Emergent Holdings, the parent company of recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) company Whole Oceans, has appointed Justin Hankins as its new vice president of finance.
Hankins has more than a decade of experience in agriculture-related finance, building strong ties to global protein production. He holds a degree in business management, with a minor in economics, from the University of Nebraska-Kearney and has served on many boards over the years, including with industry associations, religious organizations, and international companies.
Hankins said he is “excited about the opportunities the salmon industry has to offer,” according to a 16 August press release from the company.
Emergent Holdings-owned Whole Oceans plans to build a state-of-the-art RAS facility with the intention of raising Atlantic salmon on the site of a former Verso paper mill in Bucksport, Maine. The firm announced on 8 August Jacob Bartlett, the CEO of Emergent Holdings, would be stepping into a leadership role as the business enters its next development phase. In his new role with Whole Oceans, Bartlett will help oversee the business as it prepares to secure final permits and begin construction.
“Whole Oceans and its owner, Emergent Holdings, are committed to the Town of Bucksport and to the successful completion of this project,” Bartlett said earlier this month. “We are close to completing all of the necessary permitting and will soon head into a new phase with engineers and contractors and breaking ground. I very much look forward to assuming a more active role in this project moving forward and to working with the strong team we have assembled for this project in Maine.”
