ABOUT US​

We are developing an innovative approach to the use of cellulosic fiber that makes the impossible possible – Stronger, lighter, reusable products that replace traditional ones at a fraction of the cost.

Mission

To be better stewards of our environment by implementing innovative chemistry that can make products manufactured from organic fibers more sustainable, more reusable, and more recyclable.

Easy Integration

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New Technology

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Better Reliability

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Our Value

Artificial Intelligence is The New Big Thing in Technology

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People Behind Us

Meet Our Team

BEST has brought together senior leaders in the areas of industrial chemistry, chemical engineering, manufacturing, and emerging sustainability technologies to realize this mission.

Richard S. Lacour

Co-founder & Chairman of the Board

Richard S. Lacour

Richard Lacour currently serves as Chairman of the Board of BE Sustainable Technologies, LLC (“BEST”). BEST has successfully pioneered an environmentally safe process to treat biomass delivering various degrees of hydrophobicity which, to-date, has never accomplished.
Mr. Lacour places a high degree of emphasis on the environment and sustainability projects as an owner of the two largest carbon credit projects in Brazil. Mr. Lacour’s projects will preserve millions of hectares of the Amazon rainforest while providing significant benefits (schools, running water, internet) to the indigenous people.
Mr. Lacour specializes in life settlement transactions. Over the last twelve years, Mr. Lacour has amassed a portfolio of life insurance policies approaching half a billion dollars.
Mr. Lacour graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1995. After graduation, Mr. Lacour worked as a Certified Public Accountant for Arthur Anderson LLP in the tax consulting division of the New Orleans, LA office. In 1999, Mr. Lacour formed his own public accounting practice which is still in existence today.
Mr. Lacour is also a Certified Public Insurance adjuster and has been an advocate for commercial and residential claimants for the past 18 years. Mr. Lacour specializes in business interruption and property damage claims and directly advised the Governor of Louisiana in the two years immediately following the BP Oil Spill.
Professional designations include: Certified Public Accountant (FL, LA); Certified Public Insurance Adjuster (FL, LA, TX).

Robert Morton

Dr. Robert Morton is the Chief Technology Officer for Be Sustainable Technologies (BEST), LLC, the leader in performance enhancing paper products. BEST promotes technologies that enhance the stewardship of the environment with products designed for sustainability.
Dr. Morton has worked in American industry for over 45 years. He was the chief materials scientist at Phillips 66 for 30 years. While at Phillips 66, Dr. Morton received 24 patents and discovered the chemistry that drives regenerable materials that remove sulfur from petroleum products. He is also responsible for the development of standard analytical methods that are used by the U.S. EPA and other agencies worldwide to determine the ultra-low levels of sulfur in fuels that protect our environment. His early research led to the development of new x-ray spectrometers and diffractometers used commercially worldwide. He was an early pioneer in elemental x-ray imaging (commonly referred to as XRF imaging) and contributed to the recovery of the lost works of Archimedes as well as imaging the Archaeopteryx. The use of elemental x-ray imaging showed that Archimedes had originated the idea of infinity and also proved that the Archaeopteryx was once a living animal that had barbed flight feathers. In addition, elemental x-ray imaging of fossils demonstrated for the first time that the biological chemistry of the past is directly related to the biological chemistry of today.
Dr. Morton has worked as an industrial chemist since 1977. He received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Missouri Western State College in 1979 and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri – Kansas City in 1987. His favorite area of Chemistry is formulation science which he was first exposed to while working for Hillyard Chemical Company in the 1970s. There are many areas of science one can specialize in but, formulation science has a direct impact on the quality of life for everyone worldwide.

Dr. Robert Morton

Chief Science Officer

Fred D. Lowder

Chief Commercial Officer

Fred D. Lowder

Fred is responsible for developing and leading BEST’s commercial and market development and initiatives that will drive adoption of its groundbreaking products. He has a unique background – he is an industrial chemist by training, and he has significant experience in leading technical groups and strategic sales management teams.
Fred has a 37-year career in the petroleum industry and is a leading expert in Pentane, Hexane, and Heptane solvents. He was instrumental in working with PIMA (Polyurethane Isocyanurate Manufacturers Association) to convert their foam blowing from freon to pentane to help protect the environment.
Before BEST, Fred was the Solvents Sales Manager at Phillips 66 Company, where he led the team to increase its net profit from $38 MM/yr to $64 MM/yr by finding novel uses for solvents and expanding to other markets. Through his efforts, Phillips 66 Solvents became one of the top-performing divisions within the Company.
Before his sales roles, Fred spent 30+ years working in a range of industrial chemistry roles, including working on special problems, quality assurance, and analytical work. He also led the Phillips 66 Research and Development Center, where he directed efforts to standardize testing methods and provide more accurate and dependable results for the refineries across the company.
Fred received his Bachelor of Science degree in Math and Chemistry Education from West Texas State University.

Mark A. Parrish

Mark is responsible for the overall business, as well as creating a strong foundation for BEST’s corporate culture and product commercialization. He is a proven leader in company transformation and delivering shareholder value – along with a deep knowledge of industrials and technology, and an intense focus on execution, organization, growth, and talent development.
Mark’s senior leadership experience includes areas of sustainability, operational excellence, corporate strategy development, mergers, acquisitions and emerging technologies. He achieved significant organizational transformation and yielded tremendous value creation for well-known consumer brands including Igloo, Cool Gear, GE, Intel, Harley-Davidson, Goldman Sachs, and Simmons. He also led world-class manufacturers such as Ply Gem Windows, Interface, Inc., and Deceuninck North America – each known for rapid product innovation.
Mark co-founded Parrish Partners, a leadership and management consulting company offering business consulting, executive coaching, executive search, and leadership training for personal and business growth. He served as a fractional CEO in the specialty paper industry, Chairman/CEO/President in the food and beverage industry and has had many advisory roles in human augmentation and the marketing and distribution of alcohol products.
Mark holds two Masters of Sciences degrees – one in Mechanical Engineering and another in Operations Management – from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Research Studies from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
As a commissioned aviator for the U.S. Army, Marked served in five countries on three continents. This included time as an AH-64 Apache pilot in Operations Desert Shield/Storm during which time Mark received the Bronze Star and Air Medal for Valor.

Mark A. Parrish

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Russell Moffett

Sales Manager

Russell Moffett

Russell has 34 years of experience in the petroleum and chemical industries.  He was most recently the Mid-Continent Region Sales Manager for Phillips 66 Specialty Solvents, a position he held for over 17 years.  He was responsible for business development, sales, and distribution of specialty hydrocarbon solvents to a wide variety of industrial and oil & gas applications.

He began his career with Schlumberger in Morgan City, Louisiana.  Over a period of 15 years in a series of roles as a Field Engineer, Field Service Manager, Staff Engineer, and Sales Engineer, he lived and worked in various locations in South Louisiana and Texas, working on projects in formation evaluation, completions, well testing, drilling, and technical advisory roles throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Permian Basin.

He then spent 19 years working in the refined products side of the industry, dealing with light hydrocarbons, primarily C5-C7 products and isoparaffins.  He also has experience in the calcined petroleum coke business, and has handled projects in diverse geographic regions, such as Canada, Venezuela, Trinidad, and other parts of the Caribbean.

He has been active in numerous professional associations throughout his career, including serving as Chapter President and on a national industry association Board of Directors.  Since 2017, he has been serving on the Mississippi State University Petroleum Engineering Advisory Board.

Russell holds a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering (1984) from Mississippi State University.  He lives in Meridian, Mississippi with his wife, Tammi, and they have 3 adult children.

Sam McCalmont

Sam has 37 years of experience in the specialty chemical business and specialty hydrocarbons. He started his career at Callery Chemical in 1981. Sam was in business development and in his final 10 years product development and sales management. He left Callery as Sales Manager in 2000, joining Phillips Petroleum Specialty Solvents as the Northeast Territory Manager. Ultimately his territory included Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. He retired from Phillips 66 Specialty Solvents at the end of May 2018.
Sam has Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Marshall University. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Sam McCalmont