Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services, has added new team members to the Kemin Food Technologies group following the acquisition of Proteus Industries, Inc. earlier this year, which added sustainable, clean-label yield enhancement technology to the global Kemin Food Technologies portfolio of ingredient solutions. 

With Kemin now producing and suppling the Proteus product line, Kemin Food Technologies – Americas has expanded its team to support these products and solutions. The below individuals have taken on the following roles:

• Bill Fielding, business director, previously CEO of Proteus Industries for 12 years and now leads the Kemin Proteus group. He is responsible for the general management of Kemin Proteins, as well as business strategy and global expansion. Fielding earned his bachelor’s degree from Furman University.

• Steve Kelleher, research fellow, is the inventor of Proteus clean-label yield-enhancement technology. In his role at Kemin, he will be responsible for R&D, technical customer support, intellectual property, and regulatory support. Kelleher was President/Chief Scientist at Proteus Industries for 19 years, and prior to that he was an extension specialist at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst for 15 years. He earned his master’s degree in food science from Cornell University and his doctorate in food chemistry from the University of Massachusetts.
• Kevin Pentz, operations manager, will oversee all operations and operational facilities, including expansion and growth projects for Proteus solutions. Pentz has an extensive background in the food industry, including working as the corporate vice president of Proteus, senior vice president of operations at Creekstone Farms and as a general manager for Tyson. He spent 15 years at Cargill as a leadership development program participant, general manager, and director of quality assurance. He earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Nebraska.
• Scott Gardner, principal technical services manager, will handle customer project implementation, formulation, and technical support for Proteus solutions. He has 36 years of experience in the meat industry and has been R&D process improvement & department leader for the last two decades. Gardner has processing knowledge in seafood, pork, chicken, and beef and is certified in three categories by AIB International, a food safety consulting agency, and is Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-certified in U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Seafood. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture with a concentration in meat science from the University of Kentucky.

“We are very excited to grow the Proteus business as part of Kemin Food Technologies,” said Bill Fielding, Proteus business director, Kemin Food Technologies – Americas. “Expanding Kemin’s key platforms to include functional proteins is an exciting challenge and a synergistic effort for our team, as Proteus technology will enable Kemin customers to improve quality and yield while meeting clean-label and cost-savings initiatives—which is more important now than ever."

“The pandemic and recent labor shortages have given the consumer a glimpse of what happens to cost at the meat counter when demand outpaces supply,” said Fielding. “The growing population and increasing global demand for protein is a very real challenge to the industry, which we expect to continue well past recent events. Innovative ingredients that enable processors to improve quality and yield more naturally and efficiently will play an important role moving forward. Our job is to help our customers meet that challenge.”    

To learn more about Kemin’s portfolio of ingredient solutions for yield enhancement, moisture control, shelf-life extension, flavor and color retention, and food safety, click here.