BARRINGTON, Ill. - Thursday, July 17th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE) EcoPlanet Bamboo Group has hired three seasoned executives from $8.5 billion timber giant Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY) in a key step to ensure its continued success and global expansion, and has named Marvin Ray Risco as the Group president. “Ray Risco brings a unique set of high level global experience and success,” says Troy Wiseman, CEO of EcoPlanet Bamboo. Risco began his career in forestry as Financial Director for Weyerhaeuser Forestlands International and rose to become Vice President of International Operations, covering operations in Latin America, Europe and Asia before most recently being named as President of Weyerhaeuser Solutions. “Ray brings a wealth of financial, operational and managerial expertise and the know-how to develop those processes within large companies, which we can now effectively apply at EcoPlanet Bamboo,” says Wiseman.

Joining Risco to form part of EcoPlanet Bamboo’s executive management are Dr. Kent Wheiler and James Leitheiser. Wheiler, a 25-year Weyerhaeuser veteran is experienced in international plantation management and strategic planning. Wheiler joins EcoPlanet Bamboo as Chief Operating Officer. Leitheiser brings over 27 years’ manufacturing and technical experience in the forest products and allied industries, including 17 years in a variety of roles with International Paper and most recently, as Director of Global Business Services for Weyerhaeuser Solutions. Leitheiser joins EcoPlanet Bamboo as VP, Commercial Technologies.

Expansion of the EcoPlanet Bamboo management team to include these experienced forest industry executives broadens the company’s capacity for continued global expansion of converting degraded land into sustainable bamboo plantations, and builds on the proprietary silviculture systems and technologies the company has already developed.

“I have spent years developing certified sustainable, plantation based fiber to meet the ever-growing global demand for wood products,” said Risco. “Once I understood the depth of what EcoPlanet Bamboo has created, I realized that they have figured out what no other bamboo company has ever done before. EcoPlanet Bamboo has created the systems and protocols necessary to develop bamboo plantations as a commercially viable alternative fiber in terms of scale, cost and sustainability. EcoPlanet Bamboo’s certified sustainable plantations, the company’s IP and the industry-leading operational systems they’ve developed and proven, have convinced me EcoPlanet Bamboo has the foundation to grow their business to significant commercial scale.”

Currently owning and operating commercial bamboo plantations and associated R&D facilities in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, EcoPlanet Bamboo is expanding its plantations and business operations in other strategic geographies. The company provides sustainable alternative fiber and bamboo based product solutions to manufacturing industries in the plywood, pulp and paper, charcoal, bio-energy, textiles and other major product segments.

www.ecoplanetbamboo.com

Contacts

EcoPlanet Bamboo

Kristena Blume, 847-387-3609

KBlume@ecoplanetbamboo.com

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