California-based bioplastics firm Ecospan expands management team for new operations center in Exton, Pennsylvania, plans to open site in fall of 2011

Liling Tan

GREENBRAE, California , July 18, 2011 (press release) – Ecospan, LLC, a materials science research, development, and manufacturing company focused on bio-based plastics, recently announced an expanded management team alongside its new operations center in Exton, Pennsylvania, slated to open in the fall of 2011. "Many strategic decisions drove the expansion," notes Greg Hoffman, Chairman and CEO. "Our new executive team and operations center go hand-in-hand."

One of Ecospan's top priorities is to assemble a team of top professionals with vast experience in processing technologies and material sciences.

Scott Sanderson, Vice President of Product Development, who has been with the company since its inception, will be relocating from Ecospan's facility in Asia to the new Pennsylvania location. Joining Hoffman and Sanderson are Jeff White, President; Paul Cannon, Vice President of Marketing and Sales; and John Vandenbergh, Vice President of Operations. In 2005, Hoffman founded the company and following its spectacular growth and recent application successes, the others joined.

"The opportunity to work as a board member with Hoffman won me over," says Jeff White. "Additionally, Ecospan's prospects are huge. Its market space lends an opportunity to become part of a global megatrend -- sustainability. Our technology enables manufacturers and packagers to have a competitive advantage and to make positive changes to their bottom line; our bio-based products enable customers to significantly reduce waste. Together, we can combat critical issues such as global carbon footprint."

After a lengthy selection process, Hoffman and White translated the new operations center from dream to reality. As Hoffman recognizes, "The Philadelphia area will provide Ecospan with close proximity to the region's talent pool in the life sciences, chemicals, and plastics industries, including companies such as DuPont, Dow, and BASF. This region is home to many of the country's higher educational institutions focused on biopolymer and material science research. Among these are The University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Penn State University, and University of Delaware. The setting gives Ecospan a strong East Coast presence and allows us to better serve the European market.

White reveals that, "The site will augment our existing production capabilities in California, Arizona, and overseas in Asia. It will be a state-of-the-art facility featuring a high level of customer centricity."

Ecospan: Ecospan is a material science design, development, and manufacturing company producing durable goods made from bio-based plastics. Ecospan's proprietary blends are the basis for its brand BioFlow™ and are the result of many years of research and development. BioFlow™ materials are 100% petroleum-free. Ecospan's products are processed on existing, traditional plastic manufacturing equipment with minor modifications. Ecospan understands the demanding specifications for plastic products across all traditional processes, including compounding, calendaring, thermoforming, injection molding, T-die extrusion, and film blowing.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.