286.

OASIS® Grower Products is a unit of Smithers-Oasis North America, headquartered in Kent, Ohio. The company has remained the brand choice of leading propagators for more than 35 years. OASIS® Grower Products has an unwavering commitment to successfully helping today's growers.

It’s parent, Smithers-Oasis Company, is the leading manufacturer of products for the floral industry. The company’s roots trace back to 1954 with the invention of water-absorbing foam that revolutionized floral design – OASIS® Brand Floral Foam. Today, the company serves the floral, craft and commercial greenhouse markets by offering the most trusted name in foam products. With operating units in 23 countries, the OASIS® brand name has become known around the world for quality and consistency.