The J.R. Simplot Co., Boise, has named Erik Vettergren as Vice President of Mining and Manufacturing within its AgriBusiness group, succeeding Klaas Hutter, who will retire Dec. 20 as Vice President Emeritus, but continue to work on special projects. Vettergren will be responsible for all manufacturing facilities, mines, and engineering services, with key goals of safety, operational excellence, innovation, and sustainability. He also will develop and maintain operations, engineering, and capital expenses and budgets, working closely with supply, planning, sales, and marketing groups.
Vettergren joined Simplot in August 2018 as Mining and Manufacturing Senior Director. He previously worked as Upgrade Products General Manager for Nutrien Ltd. (formerly Agrium Inc.) in Kennewick, Wash., overseeing Nutrien’s Kennewick nitric acid/UAN facility, two NPK granulation plants in the Southeast, and a controlled release facility in Missouri. He also managed a Redwater ammonia urea complex in Alberta, and Agrium’s Conda Phosphate Operations near Soda Springs, Idaho.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Western Governors University.