Gaston Mulch and Soil Revitalizes Communities after Hurricane
In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast and left a path of devastation all the way to North Carolina. Communities faced the daunting task of clearing millions of cubic yards of debris before rebuilding could begin.
Gaston Mulch and Soil, based in Gainesville, Florida for more than 50 years, operates in the area affected by the hurricane and was uniquely equipped to help its neighbors.
Branching out
Gaston Mulch and Soil started in 1972 and has since expanded throughout Florida.
“We recycle the urban forest,” said Bill Gaston, the company’s founder and owner. “Part of what we do is emergency service contract work, and we’re an asset manager that can go to an area that’s been impacted by a big storm.”
In the case of Helene, the impacted area was in the operation’s backyard and neighboring counties. For months on end, the Gaston team operated like an assembly line, hauling tree debris, grinding the wood, coloring the mulch and sending it back out for delivery.
There was a circle of life element to it.
“We’ll come to your house, we’ll cut your tree down, we’ll bring it to our site, we’ll turn that into mulch and we’ll put it in a bag,” Gaston said. “It’s going to end up in a big box store down the street, and you’re going to go get your bag back. So, it completes the cycle.”
Team colors
More than six months after the hurricane, the debris removal neared completion. During a site visit, Gaston reflected on the longstanding relationship with Colorbiotics.
“Colorbiotics is our partner,” he said. “They supply us not only the equipment to color the kind of mulch the industry is looking for, but they also help us with the colorant and technology.”
The finished mulch product is now going down in landscaping projects that are revitalizing neighborhoods damaged by the hurricane.
“We’re fortunate to be here and be able to help our local community and get everything back to normal as quickly as possible,” Gaston said.