Key Personnel
Lior Hessel – Owner – Growponics Ltd. (Israel)
Agriculture Engineer, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. M.Sc. in Science, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering. The founder and former CEO of OrganiTech, Ltd.
Implemented agricultural projects in Israel, Ireland, Germany, Spain and Russia, as well as Pilot Projects in the U.S.A, Singapore, Thailand and England; projects that are worth tens of millions of dollars. As CEO of OrganiTech, Ltd., he took the company to NASDAQ in 2001. OrganiTech Ltd was a world pioneer and a leading manufacturer of growing factories, based on hydroponics, for industries in the fields of agriculture and the life sciences. Its products enabled the growth of green leafy plants in a clean, automatic and economical environment. The company was involved with building factories that are based on GrowTech technology, for their customers around the world. Lior Hessel is the inventor of two US patents Nos.: 6,243,987 and 6,508,033.
Previously, he was the Mechanical Engineering R&D manager for Jordan Valley Applied Radiation and Product Engineer at KULICKE & SOFFA (ISRAEL) Supervision of production, integration and calibration of the famous 980 series – a semi-automatic wafer and hard materials dicing system. Lead customization projects for the product as well as for the 412X Wire Bonder.
Geoffrey Smith – Owner – Growponics Ltd. (UK)
Geoffrey Smith studied Commercial Horticulture specializing in hydroponic production. Worked in the Middle East managing a hydroponic farm from 1981-86, and since 1986 has been running his own business growing hydroponic salad crops. Chairman of Snaith Salad Growers, a marketing co-operative through which his produce is marketed directly to the multiple supermarkets, including Wal-Mart (UK). Sits on the HDC protected crops panel advising on research priorities for the leafy salad sector. Qualified as a tax accountant in 1998, and passed the ACCA accountancy exams in 2000.