ABOUT US
Founded in 2011, Avalon Biomed began as a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced bioactive bioceramic dental materials for endodontic treatments. Building of this foundation, Avalon Biomed continues to develop new endodontic treatment products that are unsurpassed in versatility, quality and value. Part of the NuSmile family based in Houston, TX USA, Avalon Biomed strives to provide the great products and great service to endodontists and general dentists performing endodontic procedures.
HISTORY
Avalon Biomed was originally founded in 2011 by Dr. Carolyn Primus who currently has 10 patents in dentistry including three for MTA-based products. In 2016, Dr. Primus and Avalon Biomed joined the NuSmile family in Houston, TX. Combining Dr. Primus’s focus on developing state-of-the-art bioceramic dental materials with NuSmile’s extraordinary customer care, Avalon Biomed strives to provide the great products and great service to dental clinicians. Avalon Biomed is headquartered in Houston, Texas and its products are sold in over 15 countries around the world.
MISSION
Avalon Biomed's mission is to improve oral health worldwide by providing state-of-the-art advanced bioactive dental materials to dental professionals.
SUPPORTS
THE TEAM
KIMBERLY GRAVES – Inside Account Manager
Kimberly Graves joins Avalon Biomed with over 30 years of experience in the dental industry, including a distinguished tenure in Dentsply Sirona’s Endodontic Division as an Executive Inside Territory Manager. Most recently, Kimberly worked with Young Innovations, mastering the introduction and implementation of new products in dental practices. Based in Broken Arrow, OK, Kimberly is excited to return to the endodontic space, bringing her depth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the Avalon Biomed team. Outside of work, Kimberly enjoys reading, training her two Golden Retrievers and two Yorkies, solving puzzles, and traveling with her husband of 24 years.
Allison Hubert - University development coordinator / account manager
Allison earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene from the University of South Dakota in 2013. After graduation, Allison spent nine years as a dental hygienist with a general dentist in Houston. She gained great clinical experience working in the dental field and loved being able to educate and provide a quality service to improve the patient’s oral health and overall health. Allison joined Avalon Biomed in 2022 as an Account Manager promoting our products and building relationships. Allison is also our University Development Coordinator, where she visits endodontic programs across the U.S., educating and sharing all that Avalon Biomed has to offer.
JASON BUDREAU – EASTERN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
Jason Budreau brings nearly 22 years of experience in the dental industry, including a long-standing career with Dentsply Sirona as both an Individual Contributor and People Manager in Endodontics. Originally from Indiana and a proud graduate of Purdue University, Jason relocated to Sarasota, FL, in 2004, where he enjoys the vibrant beach life of Siesta Key. In his role at Avalon Biomed, Jason oversees the Eastern Region, bringing his extensive expertise to support and grow our customer relationships. Outside of work, Jason loves spending time with family and friends, exploring new destinations, and cheering on Purdue and Auburn University in college sports.
BJ Lundsten- National Account Mgr
BJ, a National Account Manager at Avalon Biomed since March 2023, specializes in expanding Endodontic relationships and managing accounts. His dental industry experience, beginning with Dentsply Sirona in 2008 and further honed at Air Techniques, has been instrumental in fostering strategic partnerships. His work contributes to Avalon's growth and strengthens its industry standing. A proud resident of Rockford, IL, BJ leverages his expertise to further Avalon's vision. He and his wife feel blessed to have created a strong family …. from coaching soccer, and basketball or being a douting dance dad; he supports their children’s aspirations.
LAYNE INGRAM - INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST
Layne Ingram is the International Account Specialist for NuSmile and Avalon Biomed, where she provides excellent customer service to international distributors in over 50 countries. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Supply Chain Management from the Mays Business School and has experience working in Sales, Account Management, and Supply Chain. When not at work, Layne enjoys travelling the world, scuba diving, and spending time with her husband and their 2 dogs.
Mike Braun - Director of Sales North America
Mike was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has never left. He started a 19-year career in the Endodontic industry at Dentsply in 2003 and has spent the last two years on the private equity side. Mike has a passion for building successful teams and fostering relationships. He played baseball and football in college and is a dedicated - albeit often disappointed - Minnesota sports fan. Mike is married with two children, ages 15 and almost 9. When we're not at a dance competition or baseball game, our family loves to be on the boat or vacationing on one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes.
ZEINA HANNOUN – Director of Product Marketing
Zeina received her bachelor’s degree in Finance & Management from the American University of Beirut (AUB). She started her career at Ernst & Young in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as a Financial Analyst. Her most recent working experience was with Johnson & Johnson in Dubai as a Product Manager for Trauma and prior to that as the Pricing Lead for Orthopedic products.
Greg Pomrink - Vice President R&D, Quality and Regulatory
Greg joins the NuSmile team as an accomplished medical device executive with over 25 years of experience designing, developing, and commercializing products to repair and regenerate hard and soft tissues. Before joining NuSmile, Greg held various Research and Development roles with Collagen Matrix, LifeNet Health, NovaBone Products, Integra LifeSciences, Dentsply Sirona, and Orthovita. He specialized in products for dentistry, sports medicine, orthopedics/spine, and neurosurgery, along with plastic and reconstructive surgery applications. Greg has 21 issued patents with other applications pending, along with more than 25 publications covering various medical device technologies and related topics. Greg has a BA in Chemistry from Temple University, an MS in Chemistry from Lehigh University, and an MBA from Eastern University. He and his wife, Polina, live in Houston and have five children and one grandchild.
MIKE LOESSBERG – Chief Revenue Officer
Mike Loessberg began his journey with Avalon Biomed in 2016 and has worked in the Dental Industry for the last 10 years. Having worked for companies like Dentsply, Carestream Dental and Henry Schein, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge to the Avalon Biomed team. In his role, Mike manages the Avalon Biomed Sales and Customer Service team for the United States and Canada. In addition, Mike works hand in hand with the Avalon Biomed Executive team on developing and executing our overall sales and marketing strategies. Originally from Kingsville, TX and a graduate of Texas A&M University at Kingsville, Mike spends his free time traveling and visiting friends and family.
MARK BINFORD - PRESIDENT
Mark brings 30-plus years of corporate experience in operations, product management, business development, marketing, and sales working across a variety of industries including medical devices, enterprise software, specialty chemicals and oil & gas. Mark holds a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Susan live in Houston and have three children and nine grandchildren.
DR. CAROLYN PRIMUS – FOUNDER AVALON BIOMED
Carolyn Primus, founder of Avalon Biomed, has developed over 100 medical devices in her 30 years in the dental industry. With a PhD in materials science & engineering, Carolyn has eleven patents in dentistry including bioactive dental materials. She founded Avalon Biomed Inc. with the goal of manufacturing affordable bioactive cements to benefit patients around the globe. She partnered and then sold her business to NuSmile Ltd whose goals were aligned with hers. Carolyn is an adjunct associate professor at Dental College of GA and Texas A&M College of Dentistry. She lives with her husband in Florida, is chair of the ADA and ISO committees on endodontic materials and continues to serve as a consultant to the executive team at NuSmile.
