AMGUARD Strengthens U.S. Specialty Markets Team
June 24, 2025 
AMGUARD Environmental Technologies, the specialty markets division of AMVAC Chemical Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Vanguard Corporation (AVD), announced four new hires as well as two promotions to bolster its commitment to serving U.S. specialty market customers.
Promotions
Frank Fornari was promoted from OHP Technical Sales Manager to Director of Sales. Fornari is responsible for achieving record-setting nursery and greenhouse sales performance in Florida and Alabama. Prior to OHP, he worked in the specialty markets with BASF and Valent. In his new role, Fornari will be responsible for growing and managing the ornamentals and CEA businesses.
Sam Drahn was promoted from OHP Technical Manager to Director of Technical Services. Drahn is responsible for providing technical support and messaging for plant growth regulators (PGRs), herbicides, and specialty products to technical sales managers, growers, and distributors. In his new role, Drahn will also provide technical support and messaging for insecticides and fungicides.
New Hires
Eric Ham joined AMGUARD as Midwest Technical Sales Manager. In this role, he will cover structural pest control in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Tennessee. Ham recently served as Key Account Manager for the Midwest and South regions with FMC Professional Solutions. He is a certified applicator in Kentucky and Ohio and holds a pest control license in Kentucky.
Joe Grippi joined OHP as Southeast Technical Sales Manager. In this role, he will be responsible for the market development and sales of OHP products, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and plant growth regulators in the greenhouse, nursery, and CEA markets. Grippi was most recently with UPL Environmental Solutions as a Key Account Manager for Specialty Products.
Jeremy Sanderson joined OHP as Northeast Technical Sales Manager. In this role, he will be responsible for the market development and sales of OHP products, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and plant growth regulators in the greenhouse, nursey, and CEA markets. Sanderson spent more than five years at BioWorks, where he led sales operations, grew the Soil Blender business, and supported key accounts, including Hawaiian coffee growers. He also held regional sales roles with Harris Seeds and Harvest Moon Hydroponics, and he ran his own consulting business, Hybrid Horticulture.
Eric Rebek, Ph.D., joined OHP as Technical Services Specialist. In this role, he will lead and assist with creating and managing technical projects, protocols, and data in service to developing products and technical information for the dissemination to the OHP team, our partners, customers, and growers in the nursery, greenhouse, CEA, and cannabis markets. Dr. Rebek’s position will focus primarily on entomological and pathological issues to support OHP’s plant health and production portfolio (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, PGRs and specialty products).