In 2018, we changed our name from International Enzymes to Substrata. Name changes are never something to take lightly, especially after 45 years in business, but the timing was right. So, we thought we'd celebrate by taking a look back at our history as a company and sharing how we came by our new name.
We got our start in 1972 when our founder, John Battistoni, invented our one-of-a-kind enzyme soil stabilizer, Perma-Zyme. The next year, he founded International Enzymes, Inc. John built the company on his belief that the world needed more sustainable, environmentally conscious products for all industries. Then, he went to work formulating them.
In 1977, International Enzymes introduced Bacto-Zyme odor eliminator and microbial cleaner, Harva-Zyme soil conditioner, and Petra-Zyme environmental remediator. International Enzymes quickly became a leader in innovative, eco-friendly enzyme solutions.
Our flagship product, Perma-Zyme, continued to see incredible growth over the next four decades. In 1982, developers used it to build the nearly 30-acre Lake Sahara in Las Vegas. And in 2005, our customers used Perma-Zyme in its 25th country.
By 2018, John had many accomplishments to his name and was ready to pass on the torch to the next generation. International Enzymes transferred ownership and became Substrata. Substrata has continued setting the gold standard in enzyme solutions by staying true to John's original vision: sustainable, eco-friendly products for all.
Since then, we've expanded our product line to include Surfa-Zyme dust suppressant.
When the company changed hands, we asked a team of specialists to guide us through the intense, exciting, and sometimes soul-baring process of choosing a new moniker that encompassed our products and our identity as innovators and market leaders in sustainable enzyme solutions.
After weeks of brainstorms, false starts, dead ends, and new beginnings, we had our “ah-ha” moment: Substrata.
The prefix sub comes from the Latin for under, below, or beneath, which is appropriate since most of our products deal with stabilizing, conditioning, and cleaning soil. This prefix also occurs in chemistry and indicates a basic compound. That's also fitting: we're a biochemical manufacturer, and we still use John's original, simple formulas. So, we got two meaningful associations for the price of one.
The root word strata, also Latin, refers to layers or levels within a whole. When you look at our product line, you’ll see that all five products form a cohesive whole. They are all 100% organic, non-toxic, and non-hazardous, making them an ideal and eco-friendly option. Yet, they act as separate “layers” to solve multiple problems:
Together, all five Substrata products work to provide effective, safe solutions to some of the thorniest challenges in soil stabilization, road construction, cleaning, odor control, dust control, agriculture, and environmental remediation.
We were grateful for your loyalty when we were International Enzymes, and we're even more grateful that you stuck with us as we started this new chapter called Substrata. With more than 50 years under our belt, we're honored to continue serving you. Here's to another 50 years!