NewAge Industries, Inc. (NAI), the 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, company founder Ray Baker, who established the organization in 1954. He will remain on the Board of Directors, ensuring continued governance involvement. Mary Marcus, who assumed the role of permanent President and CEO in December 2024, now leads the global organization.
Baker was honored on May 8, 2026, during a celebration attended by over 300 guests, including family, peers, and current and former employees, at Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland, Pennsylvania. The event also featured the annual ESOP share price announcement, underscoring Baker's commitment to employee ownership.
During his tenure, Baker laid the foundation for the company's long-standing commitment to sustainability and employee ownership. Under his leadership, NAI implemented significant environmental initiatives, including powering its corporate headquarters and an additional manufacturing facility in Bucks County through solar energy generated by thousands of onsite solar panels. These efforts helped the company achieve an EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating, the highest possible.
Baker also spearheaded NAI's expansion into the high-purity market with the formation of the AdvantaPure product line, designed to meet growing demand for tubing and hose solutions in critical applications such as vaccine development and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, while continuing to serve industrial markets through the NewAge Performance Products brand. In 2024, the company expanded its global footprint by opening a manufacturing facility in Coevorden, Netherlands, following the establishment of a sales office in Hong Kong in 2023, complementing existing operations in Germany and Brazil.
A strong advocate of employee ownership, Baker was committed to keeping the company independent and employee-focused. In 2006, he began transitioning NAI to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) structure, and today employees own 100 percent of the organization. He consistently championed the belief that employees with a direct ownership stake are more invested in long-term success. Baker is also 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 and ACT II Playhouse in Ambler, Pennsylvania. He also founded the Center of Excellence for Employee Ownership at the Montgomery County Community College Foundation.
NewAge Industries, founded in 1954, designs, manufactures, and distributes fluid transfer systems solutions for high-purity pharmaceutical, biopharma, and industrial markets. The company is ISO-9001 certified, 100% employee-owned, holds a Platinum EcoVadis Sustainability Rating, and is a Certified B Corporation. Its operations span Southampton, Pennsylvania; Warrington, Pennsylvania; and Coevorden, Netherlands.
