Christopher Bales, received the Hi Kellogg Award for Outstanding Service to the Composting Industry at the January 23rd US Composting Council’s Annual Conference in Orlando, FL in 2006. This award is presented to an individual who has displayed outstanding service to the U. S. composting industry over a period of many years, and who has left a lasting positive impact on the practice and the people he has worked alongside.   

Chris is a key member of NEO’s team and has been responsible for much of its success in distributing more than 2.5 million cubic yards of organic products since 1985.  He has been a tireless advocate of use of compost in innovative and interesting ways and is a walking compendium of compost success stories.  He has worked for over 20 years to promote recycling, to improve compost quality, and to demonstrate to the public the benefits of residuals recycling.  His efforts have benefited all of the composting industry. Chris has been a leader in advancing the use of compost in northern New England.  He assisted with the development of Maine Department of Transportation specifications for the use of compost and other residuals in road construction projects for erosion control and water quality protection.   He has developed products for use in trail stabilization, riding rings, wetlands remediation and bioretention cells.  He is always looking for ways to improve products, and to use them in innovative ways.    

In 2001, shortly after NEO’s Hawk Ridge Compost Facility received the Governor’s award for Environmental Excellence in Maine, Bales scheduled a date to meet with Maine governor, Angus King.  Chris brought along a load of compost and he and the Governor then spread compost on the lawn of the govenor’s mansion.  It was a fun and successful day, and within a few weeks, the compost had done its magic, prompting one of our distributors to use a picture of Chris Bales and the Governor with the caption, “Compost Fit for a King”.