APEX established itself in the retail market in 1998, by establishing green compost as a recognised soil improver amongst the gardening public. The product was packaged via sophisticated bagging lines and mass marketed under the name Organic Garden Compost. The product was available then throughout the chain of garden centres known has Country Gardens.

The Wyevale Garden Group purchased Country Gardens and instantly continued to sell the compost and as a result the product appears in 145 outlets throughout England and Wales. The public purchase approx. 500,000 bags annually closing the recycling chain.

During this time an enormous amount of research work had already being done on selecting the green compost as a component within peat free compost. The major peat companies where by then taking a keen interest in APEX’s abilities with particular attention on its ability to fit with a national distribution scheme. William Sinclair Horticulture (J Arthur Bowers) accepted that green compost would become an accepted product for use within the retail industry they secured a joint venture with Freeland Horticulture and thus secure the supply chain going forward.

As a result of this JV, APEX attracted new business both with the mighty B&Q and Homebase via Sinclair existing involvement. Collectively APEX now supplies approximately 700 major outlets and many leading independent garden centres with Organic Garden Compost.

APEX supply four main retail packaging lines within the UK including Scotts Horticulture Company who in turn supply the growing media range Levington's containing APEX green compost nationally to the UK garden centres.

Further developments in both green compost and other organic material will enable APEX to supply even greater volumes of products over the next few years which in turn will assist the peat industry to be less reliant on peat.