AppHarvest expects to build sustainable foods company with new President

AppHarvest, one of the leading AgTech companies building some of the US' largest indoor farms, has appointed David Lee as a new president, which will report to Founder & CEO Jonathan Webb effective from January 25.

From 2015 to 2019, Lee served as chief operating officer of Impossible Foods. Since August 2020, Lee has been a member of the AppHarvest board of directors. In his new role, Lee will strategize and engage in operations management, leading the sales, finance and marketing functions.

According to Webb, with decades of experience across retail and consumer industries, optimizing organizational effectiveness from Del Monte to Zynga to Impossible Foods, David Lee will help build AppHarvest into sustainable foods company that delivers responsibly grown American products with a social impact.

The company grows its produce using 100% recycled rainwater and no chemical pesticides. AppHarvest’s indoor farms are designed to use 90% less water with yields, which are up to 30 times higher than traditional open-field agriculture on the same plot. As a result, the company expects to deliver fresher fruit and vegetables, ripened on the vine, as well as an 80% reduction in diesel consumption for transportation, compared to produce shipped from Mexico and Southwestern United States.

“AppHarvest offers an optimal solution to building a more resilient and responsible food system. When given sustainable options, consumers will be the market force that helps address climate change and food supply issues, ensuring success of companies that are putting the planet first,” commented Lee.

In January, the company plans to begin harvesting from its flagship farm (a 60-acre tomato facility) in Morehead, Kentucky. AppHarvest has two more facilities under construction - a similar over 60-acre facility outside Richmond, Ky., and a 15-acre leafy greens facility in Berea, Ky. The company also plans to build additional facilities across Kentucky and Central Appalachia, with nine potential projects under development through 2025.

AppHarvest is an applied technology company that builds some of the largest indoor farms in the United States and combines conventional farming techniques with cutting-edge technology to grow affordable and nutritious fruit and vegetables on a large scale. The company is addressing key issues, including more sustainable farming, improving everyone's access to nutritious food and building a homegrown food supply.

More information on company’s website.