Genera Names Feedstock Manager for Sustainable Agricultural Fiber Production Facility
17 September 2019
VONORE, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Genera, a Tennessee-based biomass solutions company that provides domestically sourced and produced ag-based pulp and molded fiber products, has named Brad Valentine as its feedstock manager. Valentine will be responsible for supplying Genera's new Tennessee production facility with designated biomass crops and will manage all aspects of supply for the company.
Genera recently secured a $118 million investment to produce its Earthable® line of sustainable agricultural fiber products at a new manufacturing facility in Vonore, Tennessee. Earthable® will be the largest fully integrated domestic solution for ag-based fiber and food-grade packaging in the United States.
"Building relationships with area farmers and connecting them to the global market for sustainable food service packaging products is a critical innovation that sets Genera apart," Valentine said. "This company is on the front lines of finding renewable, economically beneficial solutions for farmers, suppliers, retailers and consumers. It's rewarding to have a part in that process."
As feedstock manager, Valentine will manage grower relationships, production recruitment, contracting and all other aspects of supply, as well as serving as liaison to growers. Valentine will also manage the implementation of production contracts and Genera's grower audit program, supervise biomass crop demonstration, research and testing, and monitor agriculture market trends and new agriculture technologies. Before joining Genera, Valentine, a graduate of Tennessee Technological University, worked as a research associate at DuPont Pioneer in Proctor, Arkansas.
"Our farm-to-finished product system is a crucial part of what differentiates Genera, so the company's success depends on our connections with our partner farmers," said Genera CEO and president Kelly Tiller. "Brad's demonstrated that he has the experience, passion and skill to manage and expand those connections, which will build Genera and Earthable® into the leading sustainable food packaging solution and also benefit the farmers we work with and the rural economy in East Tennessee."
Genera's fiber production facility is scheduled to start delivering Earthable® products to the marketplace in 2020. The company will begin hiring for 80 new skilled and maintenance jobs at the facility in early 2020.
About Genera
Genera, a Tennessee-based biomass solutions company, works to simplify supply chains with domestically sourced and produced ag-based pulp and molded fiber products. Partnering with regional farmers, Genera provides a sustainable farm-to-finished product solution for a wide array of applications including compostable food service tableware, to-go containers, packaging, paper, tissue and more. To learn more about Genera, please visit https://generainc.com
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SOURCE Genera
