A renewable and sustainable enterprise, Yulex Corporation adds two leading experts to its team to create bio-based industrial products from guayule, a plant native to the North American desert and now an international industrial crop. Dr. Lauren Johnson, a leading expert in plant breeding, joins Yulex Corporation as Agricultural Research Director and Jim Mitchell joins as Senior Director of Technology Development respectively.

“Using intelligent crop science and proprietary clean technology, Yulex is replacing petroleum-based synthetic industrial, consumer and medical products with high-performance, plant-based products that are safer for the environment and people. We’ve made these appointments to advance and strengthen the company’s product development plans,” says Jeffrey Martin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yulex Corporation.

As the Agricultural Research Director, Dr. Johnson will lead efforts in developing new and innovative guayule breeding programs. Previously at Cal/West Seeds in Woodland, California for 15 years, Johnson brings with him vast knowledge and experience in optimizing seed yields and seed quality, developing high quality proprietary plant varieties, and identifying plant varieties for salt tolerance. Johnson received a Bachelor of Science in Crop Science from Montana State University, a Masters of Science in Plant Breeding from New Mexico State University, and a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from the University of Minnesota.

Jim Mitchell joins as Senior Director of Technology Development. Mitchell is responsible for determining the market viability of new product developments and commercializing Yulex’s new proprietary technologies. Bringing over two decades of extensive international business development with startup and early growth technology-based organizations, Mitchell previously worked for a Xerox spin off as chief marketing and business officer. Mitchell received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering at University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Masters of Business in International Marketing from the University of Sydney.

Yulex Corporation develops proprietary guayule-based technology to extract latex, bulk rubber, bagasse and other products for medical products, consumer products and green energy production on a sustainable basis.