Alltech President and Founder Dies

Alltech announced its founder and president, Dr. Pearse Lyons, died Thursday. The 73-year-old developed an acute lung condition during his recovery from heart surgery that led to his death. Alltech CEO Alric Blake said in the announcement Lyons was “a visionary entrepreneur who transformed the agriculture industry,” beginning with the application of yeast technology in animal nutrition. A leadership structure developed by Lyons names his son, Dr. Mark Pearse Lyons, as Chairman and President of Alltech. Lyons, described as an Irish entrepreneur and scientist, founded Alltech in a garage in 1980. The company has grown to include more than 5,000 employees worldwide and operates three divisions, including animal nutrition and health, crop science, and food and beverage. Funeral services are scheduled later this month in Lexington, Kentucky, and Dublin, Ireland, along with a celebration of life planned in May during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, in Lexington.