Today, AppHarvest announced the hiring of Christopher Scott as executive vice president and head of enterprise development. He will be responsible for overseeing the construction and commissioning of new facilities for the AgTech leader, which recently opened the first 30 of 60 acres of growing space at its flagship indoor farm in Morehead, Ky., that’s the equivalent of nearly 50 football fields.
An Appalachian native, Scott comes to AppHarvest with decades of experience leading facility programs and business development for companies including CBRE, as well as information technology distribution companies Ingram Micro and BrightPoint. He served in a variety of leadership roles over two decades for Ingram Micro and BrightPoint, which was acquired by Ingram Micro for $650 million in 2012. Scott has worked around the world overseeing the development and construction of buildings, including state-of-the-art fulfillment centers incorporating complex automation and technology solutions.
“This is a dream job for me, as AppHarvest is building some of the world’s largest indoor farms and utilizing cutting-edge technology in both construction and operations. As an Appalachian native, it’s incredible to see the impact the company is already making on both agriculture and the region,” Scott said.
Added AppHarvest Founder & CEO Jonathan Webb, “Christopher’s long-time focus on sustainability, including chairing BrightPoint’s sustainability program, demonstrates his commitment to our mission and values as we seek to redefine American agriculture.”
Scott joins AppHarvest from CBRE, where he served as director of professional services and business development. His prior work for Ingram Micro and BrightPoint also included overseeing the integration of multiple acquired companies.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Ball State University’s Miller College of Business.
At AppHarvest, Scott will be responsible for overseeing commissioning and construction of new facilities. The company in October opened the first 30 of 60 acres of growing space at its flagship farm in Morehead, Ky. Construction is also underway on two additional facilities – a similar 60-plus acre facility outside Richmond, Ky., and a 15-acre facility to grow leafy greens in Berea, Ky.
In just over two years, AppHarvest has attracted more than $150 million in investment into Central Appalachia and announced on September 29, 2020, its entry into a definitive agreement for a business combination with publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company Novus Capital Corporation (Nasdaq: NOVS). The combination, which is expected to close late in the fourth quarter of 2020 or early in the first quarter of 2021, is expected to provide $475 million of gross proceeds to the company, including $375 million from a fully committed common stock PIPE at $10.00 per share anchored by existing and new investors – including Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Inclusive Capital, and Novus Capital Corporation. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named AppHarvest and is expected to remain listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol APPH.
AppHarvest’s investors include Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Inclusive Capital Partners, Equilibrium, Narya Capital, Lupa Systems, Breyer Capital and Endeavor Catalyst. Endeavor selected AppHarvest Founder & CEO Jonathan Webb as an Endeavor Entrepreneur in 2019.
Board members include food icon Martha Stewart, Narya Capital Co-Founder and Partner JD Vance, Impossible Foods Chief Financial Officer David Lee and impact investor Jeff Ubben.
AppHarvest is an applied technology company building some of the world’s largest indoor farms in Appalachia. The Company combines conventional agricultural techniques with cutting-edge technology and is addressing key issues including improving access for all to nutritious food, farming more sustainably, building a home-grown food supply, and increasing investment in Appalachia.
The Company’s 60-acre Morehead, KY facility is among the largest indoor farms in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.appharvest.com
(provided by AppHarvest)
