Co-Founder Jason Finnis Named Chief
Innovation Officer
VANCOUVER, and PORTLAND, OR, Sept. 7,
2011 /PRNewswire/ - Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.
(the "Company") (OTCBB: NADVF) (TSXV: NAT) announced the
appointment of Thomas C. Robinson, a
27 year veteran of the textiles industry, as its Chief Operating
Officer. Robinson joins the company from International Textile
Group (ITG), where he was most recently Vice President of Cotton
Operations Planning and Technical Support in the company's apparel
division. Robinson's appointment coincides with NAT's imminent plan
to establish a permanent production facility in Kingstree, S.C. that will replace its testing
facility established there in August
2010. Jason Finnis,
co-founder and immediate past COO, will become Chief Innovation
Officer, responsible for innovation of sustainable bast fibers,
cellulose pulp, and their resulting by-products.
"Tom is an excellent organizational fit for NAT whose
appointment comes at a strategic time for the company," said
Ken Barker, CEO of NAT. "He will
assume leadership of our manufacturing facility currently in
development, and brings with him experience launching four
international manufacturing platforms. Tom's presence will allow us
to advance current and future development and purchasing agreements
with global partners."
Robinson began his textiles career in 1984 with Burlington
Industries, the leading full service apparel solutions organization
for apparel manufacturers and retailers. From 1984 to 2004 he held
a number of leadership roles for the company, culminating in
Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations Planning.
His experience included greenfield startup manufacturing
facilities, as well as oversight of multi-plant operations
throughout the U.S., China,
Mexico, India, Vietnam and Nicaragua. ITG later purchased Burlington
Industries to become one of its six current companies, and
positioned it alongside Cone Mills, one of the premier denim
manufacturers and wholesalers in the world. In 2004, Robinson
became Vice President of Operations Planning and Customer Support
at Cone, where he was responsible for global denim operations
planning, customer service, technical product development and
quality control. He played a key operations role in the integration
of Burlington Industries and Cone Mills as they each became part of
ITG.
Robinson brings to NAT deep textiles experience with a focus on
understanding the performance and customer impact of natural fibers
in the spinning, weaving and knitting process. He will be NAT's
senior-most executive permanently located in the Eastern U.S.,
where it plans to install a fully integrated flax fiber
decortication and CRAiLAR enzymatic processing facility with the
capacity to produce 650,000 pounds of CRAiLAR Flax fiber per week.
It expects to be ready to commence production in Q1 of 2012,
ramping up to full-scale capacity by Q2. Robinson is a 3rd
generation textile industry veteran with a BA in economics and
business from North Carolina State
University, and an Executive Program Certificate from
University of North Carolina.
Finnis, co-founder and now CIO, will increase his focus upon
NAT's deep relationships with research partners, including Canada's
National Research Council, United States Department of
Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA - ARS), and
partners like HanesBrands. This newly created role will focus on
ways to improve NAT's processing techniques, throughput
efficiencies, and yield.
Last week, NAT announced the addition of Jay Nalbach as Chief Marketing Officer. Nalbach
joined the company from adidas Group AG.
About Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. develops renewable and
environmentally sustainable biomass resources from flax, hemp and
other bast fibers. The Company, through its wholly owned
subsidiary, CRAiLAR(r) Fiber Technologies Inc., has developed
proprietary technologies for production of bast fibers, cellulose
pulp, and their resulting by-products in collaboration with
Canada's National Research Council. CRAiLAR technology
offers cost-effective and environmentally sustainable processing
and production of natural, bast fibers resulting in increased
performance characteristics for use in textile, industrial, energy,
medical and composite material applications. The Company was
founded in 1998 as a provider of environmentally friendly, socially
responsible clothing. It has current purchasing or development
agreements with HanesBrands, Georgia-Pacific, Levi Strauss & Company,
Cintas Corporation and Ashland Inc. For more information,
visit www.naturallyadvanced.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements". All statements in this news release,
other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements or information are subject
to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual
events or results to differ from those reflected in the
forward-looking statements or information and including, without
limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to: any market
interruptions that may delay the trading of the Company's shares,
technological and operational challenges, needs for additional
capital, changes in consumer preferences, market acceptance and
technological changes, dependence on manufacturing and material
supplies providers, international operations, competition,
regulatory restrictions and the loss of key employees. In addition,
the Company's business and operations are subject to the risks set
forth in the Company's most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other
SEC filings which are available through EDGAR at
www.sec.gov. These are among the primary risks we foresee
at the present time. The Company assumes no obligation to update
the forward-looking statements.
SOURCE Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.