Officers, Directors and Key Personnel
John B. Kern, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer - The founder of Carolina-Pacific, Mr. Kern oversees all of the Carolina-Pacific group's activities, operations and the development of business relationships. He is an attorney who has practiced international business law, sports law and maritime law for 15 years from offices in Charleston, SC and in European offices in the Republic of San Marino. A frequent speaker on topics in international law, Mr. Kern is the Chairman of the South Carolina Bar International Law Committee. He is a Member of the College of Fellows of the Austrian Center for International Legal Studies. Mr. Kern has been designated by the Swiss Government (Ministry of Economy) as a highly qualified legal advisor to Swiss businesses locating in the United States. BA in Political Science from Seattle Pacific University. JD/MBA from Willamette University. Editor, Willamette Journal of International Law and Policy, 1993. Prior to graduate school, Mr. Kern worked for five years in the US Senate as an aide to Sen. Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon and other members of the leadership of the Senate. Mr. speaks French and Italian, is married and resides in Charleston. Email: Kern@Carolina-Pacific.com
E.T. "Ted" McNair, Jr., VP Procurement - Ted McNair is a native of Manning, South Carolina, in the heart of the Switchgrass Growing region in South Carolina. Having joined the firm in January 2008, McNair is responsible for procurement of agricultural resources for Carolina-Pacific. Carolina-Pacific's growers are strengthened by McNair's experience in maximizing financial performance of farm operations, coupled with his indepth knowledge of agriculture processes from seed to harvest. He is familiar with forestry operations and procurement practices. McNair comes to Carolina-Pacific from Syngenta Seeds, where he managed a growing soybean marketing plan for the Eastern United States. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Studies from Clemson University and a Masters in Agriculture and Applied Economics, also from Clemson University. During the start-up of Carolina-Pacific Briquetting Co.'s Georgetown operation, Mr. McNair has doubled as a production manager for the company. Email: McNair@Carolina-Pacific.com
-Jon O. Vicary, UK Market Representative - The United Kingdom represents one of Europe's leading markets for biomass combustion, with a political ethic which accepts responsibility for lowering CO2 emissions. The biomass market operates within a complex Parliamentary and Regulatory regime of subsidies and incentives for the burning of biomass to create electricity and a system of disincentives for the burning of Green House Gas emitting coal. Carolina-Pacific works primarily with Jon Vicary, a Managing Director of Aevas Ltd., with offices in Yorkshire and London. Mr. Vicary a graduate of the University of Wales, the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Member of the City & Guilds of London. Jon has spent his whole career in the agriculture and forestry industries. He has over 4 years experience in the UK’s renewable fuel markets. He has structured purchase and sales agreements as well as joint ventures and significant infrastructure investments while working with power producers and biomass suppliers in the UK. E-mail: jon.vicary@ukgateway.net.
Nick Asimos, Production Manager - Nick Asimos is responsible for overseeing the company's production operations in Georgetown, SC. Nick came to Carolina-Pacific from Denver, Colorado, where he managed 65 employees in a market leading building products wholesaling and distribution company. He attended the Universtiy of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO. Email: Asimos@Carolina-Pacific.com
