Former CEO of furniture supplier joins e2e board

ITHACA — Peter Cohen, a co-managing director of 22 Holdings Corp., is now a member of the board of directors at e2e Materials.

22 Holdings is an investment fund with assets in real estate, venture capital, hotels, and public and private equity. Ithaca–based e2e develops biocomposite materials from renewable sources like soy flour and grass fiber. They are used in the furniture and automotive industries.

A focus area for 22 Holdings is mid-size companies in consumer products, industrial equipment, and media and information technologies.

“e2e Materials’ steady growth has reached a critical mass, which is why the addition of our newest board member, Peter Cohen, couldn’t be timelier,” Pat Govang, president and CEO of e2e, said in a news release. “Peter’s extensive industry experience, particularly in the office furniture market, will be invaluable in shaping our go-to-market strategies and focus on key products that will benefit most from our breakthrough biocomposite materials.”

Cohen is the former president and chief operating officer of Knoll, International, a contract furnishings and textile and leather supplier. He was most recently head of marketing for the United Auto Group and was previously CEO of CHF Industries, a supplier of home furnishings to Sears, Kmart, Walmart, and J.C. Penney.

E2e is preparing to open a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in the HP Neun building at Gambee Road and Route 14 in Geneva. The plant is set to open in June and will create as many as 200 new jobs over the next five years, according to e2e.

Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com