Recently Hired Navy 3-Star Senior Officer Promoted to Shape Leadership Team as Company’s Revolutionary Process for Producing High-Quality Phosphoric Acid Scales Globally

[Fort Meade, Florida - April 22, 2023] Novaphos announced today the promotion of Navy Vice-Admiral Andrew "Woody" Lewis (ret.) as President of the company. Late last year, Mr. Lewis was appointed Chief Development Officer (CDO) for Novaphos, his first executive position since retiring from the Navy. Previously, Mr. Lewis had a long and distinguished 36-year military career as a 3-star senior officer serving in the United States Navy. He most recently served as Commander of the U.S. 2nd Fleet and NATO Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Virginia. In the newly created company position, Mr. Lewis will continue to report to Novaphos' Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Cotton.

During the last ten years, Novaphos has developed a revolutionary process for producing high-quality phosphoric acid from phosphate ore, one of the most important resources on the planet and a vital ingredient in manufacturing fertilizers, lithium-ion batteries, and many other essential products. In the role of President, Mr. Lewis will now lead the company's day-to-day operations, oversee long-term organizational strategy, and development of infrastructure and processes across all company departments. In addition, he will manage the development of Novaphos's new facility in rural Florida, which was recently supported by the United States Department of Agriculture through a $3.9 million grant under its Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP). The facility will implement Novaphos' proprietary and innovative technologies to revolutionize the production of phosphoric acid. When fully operational, the facility's low-waste, low-cost process will produce about 22,000 tons of superphosphoric acid and 90,000 tons of J-Rox annually.

"It is not every day that a person of Woody Lewis's leadership experience is available to serve at the corporate level," stated Novaphos' Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Cotton. "Through significant investment and research, Novaphos has built a modern and groundbreaking method to produce phosphate. When fully scaled, Novaphos will serve multiple industries and strengthen national security, food security, and related supply chains. In anticipation of these needs, we have established this new position of President to ensure we take full advantage of everything Woody can offer."

"I am thrilled I could continue my passion for service by using my skills and experience to bring this important project to the marketplace. Phosphate is one of the most important minerals in the world, yet the way it is currently produced is outdated and has seen minimal technical change through the years," stated Lewis. "Recently, our country’s phosphate needs have been disrupted several times because of export restrictions in China, the Ukraine war, and U.S. FTC-imposed anti-dumping duties. If we fail to take decisive action, there will be profound repercussions throughout the energy, transportation, and national security sectors, and scarcity of phosphate could trigger a domino effect with far-reaching consequences. Insufficient phosphate availability would paralyze global agriculture, leading to severe food shortages, price hikes, and heightened competition for resources. Nations, specifically the U.S., would face increased geopolitical tensions as they vie for control over remaining phosphate reserves, exacerbating existing conflicts. The bottom line is that Novaphos has developed a solution to address this impending crisis, but we need to be more than a strong and proven idea – we must move forward with well-executed implementation of our technology."

As Commander of the U.S. 2nd Fleet and NATO Joint Force Command, Mr. Lewis established and led the military equivalent of two global startups responsible for all aspects of maritime security throughout the Atlantic and Arctic. In this role, he oversaw all U.S., joint, and NATO activity in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans; developed strong military-diplomatic relationships with senior government leaders across the NATO alliance; underpinned multinational cooperative actions to address regional security and stability challenges; and directed operations for 50,000 personnel, 65 warships, 200 aircraft, and a network of 62 Allied and partner nations. Previously, he served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Global Operations, Plans, and Strategy at The Pentagon; Vice Director of Joint Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Commander of Carrier Strike Group 12 and Task Force 50, which consisted of 10 warships and 10,000 personnel. 

ABOUT NOVAPHOS
Novaphos Inc. is a privately owned company that has developed proprietary processes for use in the phosphate industry. Novaphos technology allows phosphate producers to use low-quality phosphate rock to make high-quality phosphoric acid for use in agriculture and industry without producing any phosphogypsum waste, representing the most significant technology development in decades for the global phosphate industry. The process is scalable, energy-efficient, and produces a useful construction aggregate byproduct—J-Rox™—instead of phosphogypsum. For more information, go to www.novaphos.com.

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Contact: Matthew Frankel, MDF Strategies, (917) 617-7914, [email protected]