VONORE, Tenn. — April 19, 2023 — Genera, the largest integrated manufacturer of non-wood pulp and molded fiber products in North America, announced today that it has appointed packaging industry veteran Ben Mascarello as Chief Executive Officer. Mascarello succeeds Genera’s founding CEO, Dr. Kelly Tiller, who will continue to be an integral part of Genera’s future as Founder and Chief Strategy Officer.
“Ben is the right leader for the next phase of Genera’s growth, and I am excited to welcome him to our team,” said Tiller, who has been at the helm of Genera since founding the company 15 years ago. “The breadth of Ben’s experience in the packaging industry and leading private equity-backed companies through periods of rapid growth will be a great asset to Genera as we execute our expansion plans. I look forward to working closely together to realize our vision for a truly transformative sustainable company.”
Mascarello brings a 30-year track record of successful business development and executive leadership in the packaging industry. Before joining Genera, he spent 15 years with Novolex, a highly diverse packaging products manufacturer. As Chief Operating Officer, he was instrumental in navigating the company’s explosive growth, which included fourteen acquisitions under four different private equity sponsors. He has also spent more than 10 years in management consulting at AlixPartners and Arthur D. Little, and has served as CEO at TransAxle and Korsnas Packaging, Inc.
“I’m incredibly excited to work with Kelly and the highly talented Genera team, along with our community and business partners, to accelerate the growth trajectory of the business and build a company that redefines state-of-the-art biomanufacturing,” said Mascarello. “Genera’s product development pipeline, based upon locally sourced regenerative fiber crops, positions the company perfectly to meet the market’s robust demand for renewable fiber solutions.”
“As a result of Kelly’s vision and leadership, Genera is poised to build the leading sustainable fiber platform in North America,” said Troy Thacker, Managing Partner at Ara Partners, a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments that acquired Genera in 2022. “We are thrilled to welcome Ben as our new Chief Executive Officer. He is a proven operator and leader who will build on what Kelly has created and propel Genera into its next phase of growth.”
About Genera
Genera is a vertically integrated manufacturer of sustainable and compostable products for foodservice, retail, and consumer packaging made from locally grown perennial grasses. Genera offers consumers sustainable alternatives to plastics with direct benefits to local farmers and communities and a significantly lower carbon impact. Genera is currently expanding its integrated non-wood pulp and molded fiber manufacturing operations located in Vonore, Tennessee, with plans to build additional plants across the U.S.
About Ara Partners
Ara Partners is a private equity firm focused on industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors, seeking to create companies with significant decarbonization impact. It operates from offices in Houston, Boston and Dublin, Ireland. Ara Partners closed its second fund with approximately $1.1 billion in capital commitments in September 2021. For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.
