Marrone Bio Innovations Appoints Matthew O. Brecht, Ph.D. as New Cannabis Key Account Manager

DAVIS, Calif., Jan. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (MBI) (MBII), a leading global provider of bio-based pest management and plant health products, today announced that Matthew O. Brecht, Ph.D. has joined as Key Account Manager for the cannabis agricultural market segment. 

In this role, Dr. Brecht, will oversee MBI’s key customer accounts in cannabis and help grow MBI sales within this rapidly growing market. The role will focus on managing a team dedicated to understanding customer needs and the fit of MBI’s biological suite of products, including Regalia® CG biofungicide, Grandevo® CG and Venerate® CG bioinsecticides, Stargus® biofungicide, Majestene® bionematicide, and Haven® Crop Protectant. In addition, Dr. Brecht will play an integral role in the broader cannabis community by helping to educate, train and inform our retailer-distributors and their growers on the advantages of biological solutions.

According to the November 2019 ASD Cannabis Market – Global Forecast to 2023 Report, the cannabis market is expected to grow from $10.3 billion in 2018 to $39.4 billion by 2023, at a compound annual growth rate of 30.7% during the forecast period. The major factors driving the cannabis market include the growth of medicinal applications of cannabis and the increased legalization of cannabis throughout the world.

Dr. Brecht is widely renowned as a thought leader in the cannabis industry, bringing over 20 years of experience in farming systems, plant pathology, crop protection, testing, epidemiology, crop management and pest control strategies in agricultural production. Most recently, Dr. Brecht was the President and Founder of Dutch Valley Farms, an indoor cannabis producer located in Portland, OR. Prior to founding Dutch Valley Farms, he spent over 11 years as Territory Manager at Syngenta, growing one of the Company’s largest U.S. sales regions. Dr. Brecht has a Ph.D. & M.S. in Plant Pathology from the University of Florida, Gainesville and a B.S. in Biology from University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC.

“Dr. Brecht is a well-known thought leader in the cannabis community, seen as a trusted advisor and lead agronomist on the advancement of cannabis as an important crop in domestic agriculture,” said Barner Jones, Director of National Sales and Account Management at MBI. “As we continue to see heightened interest in cannabis growing from traditional agricultural growers, it is increasingly important to have resources for farmers and their retailer-distributors on common growing practices and biological solutions to help with pest & disease pressures such as mite control, powdery mildew and Botrytis. I look forward to growing our cannabis segment in conjunction with Dr. Brecht and our cannabis team.”

“I am pleased to have joined MBI, an undisputed leader within the biological crop protection market,” said Dr. Brecht. “As a former cannabis farm operator, I have a deep understanding of the need for MBI’s products, which are unmatched in solving common issues facing cannabis growers today. I see cannabis as a segment with significant growth potential for both MBI and the broader agricultural community as a whole and look forward to working closely with the MBI team to support this growth while helping the cannabis community grow towards a more sustainable future.”

About Marrone Bio Innovations

Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (MBII) strives to lead the movement to more a sustainable world through the discovery, development and sale of innovative biological products for crop protection, plant health and waterway systems treatment that support a better tomorrow for farmers, turf managers and consumers around the globe. MBI has screened over 18,000 microorganisms and 350 plant extracts, leveraging its in-depth knowledge of plant and soil microbiomes enhanced by advanced molecular technologies to rapidly develop seven effective and environmentally responsible pest management products to help customers operate more sustainably while uniquely improving plant health and increasing crop yields. Supported by a robust portfolio of over 400 issued and pending patents around its superior natural product chemistry, MBI’s currently available commercial products are Regalia®, Stargus®, Grandevo®, Venerate®, Majestene®, Haven® and Amplitude™, Zelto® and Zequanox®.

Learn more about Marrone Bio Innovations at: marronebio.com
Follow us on Social Media:
twitter.com/marronebio 
linkedin.com/company/marrone-bio/ 
instagram.com/marronebio/

Marrone Bio Innovations Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations and plans, including assumptions underlying such statements, are forward-looking statements, and should not be relied upon as representing MBI’s views as of any subsequent date. Examples of such statements include the potential of the MBI’s products and market projections in cannabis. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including weather, regulatory and other factors affecting demand for the MBI’s products, any difficulty in marketing MBI’s products in its target markets, competition in the market for pest management products, lack of understanding of bio-based pest management products by customers and growers. Additional information that could lead to material changes in MBI’s performance is contained in its filings with the SEC. MBI is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter forward-looking statements contained in this release, whether as a result of current information, future events or otherwise.

Marrone Bio Innovations Contacts:
Barner Jones
Director of National Sales and Account Management
Main: 530-750-2800
Email: [email protected]

MBI Investor Relations:
Greg Falesnik
Managing Director
MZ Group – MZ North America
Main: 949-385-6449
[email protected]
www.mzgroup.us

Commercial Agriculture & Turf Public Relations:
Alicia Gillman
Director, Global Communications
Marrone Bio Innovations
Main: 480-889-4219
Email: [email protected]