By AMY SOWDER

February 11, 2021

Newark, N.J.-based AeroFarms has hired several executives from companies such as Google, Earthbound Farm, PepsiCo, Kraft, Campbell’s Soup Co., and Tata Consumer Products.

Most recently, Dane Almassy joined the company as vice president of sales, according to a news release.

Almassy has more than 20 years of experience including time at Earthbound Farm, Aurora Organic Dairy, and PepsiCo.

Since 2004, AeroFarms has been working in not only vertical, aeroponic farming, but other aspects of agriculture, from genetics to post-harvest. The company’s more than 850 crop varieties can extend beyond food uses to pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, and nutraceutical.

AeroFarms has been in major expansion mode with major announcements in 2020:

• The build-out of a large research and development indoor vertical farm in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates;

• Launch of the municipal indoor vertical farming program in Jersey City, N.J.; and

• The World Economic Forum Healthy Communities and Cities initiative.

To help meet this growth, AeroFarms has made other key hires.

Andreas Sokollek, Stacy Kimmel, Ph.D., and MaryAlice Feinstein joined AeroFarms more than a year ago as chief operating officer, vice president of research and development, and chief people officer respectively, and Mark Boyland joined the summer of 2020 as general counsel.

“These key executive hires, each with deep industry expertise, have been helping us further capitalize on opportunities around the world as we continue to scale and build out our incredible culture and team, all aligned around our mission of growing the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity,” co-founder and CEO David Rosenberg said in the release.

Also, AeroFarms added in 2020 to its board of directors James “Jim” C. Borel, who has more than 40 years of experience in the global agriculture and food industry, including executive vice president and member of the DuPont Office of the Chief Executive.

Lead photo: AeroFarms hires several top executives. - (File photo courtesy AeroFarms)