Helm Fertilizer Corp., Tampa, has made the following personnel announcements. Rick Brown, formerly with Ag Distributors, has joined Helm as director, terminal sales and sourcing. He will be responsible for Helm’s owned terminals in Memphis, Tenn., and Helena and North Little Rock, Ark., as well as UAN sales from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Michael Peyton has been named vice president, domestic. He will be responsible for all U.S. sales and trading activities, including UAN from the AUM plant in Trinidad. This plant, with production capacity of 1.4 million mt/y of UAN, is currently under construction and is scheduled to come on stream in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Oliver Koepcke has been named vice president, international, responsible for all Latin American business activities. In addition, Fabian Jung has been transferred to Tampa from Helm’s Hamburg, Germany office. He will assist Koepcke in the company’s international department.
Truth 1 Industries, LP, has formed a new sister company, Truth Worldwide LLC, a specialist in the global, packaged, and bulk food trading business. Patrick Kerim, president of Truth Worldwide, and Joe Newcomb, CEO, Truth Chemical, are partners in the new venture. For more information see www.truthworldwide.com, or call 281-292-6900.
Rentech Inc. has announced organizational changes designed to better align its management structure with the company’s strategy for the commercial deployment of the Rentech Process for manufacturing clean synthetic fuels. Douglas Miller has been appointed executive vice president of Renewable Energy Businesses. In this capacity, he will be responsible for the development of Rentech’s biomass initiatives. He previously served as company executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Richard Penning, executive vice president of commercial affairs, will continue to be responsible for the development of Rentech’s fossil-based synthetic fuels and chemicals facilities and for all domestic and international licensing initiatives, technology, and product development and certification. Dr. Harold Wright, senior vice president and chief technology officer, will continue to report to Penning.
John Diesch, senior vice president of operations, will manage all of the company’s operating assets, including Rentech Energy Midwest Corp. (REMC), which is the company’s nitrogen production facility, the Product Demonstration Unit (PDU), the proposed Rentech Strategic Fuels and Chemicals Complex near Natchez, Miss., and new synthetic fuels plants as they come online. Miller, Penning, and Diesch will all report to Rentech President and CEO D. Hunt Ramsbottom.
Potash One Inc. reports that William Harris has been appointed to its board of directors. Harris received his B.A. in English from Harvard College and his M.B.A in finance from Columbia University. He is a partner of Solo Management Group LLC, an investment and management consulting partnership. Harris was previously on the board of Energy Metals Corp. and was also chairman and executive committee member of the American Fiber Manufacturers Association. He is also the former president and CEO of Hoechst Fibers Worldwide, and held senior level positions with Grupo Celanese S.A., Celanese Canada Inc. and Hoechst Celanese Corp.
Potash One also reports that William Lupien has resigned as a director, effective Dec. 23, 2008. He has opted to retire from all the public company boards and positions he holds to focus on his personal pursuits and family. He remains a shareholder and has been retained as an advisor to the company.