Paper Production Veteran Joins Genera as VP of Operations

The Vonore, Tennessee-based molded fiber manufacturer continues to expand its growth by adding Jeff Hargrave to its roster of new leadership positions

VONORE, Tenn., Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Genera, the largest integrated manufacturer of non-wood pulp and molded fiber products in North America, announced today that it has selected Jeff Hargrave as its new Vice President of Operations. His role will be to ensure Genera has the proper organizational controls, reporting procedures and personnel in place to effectively grow the organization.

"Jeff is a great leader and has outstanding experience in developing strong teams and cultivating strong cultures in pulp and paper production." said Genera CEO Ben Mascarello. "He has successfully managed some large operations and will bring key insights as we build our capabilities and expand the applications for domestic agricultural fibers. We're excited and grateful that he has chosen to bring his expertise to Genera. Jeff is a key addition to the team as we build on our vision to become one of the nation's most sustainable and transformative companies in the compostable product space."

Hargrave has 30 years of pulp and paper industry experience working at various levels of mill operational roles across a wide span of product lines. At every point in his career, Jeff has delivered consistent, sustaining results in all aspects of operations management. He is known for rehabilitating struggling mills, developing people and building great teams, and setting clear concise expectations. Jeff's leadership approach improved employee safety, product performance and productivity of all the operations he was responsible for managing.

Hargrave comes to Genera after nine years of service with Graphic Packaging International, most recently serving as the Vice President, Virgin Mills. He received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Auburn University, specializing in pulp and paper.

"It's an honor to join the incredibly gifted team at Genera and become a part of their mission to meet sustainability goals while pursing financial growth," Hargrave said. "I look forward to the challenges of ensuring that the appropriate technology, innovation and engineering practices are considered and evaluated so that we meet our long term goals, build stronger relationships with employees and key customers and implement best practices for continued improvement."

Hargrave will also be responsible for working with Genera's leadership team to develop and implement plans for the company's operational infrastructure of systems, processes and personnel to accommodate its rapid growth objectives while continuing to meet governmental regulations and internal standards to provide the highest quality control measures.

For more information about Genera, visit https://generainc.com/.

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.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
(865) 977-1973
[email protected]

SOURCE Genera