[pageLogInLogOut]

#Yarn & Fiber

NatureWorks appoints Erik Ripple new President and CEO

Today NatureWorks, a leading manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers made from renewable resources, announced the appointment of Erik Ripple as the company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. Ripple will succeed interim President and CEO, Jill Zullo, who has served in the role since March 2023 when former CEO, Rich Altice, retired from NatureWorks. Ripple comes to NatureWorks from Nexeon, Ltd. in the United Kingdom, a manufacturer of silicon carbide composites for electric vehicle batteries. As Chief Strategy Officer, he led the commercial, engineering, and program teams enabling the launch of their first commercial product to battery manufacturers.

Ripple joins NatureWorks as it continues market-leading growth and innovation with construction of new 75kta Ingeo biopolymer manufacturing facility underway in Thailand 

Prior to that position, Ripple was the Chief Growth and Innovation Officer with Ingevity. In this role, he successfully positioned Ingevity to accelerate their latent innovation efforts and designed several acquisition pathways for Ingevity to execute. Ripple was previously the President of Asia Pacific, and the Senior Vice President for Performance Materials (PM) while living in Shanghai, China.??Before joining Ingevity in 2010, Ripple spent 18 years with Eastman Chemical Company where he served in leadership roles in innovation, business management, and corporate development including holding regional responsibilities in Europe.

Ripple received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University.

“We are pleased to welcome Erik as the new CEO of NatureWorks. Erik has a strong track record of global business leadership, building innovative teams, and driving growth in new markets,” said Narongsak Jivakanun, NatureWorks Board Chair, PTTGC. “As NatureWorks continues to drive the global adoption of sustainable, performance biomaterials, we are confident that Erik’s strategic capabilities will further build upon the company’s strong foundation.

“We also extend our full gratitude to Jill Zullo for her exceptional leadership over the past eight months to the NatureWorks team. Her input and guidance through this transition leave NatureWorks well positioned for continued success.”

“As parent companies, Cargill and GC continue to see an exciting future for the NatureWorks business. The global need for sustainable materials and technologies that will help mitigate climate change remains unabated,” continued Colleen May, NatureWorks Board Member and President of Cargill Bioindustrial. “We believe that Erik’s leadership will accelerate the innovation NatureWorks is known for alongside long-term growth across evolving global markets.”



“I am delighted to have been appointed to lead NatureWorks. It is a company that has been at the forefront of the low carbon, biomaterials industry for over 20 years fueled by a deeply committed, talented team and with an exciting global expansion underway in Thailand,” shared Erik Ripple, President & CEO, NatureWorks. “I’m looking forward to bringing together my background in developing nimble, creative teams and partnerships with the culture of innovation that has underscored NatureWorks’ growth and ambition in the biomaterials industry.” 

Erik Ripple © NatureWorks
Erik Ripple © NatureWorks


Ripple joins NatureWorks as it recently announced the next phase of construction on the new fully integrated Ingeo™ PLA manufacturing facility in Thailand. The new 75kta facility is on track to complete construction with production anticipated in 2025. 




More News from NatureWorks

#Yarn & Fiber

NatureWorks welcomes new CGO and CFO as company enters new growth phase

Roger Tambay, Chief Growth Officer, and Roger Kempa, Chief Financial Officer, join NatureWorks as the company prepares to open their new fully integrated Ingeo™? PLA manufacturing facility in Thailand becoming the first PLA biopolymer producer to expand globally with a second manufacturing facility.

#Yarn & Fiber

NatureWorks’ Ingeo PLA manufacturing expansion attracts Rrecord financing from Krungthai Bank PCL of Thailand

NatureWorks, a leading manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers made from renewable resources, today announced the historic financial support from Krungthai Bank PCL to optimize the capital structure for the new fully-integrated Ingeo™? PLA manufacturing facility in Thailand. The financing from Krungthai Bank, Thailand’s third largest bank, amounting to $350M USD (12,600M Baht Equivalent), is one of the singular largest loans in the bank’s decades-long history and shows confidence in NatureWorks’ market leadership and global economic impact. Today, the companies participated in a signing ceremony to celebrate this milestone.

More News on Yarn & Fiber

#Yarns

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 closes doors, advancing sustainable and innovative sourcing in South China

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 served as a strategically positioned mid-year sourcing platform for the Greater Bay Area, highlighting Shenzhen’s role in connecting regional demand, supply and innovation exchange across the textile value chain. During the three-day fair, over 20,000 visits were drawn from 74 countries and regions[1], as exhibitors and buyers engaged with new developments in greener, performance-led, and value-added yarn and fibre solutions. Held in conjunction with Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and PH Value, the fair underscored the benefits of closer synergy and new materials across yarn, fabric and apparel platforms for the South China market.

#Yarns

Yarns and technologies in symbiosis: Biella Yarn presents Fall/Winter 2027/2028 collection “New Romance_”

Biella Yarn, the flat knitting brand of Suedwolle Group, launches new Fall/Winter 2027/2028 collection, inspired by the symbiosis of yarns and technologies – elements that blend, adapt and evolve together, forming something new without losing their origin. The name “Neu Romance_” reflects the emotional and neurological dimension of the yarns: a connection that engages the senses, experienced through material, touch and interaction. The collection is further brought to life through design collaborations, featuring selected yarns used in different design approaches.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

The textile industry in transition

Recycling, traceability, eco-design and digitalisation are among the key future challenges facing the European textile industry. The Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity, involving 21 partners from twelve countries, is investigating the skills required to address these challenges. As the German industry partner, the Industry Association for Finishing – Yarns – Fabrics – Technical Textiles (IVGT) is bringing the industry’s perspective to the project.

#Research & Development

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

Latest News

#Nonwovens

EDANA announces five new board members following 2026 Annual General Meeting

The EDANA Board of Governors is elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting by the member companies. The Governors are senior executives (business leaders) from member companies, based in different countries and representing different sectors of the nonwovens industry. The Board has central responsibility for guiding EDANA's overall strategy and approving its policies and priorities. It meets three times a year.

#Nonwoven machines

DiloGroup - Complete nonwoven needling line for hygiene materials in the United States

DiloGroup has received an order for a complete needling line designed for the production of hygiene materials in the United States. This project further strengthens our position in the American hygiene sector and reflects the continued demand for reliable, high-performance nonwoven equipment.

#Natural Fibers

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

#Associations

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.

TOP