Education





















ORMI's dedication to education is relentless. We want people to understand the process of composting, proper usage of compost and mulch, and soil management. To that end our educational offerings include on-site tours, participation with other institutions and classroom presentations. We have participated in Earth Day and America Recycles Day activities, community events, children and adult classroom instruction, herb and garden society presentations, and one on one education with our customers.

History

When Missouri had the foresight to pass Senate Bill 530 in 1991, effectively placing a ban on yard waste being buried in landfills, Jim and Kim Wolterman saw a business opportunity present itself. With Jim's Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degrees and Kim's Master of Education degree and Master Composter Certification, starting a company that would help to protect the environment by preserving landfill space, educate the public about recycling and also create products to be used for landscaping, water retention and erosion control seemed like perfect fit.

Organic Resource Management, Inc. (ORMI) was incorporated in 1992, and the Fort Bellefontaine Compost Center opened in the fall of 1993. This compost center is the only one in St. Louis County which operates as a joint public-private partnership. Located on a closed landfill, which is owned by St. Louis County Parks, ORMI leases the property and in return provides income, products and services to the County on what would otherwise be an unproductive piece of land. At the same time ORMI provides the north county area with a facility in which to dispose of yard debris and procure compost, mulch and soil products for all of their landscaping needs.

From its meager beginnings of one full-time employee (Jim) working out of a job trailer, ORMI has grown into one of the area's largest composting facilities, employing six full-time employees who process over 100,000 cubic yards of material annually.