Genera, a Tennessee-based company manufacturing domestically sourced and produced ag-based pulp and molded fiber products, has named Brad Valentine as its feedstock manager. Valentine will be responsible for managing all aspects of agricultural feedstock supply for Genera’s new Tennessee manufacturing facility, working with local farmers to produce biomass crops like switchgrass and biomass sorghum.
Brad Valentine, the new feedstock manager for Tennessee-based biomass solutions company Genera, will be responsible for supplying Genera’s new production facility 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 foodservice packaging products is a critical innovation that sets Genera apart,” Valentine said. “Genera 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 all aspects of farmer relationships, including acreage recruitment, biomass crop demonstrations, and contracting. Valentine’s other feedstock duties will include research and testing of new crops and production techniques, monitoring agricultural market trends and identifying valuable new technologies. Before joining Genera, Valentine, a graduate of Tennessee Technological University, worked as a research associate for Corteva Agriscience 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 Vice President Sam Jackson. “Brad has 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. Our efforts will also benefit the farmers we work with and rural communities in East Tennessee.”
Genera will begin issuing feedstock production contracts in fall of 2019 with its fiber production facility 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 local 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
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
SOURCE Genera
