Buffalo Biodiesel has appointed new senior executives as it prepares to expand following a $300 million capital partnership with Verite Capital Partners, Biofuels Central reported. The appointments, announced on 17 June, cover company leadership, finance and litigation as the used cooking oil business prepares to increase its geographical reach.
Founded in 2005 and based in Buffalo, the company currently serves more than 30,000 restaurants in 15 states. According to the announcement carried by Biofuels Central, it plans to operate across 25 states, describing its intended geographical reach as extending from Montreal to Miami. The expansion is expected to create more than 600 jobs.
Frank Balon has been appointed president and chief legal officer. A corporate executive and lawyer, he previously held the roles of co-president, chief legal officer and board director at Steuben Foods. The company presented his combination of operational and legal experience as central to managing the planned expansion.
Balon’s leadership team includes Ryan Haggerty as chief state litigator and general counsel. Haggerty spent more than 14 years at the Erie County District Attorney’s Office and will oversee state litigation. The announcement linked his courtroom experience to the company’s efforts to safeguard its assets.
Jeremiah Lenihan has been named chief federal litigator. He previously worked as an assistant United States attorney, prosecuting cases involving organised crime, money laundering, gang activity and financial fraud. Buffalo Biodiesel said his prosecution experience and civil practice would support its enforcement work.
The company has also appointed Peter Grisanti, who holds CPA and MBA qualifications, as chief financial officer, and expects to fill further key posts. Company officials described the appointments as strengthening its financial, legal and operational capacity ahead of what they characterised as one of its largest periods of growth.