The BEG Group invented a non-toxic, plant-based compost that serves as a sediment filler and erosion control.

BEG Group’s product, Big Switch, is more environmentally friendly than wood based products that serve the same purpose. Different woods can carry arsenic in the bark which can be harmful to aquatic life.

“We started experimenting and found that switch grass, that filler that is ground with certain capacity and density, works exceptionally and we have proof of concept where we’ve had complete success,” Joe Greco, President of the BEG Group, said.

One of the suppliers of the switch grass that the company uses in its manufacturing process is The Wilds.

The products are large “socks” made out of Polyethylene or a biodegradable cotton that is filled with a 100 percent switch grass mixture. Once placed in the desired location, the socks can absorb up to 40 percent of its weight in moisture and then dry out relatively quickly.

The newly manufactured product is certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has statewide approval from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and, as of May 11, Ohio. The USDA has also certified the products as “bio preferred,” Greco said.

Within the span of 14 months, the BEG Group has blossomed into two manufacturing operations, 400,000 acres of switch grass to pull from and 300 tons of produced product each month. And Greco said that is not even “scratching the surface.”

The company was founded by Perry Burt, Jay Elkin and Joe Greco creating the BEG Group. Although the company has done exceptionally well over the last 14 months, Greco credits a specific public figure for helping in their beginning operations.

“We got our start by interacting with Ohio Senator Troy Balderson … he had his legal legislative team get us research on everything erosion control so that we knew what we were up against, Greco said. “Water is the liquid of life, and you want to do it right.”

The company has been implementing its product through the Appalachian Basin and in various pipelines and turnpikes. It is starting to offer its product to assist in other projects like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative on the algae bloom issues. The product helps to remove the contaminants from the water.

“We’ve already got several projects out there that proves that our product does work very well to prevent those algae blooms or at least assist in cleaning them up some,” Burt, Treasurer and Operations Manager at BEG Group, said.

With great success comes recognition and the BEG Group is no exception. It has won multiple awards including National Environmental Protection Awards. 

Research behind the switch grass filled socks continues to be done by the group in partnership with universities for absorption tests in order to implement the product in other sectors.

The BEG Group is Y-City New’s business spotlight for the month of August.