St. Bonifacius, MN – January 10, 2000 –  Harvest Ventures, Inc. the developers and manufacturers of Crystal Clear Litter Pearls® received the 1999 “Build a Better Mousetrap” Award from Marketing Intelligence Service Ltd. 

This prestigious award is presented annually to the ten top products released during the year that show true innovation with breakthrough features and benefits.  This year there were a record number of new products released – 25,928.  Harvest Ventures share this award with companies such as General Mills (GIS), Arm & Hammer (CHD), Kellogg’s (K), Colombo Yogurt, and Polaroid (PRD), all of which were featured on the morning show, Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel.

 Daniel Schlueter, Co-Founder of Harvest Ventures Inc. commented, “We are very honored to have been chosen to receive this distinguished award.  This product launch has been extremely exciting for us and from all the comments we have received from consumers, they are very happy with the Litter Pearls® and this shows we have clearly made a difference with cat owners across the country.”

The Company also announced that they have reached an agreement with their exclusive manufacturing partner in China to purchase a significant portion of their company.  This will strengthen their relationship and allow the Company to expand on its position as the market leader in this new cat litter category while ensuring its ability to grow the distribution channels.  Daniel Schlueter commented, “Our strong relationship with our manufacturer has proven vital to our success and we are confident that this new joint venture will provide us additional control and flexibility with the manufacturing end of our business.  It will position us well as we continue to grow our Company.”  He further commented, ”We are very confident that this category will be well over 25% of the market share in the new millennium.”       

The super absorbent cat litter, Crystal Clear Litter Pearls® completely absorbs liquid waste in seconds, without clumping.  The cat box odors are completely eliminated, as they are locked inside the Litter Pearl™ on contact.  The Litter Pearls are unscented, chemical-free, non-toxic and completely safe for all pets and people.  A 3.8 liter bag typically lasts one month for the average cat and the 7.2 liter bag is a great value to the household with multiple cats and larger boxes.  This makes Litter Pearls much more economical, pound for pound, than traditional clay and clumping litters. Litter Pearls are also environmentally friendly because they are all natural, made of high-grade silica sand which is naturally degradable and returns to sand-form when discarded.

Since its introduction, Crystal Clear Litter Pearls® have received many industry awards, such as the Editors’ Choice Award 1999 from Cat Fancy Magazine and it was also voted Best New Cat Product 1999, second place by APPMA.

Harvest Ventures, Inc. develops innovative and alternative pet products enhancing the lives of both the consumer and their pets. Crystal Clear Litter Pearls® are available throughout North America at Pet Retailers and national chains such as Petsmart (PETM) and Petco (PETC) and many Veterinary Clinics.  To learn more about this product and the entire product line contact Dan Schlueter at Harvest Ventures at 612-446-9616 or visit the website at www.harvestventures.com.  Harvest Ventures, Inc. is a privately held company and is based out of St. Bonifacius, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis, MN.