Construction builds communities
But if you’ve ever seen what happens after a hard rain… you know it can also move a lot more than dirt.
In the beginning
Joe Moore, Founder & Chief Brand Ambassador
I didn’t start my career planning to build companies around water quality. I started it like a lot of people do, just trying to build things the best way I knew how.
Right after graduating from Purdue University, I went into high volume corporate construction. I spent seven years in that environment in Southwest Ohio, and during that time, I watched the regulatory world start to change… especially around pollution prevention, and specifically, protecting water during construction.
Looking back, I can admit something that’s hard to say out loud. In those early days, I was a polluter. Not because I didn’t care, and not because it was intentional… but because I wasn’t formally educated on the impacts.
And that part hit me personally...
Because outside of work, I was an avid fisherman and hunter. I was constantly interacting with the same waterways that were being impacted by construction behavior. I used those waters for recreation… and I was helping degrade them during the day without even realizing it.
Silt Fence Failure
The Problem
After seven years, I made the decision to move home and start my family with my wife in Northwest Indiana, on the south shores of Lake Michigan.
And naturally, I started a homebuilding company. But as I grew in that world, I started struggling with erosion and sediment controls. I got “entangled” with a local MS4 that was doing strong enforcement work. And what I noticed from the constructor side was something important.
It wasn’t just that enforcement was happening. It was that the tools we were being asked to use weren’t efficient enough… and in many cases, they weren’t truly solving the problem.
The answer I kept hearing was: “Use silt fence”, and to be frank… that wasn’t enough.
The Birth of Siltworm™
So about fifteen years ago, I started messing around with compost and filtration techniques. I wasn’t trying to invent a business. I was trying to find a better way. I knew there had to be something that worked better, installed faster, performed more consistently, and delivered real results in the field.
That was the birth of Siltworm™.
At first, it was experimentation. Then it became a real product. And then—eventually—it became a real business… with enough revenue to support employees.
That’s when the true R&D began.
Siltworm™ Filter Sock Media: Kiln-dried recycled soft wood from construction waste.
Erosion & Construction Services installing silt fence.
The Birth of ECS SWPPP Installation Division
As Siltworm™ grew, another problem became obvious: a lot of constructors and clients didn’t understand the differences between erosion control technologies. They didn’t know what to choose, how to design it, or how to maintain it. And many clients were asking us to not only provide the materials… but to provide the entire system needed to keep them compliant.
I also saw attempted implementation of erosion and sediment controls by landscape and excavation contractors who offered it as an “add on.” They meant well. But the reality was, many sites were still failing to meet permit requirements.
Because erosion and sediment control isn’t an add on. It’s a specialty.
There was, and still is, a need for professionals who understand the intricacies of these systems and the importance of proper design, proper installation, and ongoing maintenance.
That was the birth of ECS: Erosion and Construction Services. A group of professionals built to solve those exact needs: helping clients meet permit requirements, guiding wise implementation, and supporting budgeting and planning that actually works in the real world.
One Company. Two Divisions.
Today, I’m proud to say we’ve created something remarkable.
On the Siltworm™ side: we use recycled construction materials to create a full circle pollution prevention solution—with some of the best sediment capture performance available.
On the ECS side: our systems are advanced, our people are passionate about results, and we’re relentless about compliance.
We don’t just talk about water quality. We live it.
"Today, we’re proud to stand as one of the largest filter sock manufacturers in the country, delivering one of the most effective sediment capture solutions available… while also serving the people building our communities and the agencies protecting our waterways.
Because in the end, this is bigger than construction.
It’s about responsibility."
Joe Moore, ECS Founder & Brand Ambassador