NewAge Industries, Inc. (NAI), parent company of AdvantaPure, NewAge Performance Products and Verigenics, announced today that Ken Baker has officially completed his transition from President and CEO, a role he held since 1984. Baker succeeded his father and company founder, Ray Baker, who established the company in 1954. He will remain actively involved in the organization as a member of the Board of Directors. As previously announced, Mary Marcus assumed the role of permanent President and CEO in December 2024.
Baker was honored on May 8, 2026, during a celebration attended by over 300 guests, including family, peers, and current and former team members at Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland, PA. The event coincided with the annual ESOP share price announcement. Under Baker's leadership, NAI implemented significant environmental initiatives, including powering its corporate headquarters and a manufacturing facility in Bucks County with solar energy generated by thousands of onsite solar panels. These efforts contributed to the company achieving an EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating.
During his tenure, Baker was instrumental in expanding NAI into the high-purity market with the formation of the AdvantaPure product line, which supports demand for tubing and hose solutions in critical processing applications such as vaccine development and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The company also continued to serve industrial markets through the NewAge Performance Products industrial line. In 2024, NAI expanded its global footprint by opening a manufacturing facility in Coevorden, Netherlands, following the establishment of a sales office in Hong Kong in 2023, adding to existing operations in Germany and Brazil.
A strong advocate of employee ownership, Baker began transitioning NAI to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) structure in 2006. Today, employees own 100 percent of the organization. Baker consistently championed the belief that employees with a direct ownership stake are more invested in a company's long-term success. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership.
Beyond business, Baker remains active in philanthropic and community initiatives, supporting organizations such as WHYY in Philadelphia, PA, and ACT II Playhouse in Ambler, PA. He also founded the Center of Excellence for Employee Ownership at the Montgomery County Community College Foundation. NewAge Industries, founded in 1954, is an ISO-9001 certified, 100% employee-owned corporation with a Platinum EcoVadis Sustainability Rating and is a Certified B Corporation.
