Small Canadian company brewing up a storm South of the border

Java-Log, the Canadian firelog made of recycled coffee grounds, is proving to be a hit across North America and beyond

(OTTAWA, January 13, 2004) — A product that was launched through a word of mouth promotion campaign in Ottawa is now ranked among Time Magazine’s "Coolest Inventions of 2003." It has been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post, in magazines from Taiwan to Israel, and even in Japan’s leading business paper. And it recently made a cameo appearance on the popular Ellen Degeneres Show. Bottom line — Java Products Corporation's Java-Log is on fire at home and abroad.

Java-Log, the premium firelog made from recycled coffee grounds, is hotter than ever, and Java Products Corporation, the company that manufactures the product, is working hard to keep up with exploding demand amid an overwhelming media and consumer frenzy. 2003 was a big year for this small Canadian company which employs 25. It marked Java-Log’s successful launch into the U.S., the centralization of a head office in Montreal, and the opening of a full service manufacturing plant in Ottawa.

The media and consumer buzz culminated in December, when Ellen Degeneres featured Java-Log on her talk show as one of her must-have holiday gifts. And the company experienced immediate results.

"The response to our product by the media and the public is incredible," says Marcel Sbrollini, President & CEO of Java Products Corporation. "Our online store, for example, has been busy around the clock thanks to the buzz being generated by our PR campaign. At this point, we’re working as hard as we can to meet demand. Hey, we knew we had a hot product, but we did not think it would leave us sweating just to keep up."

Java-Log.com’s monthly unique visitor total has shot from 300 to 9,000, and the product was recently made available for sale online to meet consumer demand. Wholelattelove.com, Java-Log’s online retailer and favourite online coffee shop of Oprah Winfrey, sold out of Java-Logs the first day they were offered, as orders were placed from across the U.S.

In addition to the media outlets already mentioned, Java-Log has been featured in dailies such as the Philadelphia Inquirer and Boston Herald and on National Public Radio and BBC Radio. An annual book about inventions published in Norway is even going to include the product. Upcoming coverage is slated for publications like USA Weekend magazine, which is read by 48 million American readers every weekend.

Java-Log is a premium firelog made from 100% recycled coffee grounds mixed with wax and molasses. It burns for up to three hours, producing higher, brighter, and more consistent flames than other manufactured firelogs, while releasing a faint, sweet aroma, but most importantly it has no chemical scent. Java-Log also produces 25 per cent more energy and emits more than three times the amount of flame per unit of wood while being better for your chimney and the environment.

Java-Log is available in Canada at Home Depot, Loblaws Co. (including Loblaws, Fortino’s, Zehrs, participating Your Independent Grocers, Maxi & Co., The Real Canadian Superstore, Atlantic Superstore), Home Hardware and Whole Foods. It is sold in the North East U.S. at Whole Foods (including the Mid-Atlantic region), Shoprite, King Kullen, The Food Emporium, Stew-Leonard’s, King’s, Waldbaum’s, Harvest COOP, Price Chopper, Shaw’s and Farmer Jack in Michigan and Ohio. It can be purchased online at www.java-log.com.

About Java Products Corporation
Java Products Corporation is an innovator in the field of transforming agri-food by-products into environmentally friendly consumer goods. The company’s mission is to research, develop, and manufacture technologies and products that "close the loop" between production and consumption, by reusing waste products. Java Products Corporation uses spent coffee grounds to create solid fuel products. Java-Log is the company’s first application. Java Products Corporation (www.java-log.com) is an Ottawa-based company founded in 1999 by professional engineer Rod Sprules.