We are the makers of the Compost Crank® and the Compost Crank® Twist, and our two sons, Brendan and Brian, are out of college and officially part of our business (they get paid now)!

Our Story

Many years ago, with a need to solve his own composting problems (always dry compost in the desert southwest and a bad back), Charlie Ambrose, designed this unique tool. When his sister-in-law, Vicky, saw how well it worked she thought others might find it useful. Charlie’s wife, Sharon, who was home raising their two young sons, started Lotech Products part-time. The name came from Charlie’s terribly good sense of humor. We have come a long way over the years and our sons have grown, but we still make each one with care, by hand, on the same machine Charlie made from recycled parts. We have just had our two sons follow us into the business, learning to make the tool and taking over for Dad, working in the office with Mom, and helping with just about everything. We thank everyone who has supported and helped us on this wonderful road.

We love helping you, help the world stay green!

Happy gardening,

The Ambrose Family

 


The Makers’ Bios

Brian

  • Nickname – Biff. As a child, I was regularly falling and scraping my knees. The upside is, I am now fairly nimble. Tuck and roll!
  • Favorite Food – Varies. At this particular moment, pub cheese. Just had some. Salsa is a constant favorite.
  • Favorite Plant – Peppers.
  • Hobbies – Gardening, cooking, guitar-trying, golfing, baseball watching, hiking, backpacking.
  • Craziest idea ever – Thought I could eat that last doughnut.
  • Really loves – When the Yankees lose a game.
  • Wish I would have – Not eaten that one last doughnut.
  • Best book – I enjoy mystery novels, and the internet.
  • Most want to do – Long road trips all over the US.
  • Most want to see – The Diamondbacks win a second World Series.

Brendan

  • Nickname – Buck. "No reason other than to still have two b-name kids, and we live in the southwest." – Quote from Mom
  • Favorite Food – Pickles, summer squash, spaghetti, spaghetti squash, brown sugar a-la spoon.
  • Favorite Plant – Cucumber, summer squash, dill, peppers.
  • Hobbies – Gardening, cooking (pickling cucumbers), hiking, and backpacking.
  • Craziest idea ever – Made a book holder that let me read while I laid in bed.
  • Really loves – To laugh (formerly: chewing ice).
  • Wish I would have – Pursued professional golf (there’s still time!).
  • Best book – The Big Burn by Timothy Egan.
  • Most want to do – See the world.
  • Most want to see – Fish populations rebound, global warming reversed, Ghostbusters.

Sharon

  • Nickname – (Mom Da Bomb -I didn’t write that) Ma, Mommy, Mum, Muma, Mummy, Maaaah because I am lucky to work with my two sons all day even though I keep telling them, “It’s ‘Boss’ to you, Mister”.
  • Favorite food – Avocados, artichokes, white cheddar popcorn. Oh, and Mexican food! And margaritas and all cookies.
  • Favorite plant – Parsley! Because it’s usually needed in recipes that we cook and we’re always out. Trees! (it’s a shade in the desert thing)
  • Hobbies – Gardening, cooking, decorating & home remodeling, watching sports on the tv (is that really a hobby?), hiking, golfing (but never go), and reading.
  • Craziest idea ever – Make a machine out of recycled parts to bend our tools on, make that our identity, then never be able to show it to anyone because it is a trade secret.!?
  • Really loves – Laughing with my sons! Tons of iced tea in the summer. Oh, and margaritas. It’s the ice. And Brian Regan.
  • Wish I would have – Been a vet (a cat allergy solved that quandary), but it all worked out okay! I do love business the most.
  • Best book – The dictionary, I can’t misuse or misspell a word (neurosis). Looking that up right now… And because I forgot how to spell.
  • Most want to do – Cook every recipe ever written & eat it with my two sons. And grow lavender without killing it in under 1 week.
  • Most want to see – Lavender in a pot longer than a week.

Note: Some of you may be thinking, why don’t they list composting as a hobby? Well, that did give us pause. Then we decided that since we do it all day, Monday thru Friday, it really is classified as work. Even though we do love it and it’s fun (have 3 bins and 3 trashcan bins). So, there you have it. Thank you all for reading!