NatureWorks, the Plymouth company behind Ingeo plant-based plastics, is getting ready for a leadership shakeup as CEO Erik Ripple prepares to exit. The move comes on the heels of a major international growth push, capped by the rollout of a fully integrated Ingeo manufacturing complex earlier this year.
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported Tuesday that NatureWorks is “hunting for a new leader as its current chief executive prepares to exit the company,” and linked the timing of the search to the completion of the company’s new Ingeo PLA facility in Thailand.
Thailand plant and Ripple's role
On April 29, 2026, NatureWorks celebrated the grand opening of a fully integrated Ingeo site in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, with roughly 75,000 metric tons per year of capacity aimed at packaging, fiber and technical applications. In the company’s press release announcing the opening, Ripple said, "With the opening of our Nakhon Sawan facility, we are taking a major step forward in scaling access to Ingeo biopolymers globally." Business Wire
Local footprint and leadership history
NatureWorks is headquartered in Plymouth and operates its original North American manufacturing facility in Blair, Nebraska, according to the company’s locations page. NatureWorks Ripple was appointed president and CEO in November 2023. At the time, he marked the promotion by saying, "I am delighted to have been appointed to lead NatureWorks." Business Wire
What’s next
The company has launched an external search to find Ripple’s successor, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, but has not shared a public timetable for when Ripple will officially step aside. The outlet notes that the leadership transition is tied to NatureWorks’ broader effort to scale Ingeo production around the world.
Industry context
Industry coverage points out that the Thailand complex makes NatureWorks the first PLA producer to run multiple large-scale manufacturing sites globally, a development observers say could ease regional supply pressures for brands looking for lower-carbon material options. Nonwovens News The expansion lines up with rising Asia-Pacific demand for biobased resins used in packaging, nonwovens and specialty fibers.
