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"After just returning from the Amazon rain forest, I was pleasantly surprised to arrive mosquito-bite-free, thanks to the Buzz Off Insect Shield ExOfficio pants!" – Jeff Corwin, Wildlife Biologist.
The individuals who provided these testimonials have received no compensation,
and do not have any financial relationship with Buzz Off Insect Shield.
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Executive Profiles
Haynes Griffin
Chairman and CEO
Haynes Griffin, chairman and CEO of Buzz Off Insect Shield, LLC, was previously the founding CEO and president of Vanguard Cellular Systems, Inc. Before being acquired by AT&T in 1999, Vanguard, based in Greensboro, NC, was one of the largest independent non-wireline cellular telephone companies in the country. Griffin is also the past chairman of the board of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA).
In addition, Griffin was appointed by the White House to the United States Advisory Council on the National Information Infrastructure to advise the administration on information super-highway policy.
Griffin serves as a trustee for the Center for Creative Leadership, one of the world’s leading organizations devoted to the study of leadership, creativity and effective management. He is also the past North Carolina state chairman for the Young Presidents’ Organization.
Griffin is a graduate of Woodberry Forest School, where he serves as chairman of the board of trustees, and of Princeton University, where he has served on the Alumni Council Executive Committee and currently serves on the Development Leadership Council. He is the past chairman of the board of trustees of Greensboro Day School. Griffin has served on numerous other public and private business and charitable boards, as well.
Richard Lane
President & COO
Richard Lane serves as Buzz Off Insect Shield, LLC, president and is the developer of the proprietary, patent-pending Insect Shield process. Previously, Lane was the director of technical research and development for Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation. During his service at Lauren, the company grew from approximately $50 million in sales to over $1 billion.
Prior to his role at Ralph Lauren, Lane held numerous positions within the apparel industry. In 1974, he was founding president of Lane’s Commercial Prewash, a Greensboro-based laundry where he was instrumental in the development of specialty finishes for the apparel industry.
From 1993 to 1999, Lane served as CEO of International Garment Corporation based in Riviera Beach, Florida, a commercial finisher for major clothing manufacturers.
For more than 30 years, Lane has been recognized within the textile and apparel industries as an innovator and developer of complex textile products and finishes. He was a leader in the origination and development of the process of pre-washing garments, which is now a standard in the manufacturing of sportswear and casual apparel worldwide.
Lane is a longstanding member of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, and a graduate of the College of Textiles at North Carolina State University.
Jason Griffin
Executive Vice President
Jason Griffin joined Buzz Off Insect Shield in October 2002. With strategic oversight of several new company initiatives, he acts as the principle conduit between the marketing group based in Seattle and the plant operations and company headquarters in Greensboro. He also oversees all government sales.
Prior to joining Buzz Off Insect Shield, Griffin served in a number of management positions at Dobson Cellular Systems, Inc., headquartered in Oklahoma City. Most recently, he served as the national sales director.
Griffin holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering science/management of technology from Vanderbilt University, and is a graduate of Woodberry Forest School.
Rick Hemmerling
Vice President of Business Development
In January 2007, Rick Hemmerling joined Buzz Off Insect Shield, LLC, as vice president of business development to help spearhead strategic business initiatives. Under Hemmerling’s direction, the Seattle brand and marketing group supports existing partners such as ExOfficio, Orvis and L. L. Bean, develops private-label products, manages development of an overseas facility, and supports Buzz Off Insect Shield’s philanthropic efforts.
In 1987, Hemmerling co-founded ExOfficio with the idea of developing a new generation of performance apparel. Hemmerling’s creative vision quickly established ExOfficio as an innovator in a highly competitive market. His creations such as the Baja, Air Strip and Amphi collections continue to lead the travel and adventure wear industry in design and functionality. Hemmerling also pioneered numerous cutting-edge fabric and garment technologies such as odorless and invisible anti-microbial, ultraviolet-protective and insect-repellent apparel to enhance the protection and comfort of active travelers. It is no surprise that his innovative products have been featured by media outlets such as Good Housekeeping, Time, U.S. News & World Report, Business Week and the TODAY Show, to name just a few.
During his 20 years as president of ExOfficio, Hemmerling led the company to be recognized three years in a row on the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America list. ExOfficio.com was also chosen as one of the best small business websites by Inc. Technology Magazine. Hemmerling’s leadership evolved the ExOfficio brand into an industry leadership position, and paved the way for ExOfficio to become a subsidiary of K2 Inc. in May 2004.
Hemmerling helped launch Buzz Off Insect Shield technology via the ExOfficio product line in 2004, resulting in the first-ever EPA-registered insect-repellent apparel to hit the market. He regards Insect Shield repellent apparel as one of the most important garment technology breakthroughs of the last 25 years. Hemmerling considers the development of world health initiatives to help in the fight against diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus to be one of the most exciting aspects of Insect Shield technology.
In addition to his work with Buzz Off Insect Shield, Hemmerling also serves on the Adventure Travel Trade Association and World Concern Advisory boards. Hemmerling’s free time is spent helping his wife with their five children (three of which are adopted from a Siberian orphanage), yet he has still found the time to travel to 26 countries around the world.
Bob Carroll
Vice President of Finance
Carroll’s resume includes more than a few small business success stories. Before joining the Buzz Off team, Carroll served for 14 years as Executive Vice President and COO of ExOfficio. Prior to that, he was CFO of Trillium Health Products and CFO of Piper Aircraft. His planning and execution brought these companies increased profitability and tremendous financial success. As VP of Finance with Buzz Off, Carroll is charged with overseeing the strategic financial planning process and creating a foundation that secures the long-term growth and profitability of the company.
Laura Hendrix
Director of Global Health Initiatives
As director of global health initiatives for Buzz Off Insect Shield, Laura Hendrix is currently working with international development and relief organizations to promote Insect Shield technology as a tool for preventing insect-borne diseases.
Hendrix holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Bachelor of Education in secondary education, with a major in biology education. She earned both degrees at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Prior to working with Buzz Off Insect Shield, Hendrix taught high-school chemistry and biology at the Greensboro Day School in North Carolina. Before her teaching career, Hendrix served as the laboratory supervisor for the British Medical Research Council's Programme on AIDS in Entebbe, Uganda. She oversaw a team of laboratory technicians as they ran various diagnostic and research tests. This program continues to follow a cohort of 10,000 people in a rural area of Uganda to monitor trends in HIV incidence. During her time in Uganda, Hendrix also managed a clinic offering free HIV testing and counseling.
Before her efforts in Africa, Hendrix worked as a laboratory technician at the Bureau of HIV/AIDS at Health Canada, which is the Canadian national HIV reference laboratory. Hendrix is currently pursuing a Master of Science in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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