Steve Harper leaves Vital Earth

Steve Harper is leaving his role as managing director of Vital Earth after five years in the post.

Steve joined the Vital Earth in 2007 with a two-fold brief – firstly, to create, launch and establish a new and exciting brand for the garden market and secondly to consolidate and then expand the operational side of Vital Earth GB Limited to maximise its production capabilities.

With the support of the Vital Earth sales and marketing team, he has successfully built the Vital Earth brand into a force to be reckoned with in both the retail and commercial compost markets.  Vital Earth became the first peat-free compost to outperform peat-based compost as reported in Gardening Which? in 2010, after which it gained significant market share and a host of awards for products like RSPB No Peat MultiPurpose, Chicken Poo fertiliser and the Vital Earth commercial grower range.  Earlier this year, Steve handed the responsibility for growing Vital Earth sales still further to Bord Na Móna as distributor for the brand in the UK.

On the operational side, Steve consolidated the Vital Earth GB Limited and its patented green waste compost process onto one site at Ashbourne, Derbyshire and then expanded its production at the £12 million state of the art site.  Vital Earth at Ashbourne has now cemented its place as the UK's largest compost site and the foremost exemplar of green waste composting, as evidenced by its numerous environmental and technological awards.

Commenting on his move, Steve Harper said, “Given the success Vital Earth has enjoyed both as a brand and as a company, I know that I am leaving it in good shape for the future, and that therefore the time is right to do so.  I am looking forward to a new challenge and to making an equally positive impact with another business.”