NewLeaf Symbiotics (“NewLeaf”), a company that specializes in harnessing the power of naturally occurring microbes to improve agricultural sustainability, announced last week that Brent Smith will be joining the company as President, following a national search process. Brent is an entrepreneurial executive leader with a proven track record of exceeding revenue and profit targets while building long-term value and expanding global reach. Brent has over 25 years of experience in the agriculture industry with substantial achievements in sales, marketing, sustainability, mergers and acquisitions while working for companies like Nutrien Ag Solutions, Syngenta and The Scotts Company. To help accelerate the company's next phase of growth.
Before joining NewLeaf, Brent served as Global Vice President of Sustainable Ag, Innovation and Proprietary Products at Nutrien Ag Solutions and President of Loveland Products. Since 2009 Brent has played a crucial role in expanding Loveland’s growth domestically as well as internationally. He also led the creation of Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Marketing organization and Nutriens’ global Sustainable Ag strategy. "We are thrilled to welcome Brent to the NewLeaf team," said Steve Kahn, Chief Executive Officer of NewLeaf. "His extensive experience in the agriculture industry, combined with his strategic vision and leadership skills, make him the ideal candidate to lead the company through its next stage of commercial growth and market expansion."
As President of NewLeaf, Brent will lead the company's domestic and international commercial operations and the company's research and development efforts to advance the expansion of its innovative bio-stimulant, bioprotection, nitrogen use efficiency and methane mitigation technologies. "I am excited to join the NewLeaf team and help lead the company into its next chapter," said Brent. "NewLeaf has a strong history of innovation and a deep commitment to sustainable agriculture. I look forward to working with the team to build on this foundation and drive growth for the company."
Since 2013, NewLeaf has been paving the way for sustainable agriculture technology via the development and commercialization of its unique strain of microbes. NewLeaf’s biostimulant products have achieved widespread market adoption with application onto millions of acres across North America. The company’s bioprotection product for corn rootworm recently received EPA registration which allows the company to sell the product and do broad-acre testing. Corn rootworm is the most damaging insect pest of corn in North America, causing an estimated $1 billion in revenue loss for growers annually, according to the USDA. NewLeaf’s consistent product performance, process manufacturing achievements, and unit economics will enable the company to accelerate its growth trajectory across its product lineup.
In recent years, biologics have garnered attention from growers and incumbent ag input companies looking to increase sustainable and profitable practices on farms. Degrading soil, inflated commodity prices, and changing consumer preferences have caused growers to question their use of synthetic chemistry products and instead consider biologics. The global biologics market is expected to grow from about $7 billion in 2018 to more than $20 billion by 2028. While this addressable market presents a large growth opportunity for NewLeaf, it is only a small slice of the total ag input market valued at more than $250 billion in 2019.
S2G Ventures is excited to partner with NewLeaf as it disrupts the agricultural input market. The company continues to achieve development and commercial milestones, having deployed its proprietary microbes onto millions of acres across North America. NewLeaf’s ability to captivate and bring on board leading industry executive, Brent Smith, reflects the company’s commercial success thus far, and the acceleration of its growth strategy.
For more information, contact Francis Villante at francis@s2gventures.com.
