Me, me, me

Sometimes I look at the ‘knotweed control industry’ and feel a little burst of pride. I look at other people’s websites and think what inspired them to use that turn of phrase? Who inspired them to come into the industry? Who was it that realised that there was a business idea in the management and eradication of invasive species… and I end up thinking…it was probably me.

Now I may be blowing my own trumpet here but…i think maybe I started an industry?

I’m going back 15/20 years or so here…there were ‘others’ around at the time that I set up Japanese Knotweed Solutions but they didn’t exclusively deal with Japanese Knotweed. My competitors were mainly grounds maintenance companies who cut grass and did a bit of weed control…and said they ‘knew’ about Japanese Knotweed.

Now I’m not saying that I was the first person to recognise the problems associated with this most troublesome of invasive species – what I am saying is that I believe I was the first person to recognise the ‘commercial’ implications of dealing with the plant.

There was a ‘code of practice’ being produced by the Environment Agency and there were one or two rather odd looking, bearded, long haired oddballs who were the ‘go to’ experts (nb:…any of whom could have made a fortune if they had any commercial sense!).

But…NOBODY…was offering commercial solutions to the issues raised by the Code of Practice – nobody was taking on board the financial implications of having a plant that had so many problems to tackle.

This is where I recognised an opportunity – not that clever – but as I have repeatedly said to my critics…nothing was stopping others from doing the same thing.

• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were the first company to deal with ONLY with Japanese Knotweed.
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were the first company to offer a ‘ten year insurance backed warranty’.
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were the first company to use Tordon 22k – the first residual herbicide used in chemical treatment of JK
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were the first company to use landfill grade liners in the encapsulation process.
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were the first company to use linear root barriers
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were AND STILL ARE the only company to have permanent re-visit teams who do nothing other than check and monitor the chemically treated sites that we have under warranty
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were the first company to trial direct injection systems in the UK – (…and to decide that this was not a commercially viable solution)
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were the first company to offer CPD presentations around the UK raising awareness of the issues associated with invasive non-native species
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) attended the discussions regarding the release of the Psyllid Aphid as a bio-control agent to manage to spread of JK in the UK
• Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) were the first JK company to have a newsletter and have an annual seminar.

Let’s be honest here, others have followed but basically they have all copied what we at Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (ME) have done…you can call yourself whatever variation of the term Japanese Knotweed (insert name) that you like but really your just a pale imitation of the real thing…JAPANESE KNOTWEED SOLUTIONS LTD …the ORIGINAL Japanese Knotweed company.

…or just me, me, me…

Mike C (ME)