The APT Family
As a member of the APT Family, we own our dirt and leverage our unique Zones of Genius to realize our potential: as professionals, as people, and as a team.
Our leadership team
Our Leaders
Brad Pieper
Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair
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Brad Pieper serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Director for American Peat Technology, LLC (APT) and President of Headwater Technologies and Cuyuna Range Reclamation, wholly owned subsidiaries of APT. Prior to joining APT, Brad spent his professional career building and leading organizations and teams across a variety of industries. He has served as a President and Sales & Marketing Executive in the Biotech and Manufacturing industries, as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company for the Financial Services industry, and as an Officer in the United States Army where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In addition to serving on the Board of APT, Brad is a Board Member of Hope Academy (Minneapolis, MN), The Spreading Hope Network (Minneapolis), and Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hockey (Lynchburg, VA). He is also the Founder and Board President of Stare Academy located in his Brainerd Lakes community.
Brad is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he played on the school’s Division I hockey team. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Brad lives in Brainerd, Minnesota with his wife, Abbey, and three busy boys. He is an active outdoorsman that enjoys chasing around his family via big-mountain skiing, waterskiing, ice hockey, golf, and single-track mountain biking.
Doug Green
Founder and Senior Vice President
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Doug Green is the Founder, Senior Vice President, and Board Chair at American Peat Technology, LLC (APT). Doug served as APT’s CEO from 2011 to 2022 before moving into his current role. Prior to becoming CEO, Doug has served in a variety of roles at APT and its predecessor company, Peat Technologies. He is APT’s chief engineer and general contractor and has been instrumental to the building and expansion of APT and its many processes. He also developed the concept and optimized production of the APTsorb line of products, APT’s flagship water treatment media.
Prior to arriving at APT, Doug owned and operated a placer gold mining operation on the North Slope of Alaska. He mined in several locations near Fairbanks and in the Ruby district, which was only accessible by barge and air. Doug has an additional decade-long experience in the Alaskan construction industry including road construction, military shooting range construction, and aggregate supply.
Doug graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a B.S. in Geology and holds an M.S. in geology from Utah State University. Doug lives in Crosby, MN with his wife Marge where he spends time fishing with grandkids, tinkering in his workshop, and growing raspberries.
Peggy Jones
Vice President of Research and Development
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Peggy Jones is the Vice President of Research and Development at American Peat Technology (APT). She was instrumental in the development of the APTsorb III product, a high-end water remediation media. More recently, she was involved in the development of BioAPT Beads spherical peat, a disruptive technology in the agricultural inoculants market and the launch of PeatBuilt+, APT’s line of natural products for the turf grass market. In her role, Peggy has conducted pilot treatments at two mining sites, each time proving the efficacy of granular peat to treat mine-impacted water. Peggy also manages APT’s permits, ensuring compliance with multiple permits across several state agencies.
Prior to APT, Peggy worked at the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) in the Duluth area where she led research efforts on bog ecology and the use of the peat resource in commercial applications.
Peggy received her M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana where she studied the ecology of boreal bogs. An avid fan of bog ecology, she is equally enthusiastic about the economic and environmental benefits of adding value to the unique and ubiquitous peat resource, which covers over one-third of Aitkin County, the site of APT Headquarters.
Tamara Lowney
VP of Business Development
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Tamara Lowney is a senior executive with 15+ years of experience advancing organizational growth, leading complex initiatives, and building high-performing teams across economic development, industrial operations, and global event management. Her career is centered on translating strategic vision into measurable outcomes through disciplined execution, strong partnerships, and scalable systems.
In her current role as Vice President of Business Development at American Peat Technology (APT), Tamara leads business development strategy and key growth initiatives supporting the commercialization of new technologies and products. Her work includes expanding markets and strategic partnerships, supporting funding strategy across federal and state programs, and aligning cross-functional teams to deliver results. She brings a strong track record of guiding complex initiatives from early concept through execution and scale.
Previously, Tamara served as President of the Itasca Economic Development Corporation, where she led regional economic strategy, secured multimillion-dollar investment, and convened partners to strengthen business ecosystems, workforce development, and innovation capacity. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles in large-scale global operations, including multiple Olympic Games, building expertise in operational excellence, team leadership, and decision-making in complex, fast-paced environments. Tamara is committed to creating long-term organizational and community value through innovation, integrity, and high-impact execution.
Derik GertkEn
VP of Sales & Marketing
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Derik Gertken serves as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at American Peat Technology (APT), where he leads the company’s commercial strategy, revenue growth initiatives, and market expansion efforts. He is responsible for aligning sales and marketing execution with APT’s long-term strategy, ensuring clear market positioning and strong customer engagement across the portfolio.
As Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Derik oversees sales execution, strategic marketing initiatives, and customer engagement across core and emerging markets. He partners closely with executive leadership, operations, and product development to align commercial efforts with APT’s long-term growth objectives.
Previously, Derik served as Vice President of Commercial Sales at Anderson Trucking Service where he was responsible for commercial market strategy and relationship-driven business development. Throughout his career, he has been known for building trusted partnerships with customers, developing practical growth strategies, and translating complex products and technologies into clear value propositions that resonate in the market.
Derik holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Saint John’s University. He is known for a people- focused leadership style grounded in accountability, clarity, and long term value creation.
ChRis Erickson
Director of New Ventures
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Chris Erickson serves in dual leadership roles at American Peat Technologies (APT) as Director of New Ventures and General Manager of Headwater Technologies, an APT subsidiary. In these roles, he is responsible for identifying, evaluating, incubating, and scaling new businesses and product opportunities across APT’s portfolio, while ensuring disciplined financial planning, milestone- based execution, and alignment with APT’s long-term growth strategy.
As Director of New Ventures, Chris leads FP&A, commercial analytics, and venture governance for emerging products and businesses, guiding capital allocation and go/no-go investment decisions. He oversees initiatives from concept through early commercialization, establishes clear KPIs and governance structures, and leads disciplined transitions to Operations and Sales & Marketing as ventures scale. As General Manager of Headwater Technologies, he drives strategy, operations, and financial performance, translating APT’s core technologies into scalable, revenue-generating solutions for the water treatment industry.
Previously, Chris held senior operating and advisory roles across consulting and growth-stage companies, including serving as an Operations Consultant at Korn Ferry, Chief Operating Officer at Minnesota Ice, and Director at r² Advisors LLC. Across these roles, he led operational optimization,
margin improvement, financial modeling, restructuring, and market expansion initiatives, including work that contributed to Minnesota Ice being named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies in consecutive years.
Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Minnesota Duluth and an MBA from the University of Denver, with a concentration in Finance.
MIC Michels
VP of Finance and Operations
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Mic’s bio is coming soon!
KatrinA Rutz
Human Resources Manager
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Katrina Rutz serves on the American Peat Technology (APT) Senior Leadership Team as the Human Resources Manager where she oversees Total Rewards, Recruiting & Retention, and Learning & Development activities. Prior to moving into the HR function, Katrina served as APT’s Staff Accountant overseeing the company’s financial and personnel management operations. Katrina came to APT from the Banking industry, where she served in various finance and accounting roles at Deerwood Bank. Katrina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from The College of St. Scholastica.
Outside of work, Katrina enjoys life as a proud mom of two, balancing her career with the joy of family and community involvement. She thrives on creating meaningful connections and memorable moments wherever she goes.
BrYan Crowther
Director of Operations
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Bryan Crowther is the Director of Operations at American Peat Technology. Prior to joining APT, Bryan worked in the construction industry, developing many hands-on building, mechanical, electrical, procurement, and design skills. After being hired as a Plant Operator, Bryan was instrumental in planning and building the five plant additions that increased manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand over a 10-year period. Bryan was later promoted to Plant Manager, overseeing manufacturing and mining and hauling operations for APT. In his current role of Director of Operations, Bryan serves on the Senior Leadership Team and added maintenance to his scope in addition to production and field operations. Bryan also leads plant retrofit, continuous improvement, and shipping and logistics activities.
Bryan grew up in Aitkin and is a proud graduate of Aitkin High School (Go Gobblers!). He continues to live in his hometown of Aitkin with his three children. Bryan enjoys the outdoors hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and dirt biking. He is also an avid Minnesota Wild fan and attends games whenever he can.