Geoff Clear Joins ArborGen, LLC, as Chief Financial Officer

Business Wire, Sept 22, 2008

Key Management Position Rounds Out ArborGen Executive Team

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. -- ArborGen, LLC, a global leader in tree improvement and commercial production of forest trees, announced today that Geoff Clear has joined the company as chief financial officer. Prior to joining ArborGen, Clear served as CFO of iRobot.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Geoff to ArborGen," says Barbara Wells, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of ArborGen. "His diverse financial background and long-standing commitment to innovation and financial excellence will be invaluable to ArborGen as we continue to grow and expand our operations. Geoff will be responsible for all finance functions globally in his role as CFO, and will be a key member of the executive team."

Clear comes to ArborGen with more than 34 years of financial experience in the technology and biotechnology sectors. After working in public accounting for three years and the chemical industry for 10, Clear was instrumental in the building and growth of several successful companies, including T Cell Sciences, MicroTouch Systems and iRobot. Clear helped take all three companies through their initial public offerings, resulting in each being listed on the NASDAQ. During his tenure as CFO of iRobot Corporation, company revenues grew from $15 million to an expected $300 million this year.

"One of the reasons I accepted this position is because ArborGen has such an exciting and unique future," says Clear. "ArborGen's current business and deep and broad future product pipeline serve as a solid base for the significant growth we foresee for the company in coming years."

ArborGen, and its nursery and orchards brand SuperTree Seedling[TM], is the world's leading producer of trees for planting, including the production, sales and distribution of more than 350 million tree stocks and tree seedlings to land owners and foresters annually - that's one tree for every man, woman and child in the U.S. today.

Clear holds both a bachelor's degree in economics and an M.B.A from Dartmouth College. He and his wife, Marjorie plan to relocate to the Charleston area from Boston. They have two children, Michael who works for DreamWorks Studios in Los Angeles, and Allison who founded her own public relations firm in Boston.

About ArborGen, LLC

ArborGen, LLC is a global leader in tree improvement and commercial production of forest trees, headquartered in Summerville, S.C. With one of the world's most extensive tree germplasm resources, ArborGen uses both traditional breeding and advanced genetic technologies, to discover, produce and deliver tree seedlings that promote and enhance sustainable forests. ArborGen is dedicated to becoming the world's preferred source for purpose grown trees for lumber, pulp and paper, and bioenergy. The company operates from more than 20 locations in the U.S., Brazil, New Zealand and Australia, producing more than 350 million treestocks annually, and employing more than 300 employees. For more information visit www.arborgen.com.