“
Stretch-Tie fastens just like a twist tie, but the
embedded metal wire has a gap and the plastic
surrounding it expands. This allows the whole
Stretch-Tie to expand as the plant grows.”
When I began to look into the retail
plant fastener market a few years
back, I was astonished that most
of the products didn’t expand to
accommodate plant growth. This ends
up girdling the plant and, eventually,
killing it. Speed and efficiency
may not be on the minds of a home
gardener, but I was certain they didn’t
want to girdle their plants.
Well, like a lot of things, something
new developed out of all these
necessities. After several years of
prototypes and patent work, Stretch-
Tie was born. Stretch-Tie fastens just
like a twist tie, but the embedded
metal wire has a gap and the plastic
surrounding it expands. This allows
the whole Stretch-Tie to expand as
the plant grows. It’s very simple, but
very effective. Even fast-growing
softwood plants are safe using
Stretch-Tie. We are excited to offer
the home gardener a fastening option
that is actually good for their plants.
Using Stretch-Tie is also, on
average, more than 60 per cent faster
than traditional hand tying—about
the same speed as a brand-new
machine. Unlike machine ties,
however, you don’t have to spend
time reworking failed attempts with
our product. Also, Stretch-Tie saves
money because there is no machine
to replace or fix.
We wanted to provide high-quality
plant fasteners that offer a value
to our customers. That’s why we
decided to produce in the US and
use materials that can degrade
over time. We used an additive
from Eco-Pure that accelerates the
biodegradation process of plastic
products and packaging in a
biologically active landfill.
After various time trials and multi-
year tests, we finally had a product
to bring to market. We launched
Stretch-Tie in 2008… great timing,
with home construction spiraling
downward and commercial nursery
production right behind it.
Despite the regrettable timing,
we have increased sales every
year. Thanks to our grassroots
marketing of demos and word-of-
mouth, we currently sell more than
10 million units annually. Of course,
having developed this product for
horticultural applications, we are
strongest in that industry. However,
we have customers using Stretch-Tie
for viticulture, citrus, tomatoes,
nut orchards, vines, and hanging
Christmas lights, among other things.
The company is growing by 25 per
cent annually, and the goal is to
have a significant marketshare in
the plant fastener market globally
in the next 10 years. The Stretch-Tie
design is patented in the US and
has international patents pending,
meaning you won’t find a similar
product anywhere.
The company has also expanded its
lineup since the beginning. We started
with just one size and color, and now
offer three sizes (10x1, 10x0.5, and
6x0.5 inch) and three colors (tan, clear,
and green). The 6x0.5-inch green tie
is by far most popular size and color.
Stretch-Tie products are available in
commercial volumes direct or through
the distributors listed on our website
stretchtie.com. Smaller retail—that
is, consumer-size—packages are
available direct, on Amazon, and in
a growing number of garden centers
and other retailers.
We also have some new and exciting
things in the R&D stage, but those are
still a secret… watch this space in the
future to find out more!
groundbreakers
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