MOREHEAD, Ky. — AppHarvest Inc. named controlled environment agriculture veteran Tony Martin its CEO effective immediately to accelerate its strategic plan, Project New Leaf, which has shown strong progress toward operational efficiencies resulting in higher sales, cost savings and product quality as the company works to increase production across its four-farm network.
AppHarvest has had stumbles as it tries to launch an ambitious plan to build high-tech indoor farm greenhouses in Appalachia that could supply fresh produce to the eastern U.S. supermarket customer without having to transport it for days from Mexico or the Southwest U.S.
It sold one of its massive greenhouses to distribution partner Mastronardi Produce to generate cash that had not materialized from sales. Still, reports this week based on SEC filings indicate Mastronardi wants to evict AppHarvest from that Berea site. AppHarvest disputes claims that would justify eviction from its lettuce production facility.
Martin has served as an AppHarvest board member since October 2022 and chief operating officer since January. He joined AppHarvest following a nearly 12-year career with Windset Farms, one of North America’s largest controlled environment agriculture (CEA) producers and marketers of indoor-grown crops, with more than 250 acres in the U.S. and Canada.
At Windset, Martin supported both significant infrastructure and revenue growth. Martin has served as a consultant in the CEA sector and is a board member of the Fruit & Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corp., a non-profit that sets standards for the trade of fresh fruits and vegetables in Canada. He also serves on the board of Natureripe Farms, the second-largest strawberry producer in North America. He is a partner in GA Partners, which consults on agricultural operations and assists businesses in transition.
