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Novaphos – Management Brief

Management Briefs, Phosphate

Junior phosphate technology developer Novaphos, Fort Meade, Fla., announced on May 7 that James Samuelson will serve as Chief Technology Officer, a newly created executive leadership position reporting to Andrew “Woody” Lewis, who was appointed President of the company in April (GM April 26, p. 28).

Prior to joining Novaphos, Samuelson founded the TaySAMM consulting firm, where he served Novaphos and other companies around the world as an internationally recognized expert in phosphate production and developing new organic phosphate fertilizers. Previously, he served as Director of Engineering for the Simplot AgriBusiness Group, directing engineering for mining and manufacturing operations, technology development, and capital management and planning.

“Jim has been supporting us as a consultant for years, helping to develop and validate the technology we have today,” Lewis said. “Jim’s expertise, unique understanding of phosphate, and historical perspective will be instrumental to our future. He is the first hire we have made since I became President, and I am thrilled he will join our executive team.”

Novaphos is a privately-owned company that has developed proprietary technology allowing phosphate producers to use low-quality phosphate rock to make high-quality phosphoric acid for use in agriculture and industry without producing any phosphogypsum wastes. The company said the process is scalable, energy-efficient, and produces a construction aggregate byproduct – J-Rox™ – instead of phosphogypsum. Novaphos’s new facility in rural Florida last month (GM April 5, p. 27) received a grant from the USDA under its Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP). 

LSB Industries Inc. – Management Brief

Management Briefs

LSB Industries Inc. on May 6 announced the retirement of John Burns as Executive Vice President of Manufacturing. Scott Bemis has been named his successor, effective May 20, 2024. Burns has served in the role since February 2020 and will be retiring after more than 35 years in the chemical industry. LSB said he will remain with the company to ensure an orderly and effective transition.

“John has been an invaluable member of our team, bringing his manufacturing experience, along with his wisdom, vision, and leadership to the forefront of everything he does,” said Mark Behrman, LSB President and CEO. “On behalf of our Board and everyone at LSB, I would like to thank John and wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Bemis joins LSB from Albemarle Energy Storage, where he served as the Kemerton Site Director since 2023 and as the Richburg MegaFlex Site Director from 2022 to 2023. LSB said Bemis brings broad experience across research and development, manufacturing, large capital projects, reliability, maintenance, environmental, health and safety, and regulatory functions.

“We are pleased to welcome Scott to the LSB team,” Behrman said. “His extensive experience in leading large manufacturing teams, combined with his exceptional track record of improving safety while increasing production, make him highly qualified to continue the performance improvements we’ve achieved over the past several years.”