Celebrity Judges Including Steve Forbes and John Mackey Choose SumaGrow as the "Pitch Tank" Winner

The microbial technology of SumaGrow® won the Pitch Tank award at the 2016 FreedomFest, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, for its ability to increase crop quality and yield while decreasing fertilizer and water usage in agricultural production.

Sound too good to be true?

Not according to the five celebrity judges including Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, and John Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, who found enough potential in the technology to vote it the winning Pitch Tank product, beating out over 800 other hopeful applicants. Before the announcement, moderator Greg Writer, CEO and founder of Angel Investors Network, asked the audience to choose a winner from the top five presenting companies. The audience chose SumaGrow®.

The other Pitch Tank celebrity judges included Kevin Harrington, an Original Shark on the ABC hit, Emmy winning TV show, “Shark Tank ,” Bernt Ullmann, President and CEO of Star Branding Equity Holdings, and Michelle Seiler-Tucker, best-selling author of “Sell Your Business for More Than It’s Worth.”

“We are talking about disrupting agriculture across the entire planet,” said Mackey after SumaGrow® was announced the winner. “I think that is a pretty good opportunity.” Mackey said he was impressed and will want to test SumaGrow®. thoroughly to confirm claims. The technology of SumaGrow promotes sustainable farming and agricultural conservation while increasing crop yields and improving fertilizer efficiency- reducing fertilizer costs and increasing or maintaining profits for the producer.

The Pitch Tank is collaboration between FreedomFest founder Mark Skousen and the Angel Investors Network to provide entrepreneurs with the opportunity to present their business model to thousands of investors and a star-studded panel of angel investors. In addition, $140,000 in prizes went to the winning company, Bio Soil Enhancers Inc. (BSEI), the sole manufacturer of SumaGrow products. Prizes included $100,000 in credits from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and $5,000 worth of professional consulting services by Brian Tracy, Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International.

Following the announcement, Lou Elwell, CEO of BSEI, returned to his trade show booth and discovered a check for $50,000 attached to a note that read, "Do Us Well!"

“Despite initial hesitation, SumaGrow® has steadily gained credibility and influence among agribusiness and the agricultural community because it works,” said Mr. Elwell. The product has also acquired an impressive list of reputable publications touting its technology, including Popular Science, Forbes.com, Barron’s, Google’s “Solve for X,” and Corn and Soybean Digest, among others.

BSEI has been researching and utilizing microbial solutions for two decades, including the 10 years developing the technology specifically to improve agricultural production while reducing its environmental impact. The company is now sending its co-branded products to over 40 countries, landing BSEI on the INC list of fastest growing private manufacturing companies- 2nd and 4th place consecutively in 2014 and 2015.

About SumaGrow®

The technology of SumaGrow® contains soil microorganisms, selected for their ability to increase soil fertility and plant health, and is blended with liquid humates for easy application. SumaGrow® has been tested on hundreds of different crop types in varied climates and soil conditions. Overall, studies demonstrate that SumaGrow® products can increase yields 20% on average and decrease fertilizer applications up to 50%, depending on the crop and initial condition of the soil. Referenced in college textbooks, gardening books, and countless magazines, products containing SumaGrow® continue to make headlines because of its many benefits for the farmer, the soil, and the earth.

About Bio Soil Enhancers, Inc.

BSEI is headquartered in Hattiesburg, MS in a 25,000 square foot production facility housing specialized laboratories, blending operations, and biological testing equipment. Additionally, BSEI conducts its marketing, accounting, and administrative business from a 1,000 square foot facility located adjacent to the manufacturing plant. BSEI’s technical and scientific teams include molecular microbiologists, environmental scientists, arborists, and foresters, as well as independent contractors, agronomists, and university partnerships. For additional information about BSEI or SumaGrow® please call (877) 888-2744, email at info(at)sumagrow(dot)com or visit http://sumagrow.com.

Bio Soil Enhancers, Inc.
1161 James Street
Hattiesburg, MS 39401

Aimee Murry
Public Relations and Marketing Communications Manager
Bio Soil Enhancers, Inc.

601-582-4000

This release was published on openPR.