Michael Kane, a 35-year veteran of the building products and materials industry, has joined CalStar as its CEO. With senior executive P&L responsibility in product categories ranging from cement, concrete, and aggregates to finished products including insulation, roof tiles, ceilings and wall board, he brings broad experience in the construction products business.

Prior to joining CalStar, Mike was the Senior Vice President for Holcim’s largest USA region, responsible for 7 manufacturing plants, 20 marine and rail terminals and the sale of over 7 million tons of cementitious materials in 20 states. Prior to Holcim, as SVP of the Global Insulation Group at Berkshire Hathaway’s Johns Manville Corporation, Kane led the introduction of the first “formaldehyde-free” fiberglass wall insulation. Immediately embraced by pioneers in the healthy buildings movement and then by the mass market, this product revolutionized that industry and helped usher in an era of healthier, safer, low-VOC wall insulation.

“We’re thrilled to have Mike joining us. His executive skills, strong core values and record of managing growth and innovation in all aspects of the construction products industry makes him the perfect fit to lead CalStar as we approach the rapid growth stage of the business”, said company founder & Chairman Marc Porat.

Before Holcim, Kane was President & CEO of Pioneer USA, a company he grew and positioned to be acquired by Hanson, Plc. Prior, Mike ran USG Corporation’s International products platform businesses in Europe, Asia, Middle East/Africa and Australasia. Prior, Kane was in charge of product and environmental safety at USG, where he successfully defended USG’s products before OSHA, EPA, and the Consumer Product Safety Committee. He brings an explicit focus on environmentally clean products, product safety and manufacturing best practices.

CalStar is backed by Foundation Capital and EnerTech Capital, two leaders in cleantech venture investing. “Mike is the ideal person to lead the CalStar team as it goes to market and executes a scale-up. He’s been consistently successful at driving growth in a series of large companies, and has a consistent record of entrepreneurship and crisp execution”, said Bill Kingsley, Managing Partner of EnerTech and CalStar board member.

“CalStar is well-positioned to make a positive impact on the economy by creating green collar jobs, reducing energy in manufacturing and affecting climate change. Our low-energy, low-CO2 bricks are a forerunner of many other exciting building products we will bring to market” said Kane. “I’m delighted to join such a capable team and introduce the world’s first truly sustainable brick products later this year, and I look forward to scaling up the company with additional plants and products.”