With the appointments of Greg McKenzie and Tom Rooney as the initial members of the SAC, the international technology company will augment its knowledge and experience in energy, infrastructure, policy, capital markets, and corporate governance as it accelerates its growth strategy into North America
ROYAL OAK, Mich., June 12, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Graphex Technologies, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Graphex Group Limited (collectively “Graphex” or the “Company”)) (NYSE American: GRFX | HKSE: 6128) and a global leader in mid-stream processing of natural graphite for use in Lithium-ion (Li-ion) powered batteries, today announced the formation of its U.S. strategic advisory committee as it continues to move forward with its business objectives to establish end-to-end graphite processing and production capabilities in North America and beyond. The advisory committee is being formed to provide advice and consultation by professionals across multiple industries to accelerate Graphex’s business opportunities. It is expected that shares of Graphex that are granted to the advisors will be subject to a 12-month lock-up restriction.
Graphex has retained Greg McKenzie and Tom Rooney as strategic advisors and the first members of its newly announced advisory committee. Additional members will be announced in the coming weeks.
- Greg McKenzie arrives with deep experience in metals and mining, most recently serving as Chairman and CEO of Maritime Iron Inc., a Toronto-based company developing a world-class dedicated Merchant Pig Iron plant. Greg’s input will help to further advance Graphex’s reputation as leaders in manufacturing and production. His previous experience in investment banking will bring value to Graphex as the Company continues to expand its presence in North America and pursue new avenues for capital investments and market positioning.
- Tom Rooney joins Graphex with a strong background not only in energy and infrastructure, but also vast executive experience in leading public companies through growth transformations, operational turnarounds, and various corporate evolutions. Tom has served as a board member at Central States Water Resources, Integrated Water Services, and Crom Corporation, along with many others, and will bring valuable insights from those experiences to Graphex.
“We have reached a pivotal period in our strategic growth plan. The depth and breadth of the experience, guidance, and counsel that these gentlemen bring will help us navigate the next phases of development and positioning,” said John DeMaio, Chief Executive Officer of Graphex Technologies. “Graphex continues to lead with deep production experience coupled with the ability to quickly bring facilities online to meet the unprecedented demand for refined graphite in North America. This advisory committee will further advance the Company’s work to increase graphite production globally and to onshore mid-stream critical mineral supply chains. Each advisor brings a wealth of experience across various sectors to support our global expansion and overall business strategy. I look forward to working closely with each of them.”
Graphex is currently among the top 10 suppliers of specialized spherical graphite to the EV and renewable energy industries. As the projected demand for EVs and other sustainable energy solutions continues to grow, there is a correlated increase in demand for the critical minerals necessary to manufacture the Li-ion batteries that power them. Graphex’s graphite processing plant in Warren, Michigan is forecasted to be operational in 2024 and is on track to be one of the only plants in the U.S. to have a solidified North American supply chain of natural graphite.
About Graphex Group
Graphex Group Limited is a Cayman Island company with principal and administrative offices in Hong Kong and subsidiary office in Royal Oak, MI. Graphex is focused on the development of technologies and products for the enhancement of renewable energy, particularly the enrichment of spherical graphite and graphene, key components for EV batteries and lithium-ion batteries for other use cases. With our current manufacturing facility in Heilongjiang Province, we are strategically located near one of the world’s largest high-quality sources of natural flake graphite raw material. Graphex Group is currently among the top suppliers of specialized spherical graphite to the EV and renewable energy industries and holds 23 patents in areas including products, production methods, machinery design and environmental protection.
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