We are developers of innovative, proprietary technology to efficiently produce green ammonia and green hydrogen for alternative, carbon-free fuel and fertilizer.
Dr. Gary Benninger was sought out for CEO of AmmPower Corp. for his proven capability. He held several key executive management positions at Magna International, Inc., The Becker Group, and the Amerityre Corporation.
Prior to joining Magna, he worked for Ford Motor Company where he was awarded the Society of Plastics Engineers and the Society of the Plastics Industry Grand Awards, and for the NASA as a research scientist in the Energy Conversion and Materials Science Division at the Glenn Research Center. He is the author of numerous technical papers and holds several patents. He was a Captain in the U.S. Army Field Artillery and Dr. Benninger holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Physics.
Located along the Mississippi valley in the heart of ag country, Mr. Kelley is the liaison between ammonia technology and the growing needs of the fertilizer dealer. Using his knowledge of the ag space, Mr. Kelly’s on-location presence with potential customers gives AmmPower a better understanding of specific challenges that arise and provides an the “eyes on approach” to solve them. Farming is rarely a one size fit all industry, and he understands that versatility and creative solutions are key to streamlining production at the ground level.
He spent the last 15 years in all facets of agriculture production and sales, founding Kelley Precision Ag in 2013 and promoting better farming practices and nutrient management. He is considered an expert in the field for ammonia production, design, storage, safety, and compliance processes and manages onsite installations in the Midwest.
Mr. Lilla has 20 years of progressive financial management experience, primarily at global automotive suppliers. He has extensive experience navigating global organizations through complex integrations, M&A transactions, and developing the finance function.
Previously, Mr. Lilla held executive Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Mobex, Vice President of Strategic Finance and Corporate Controller at Joyson Safety Systems, Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Federal-Mogul Powertrain, and progressive leadership roles at Delphi and KPMG LLP. Mr. Lilla is a graduate of Michigan State University where he earned a B.A. and M.S. in Accounting and is a certified public accountant.
Mr. Newman, one of the first members of AmmPower America, aided in the formation of the Michigan R&D and Manufacturing facility in 2021. In addition to controllership activities, including accounting, financial reporting, treasury, budgeting, audit, cost management, corporate benefits and strategic planning, he implemented all employee benefit programs, handled the startup activities of the facility and managed the leasehold improvements. He is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking and continuous improvement in the workplace.
Mr. Newman has over 20 years of extensive Corporate Finance experience with tier-one automotive manufacturers and holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Accountancy from Walsh College.
Dr. Zhenyu Zhang leads AmmPower’s technology development for low-cost green ammonia synthesis and cracking processes with enhanced efficiency. He specializes in the development of catalytic membrane reactors for ammonia synthesis and decomposition.
Dr. Zhang holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Central South University (China), an M.S. in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, one of the leading few leading research universities in the ammonia energy field. His work at Colorado School of Mines received $2 million funding (DE- AR0001004) from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) at the Department of Energy, and Dr. Zhang is a recognized expert in ammonia dissociation, having published several scientific papers in this field.
As General Manager, Mr. Barranger oversees operations at the Novi, MI manufacturing and R&D facility. As one of the first members of AmmPower America, he built the team responsible for the successful design and assembly of the first ammonia generation machine.
Mr. Barranger has over 25 years of experience in the automotive and custom industrial equipment industries. His passion is leading diverse teams in engineering, procurement, production planning, manufacturing, and quality. He is credited with driving innovation in complex, high-variation manufacturing environments. Mr. Barranger has a track record of introducing new technologies and techniques into the manufacturing process for a broad range of products. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from The Ohio State University.
