COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Aphena Pharma Solutions is pleased to announce that Nathan Bender has joined the company as Director of Business Development. With more than 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical contract packaging and manufacturing, Nathan brings a well-rounded perspective shaped by his work across procurement, planning, commercialization and sales.
Nathan began his career in procurement and supply chain management, where he managed critical vendor relationships and oversaw customer forecasts before transitioning into sales.
“Working on multiple customer accounts early in my career helped me develop relationships both internally and externally,” he said. “That experience ultimately led me into sales, where I could build on those relationships and better understand what drives successful outcomes.”
Having worked through every stage of a product’s life cycle, Nathan says that diverse experience gives him a unique advantage. “When you’ve seen the process from concept to commercialization, you can anticipate what’s needed to help customers reach their goals efficiently and confidently,” he said.
What attracted Nathan most to Aphena was its culture and commitment to excellence.
“There’s an intangible feeling when you walk into Aphena, a combination of professionalism, responsibility and opportunity,” Nathan said. “You can’t fake that kind of culture, and it’s clear the people here love what they do.”
As Aphena continues to expand its work in pharmaceutical packaging and liquid manufacturing, Nathan will focus on building partnerships with customers who share Aphena’s commitment to quality, speed and innovation.
“Aphena is well-positioned for continued growth,” he said. “We’re not just a solid-dose bottling and blistering company. We also have full liquid manufacturing and packaging capabilities, supported by a team of experts who anticipate customer needs.”
Nathan sees one of the biggest opportunities in the industry today as simply delivering on promises.
“One of the first things I noticed at Aphena was the statement ‘Where a commitment made is a promise kept,’" he said. “Now more than ever, developing deep trust through reliability is what sets successful companies apart.”
He also emphasized Aphena’s strong supply-chain resilience — an advantage that became essential during the pandemic.
“COVID exposed the risks of being single-sourced,” Nathan said. “Aphena’s multiple facilities, diverse supplier network and turnkey solutions make us uniquely equipped to help customers build redundancy, efficiency and long-term value.”
Nathan is especially focused on helping manufacturers reallocate resources and optimize capacity. “Space and manpower are at a premium,” he said. “Manufacturers are evaluating internal packaging versus core production capabilities. Aphena is the perfect partner to help them free up internal resources while maintaining quality and compliance.”
He highlighted the company’s Maryland facility as a key differentiator, offering advanced liquid manufacturing and packaging for creams, gels, lotions, ointments, suspensions and more.
“It’s an unparalleled option for companies evaluating unique formats — from pouches and tubes to medical device and wound-care packaging."
Nathan describes his work as deeply personal. “Having grown up in this industry, the people I work for and with are my friends,” he said. “It’s rewarding to be entrusted with helping deliver medications that make a real difference.”
His approach centers on transparency. “In a highly regulated industry, honesty is everything. The best relationships are built on truth, even in tough conversations,” he said.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of the Aphena team,” Nathan said. “I know our competition, and I can attest to the advantages Aphena brings to the table. We’re positioned for growth and ready to support your next packaging or liquid manufacturing project.”