RIBUS Inc. has appointed third-generation legacy Alicia Peirce Kasch as vice president. This appointment coincides with RIBUS celebrating 30 years of business serving the food, beverage, pet and dietary supplement sectors with clean label ingredients to companies worldwide.

RIBUS was founded in 1992 by Kasch’s father, Steve Peirce, and her grandfather, Jim Peirce, with food scientist Neal Hammond as a functional ingredient manufacturing company.

“It’s exciting that I can work alongside my daughter at RIBUS now, and I look forward to seeing what direction she’ll take the company in the future,” says Steve Peirce. “Alicia is very intuitive and intentional in her leadership, and I know this will serve the industry, our clients and team for many more decades to come.”

Kasch grew up working in, and around, the family business her entire life. She graduated cum laude from The Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, where she earned her bachelor of journalism degree with a concentration in strategic communication. Kasch started her career in advertising for Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, The Monsanto Co., and then served as a digital project manager at Nestlé Purina PetCare Co., before returning to the family business and joining the RIBUS team full-time in 2017.

“Continuing my family’s legacy is important to me and I’m grateful to be a part of a new generation of women-run businesses,” says Kasch. “Our commitment to adding women leadership at RIBUS is a priority. Currently our company is 60% women run.”

In the fall of 2022, RIBUS brought on Sara Shodd as the controller to be part of the executive leadership team. Shodd brings a background in manufacturing and public accounting and leads the finance and supply chain teams. She holds a master’s degree in accounting and managerial finance from Keller Graduate Management School of DeVry University.

RIBUS produces plant-based non-GMO, natural, organic, vegan and gluten-free ingredients for the food, beverage, pet and dietary supplement companies. Its technology and patented ingredients are used by contract and branded manufacturers and formulators to help solve production issues while bringing clean label to a variety of products. RIBUS stands for Rice Ingredient Business United States.