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Genera Energy Promotes Keith Brazzell to COO Position
Biomass and biofuels industry leader to guide implementation of company innovations
VONORE, TN Oct. 8, 2013 – Genera Energy Inc., a recognized leader in biomass feedstock supply advancements, has announced the appointment of Keith Brazzell to the position of chief operating officer.
Brazzell previously served as Genera’s vice president of operations and technology and brings strong management and operational experience to Genera’s team. In his new role, Brazzell will be instrumental in ramping up operational capability, positioning Genera to continue to improve and expand the systems, processes, and resource base required to create a complete and fully-integrated biomass system with the goal of delivering every possible link in the supply chain.
“Biomass feedstock supply as a commercial business is an immature industry today,” said Brazzell. “I’m looking forward to using the plant operations and management skills I’ve developed to continue building a solid business operations platform for Genera that can be agile as the industry grows.”
It’s also a great time to be contributing to a new industry, noted Brazzell. “At the current state of the biomass supply industry, it’s a rare opportunity to help develop the standards, practices and benchmarks that will define the industry and demonstrate our ability to provide reliable, bankable and innovative upstream feedstock supply.”
Brazzell, who has more than 25 years experience in food and industrial chemical processing, was instrumental in the design, construction, start-up, and operation of the DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol biorefinery in Vonore, Tenn., serving as plant manager. Previously, he was plant manager for a DuPont biotech/ethanol joint venture in Loudon, Tenn., and was involved in process design and improvement, training and safety programs, air quality issues, and technological innovation. Brazzell has a BS in chemical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
“Working with Keith over the last year and a half, it is evident that he possesses abilities beyond the scope of his position that will directly benefit Genera as we move forward into uncharted territory,” said Dr. Kelly Tiller, president and CEO of Genera. “With Keith overseeing day-to-day operations and development of operating systems, it will allow me to focus on implementing our strategic vision as opportunities are presented to us at an increasingly rapid pace.”
A recent winner of the prestigious 2013 Sustainable Biofuels Award for Sustainable Feedstock Innovation, Genera Energy Inc. works with customers ranging from established oil and chemical industry leaders developing next generation biofuels or bioproducts projects to niche project and/or technology developers. Genera provides robust, economical supply chains for the entire industry. For more information about Genera Energy, visit www.generainc.com.
About Genera Energy, Inc.
Genera Energy Inc. supplies biomass feedstocks for the advanced biofuels, biopower, and biochemical industries. The company works with customers ranging from established oil and chemical industry leaders developing next generation biofuels or bioproducts projects to niche project and/or technology developers. Genera has developed strategic partnerships up and down the biomass value chain that improve yield, efficiency and quality, reduce costs, and enhance the scalability of biomass supply. Based in Vonore, Tenn., Genera is the exclusive operator of the Biomass Innovation Park Research Development and Demonstration campus where it conducts industry leading research and development in the areas of biomass supply chain improvement, biomass handling and logistics, storage, pre-processing systems, and integrated biorefinery project development. The company works with its customers to meet their feedstock needs, ranging from full service, turnkey supply chains to managing the biomass supply chain as a service. Winner of the prestigious 2013 Sustainable Biofuels Award for Sustainable Feedstock Innovation, Genera provides robust, economical supply chains for the entire industry that balance cost, risk, reliability and quality. For more information, visit www.generainc.com.
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