Ethanol plant grand opening draws curiosity, praise

(Sentinel photo by Magdalene Landegent) About 1,000 people visited the Plymouth Energy plant during the grand opening Thursday. The 50 million gallons the plant produces every year are shipped to places in Texas, California, Oregon and Canada. [Click to enlarge]

"You read about these things, but you don't actually get to see them up close," said one Le Mars woman, waiting in line for a tour of the Plymouth Energy Ethanol plant during its grand opening.

"It's history, right here," she said.

(Sentinel photo by Magdalene Landegent) Surrounded by supporters, Plymouth Energy board members, coworkers and community members, the ethanol plant's CEO, Dave Hoffman, cuts the ribbon for the 50-million gallon plant north of Merrill. The plant employs about 35 people full-time and uses about 55,000 bushels of corn daily. [Click to enlarge]

Her curiosity was echoed by many at the site.

Earl Albert, from rural Le Mars, came to see how the plant operates.

"It looks nice and clean and neat," he said.

(Sentinel photo by Magdalene Landegent) Nick Dykstra, left, leads a walking tour of the Plymouth Energy ethanol plant during Thursday's grand opening. Dykstra, a shift supervisor at the plant, explained how ethanol production works, including that the plant makes enough ethanol to fill roughly five railcars each day. With two boilers at 1,200 horsepower each, the plant can make 150,000 pounds of steam per hour. [Click to enlarge]

Dave Hoffman, recently named CEO of Plymouth Energy by the company's board, said the grand opening was designed to give people a closer look at the plant that had a groundbreaking more than 2 1/2 years ago.

Plymouth Energy officials planned for 1,000 visitors. Hoffman thought they would push past that number before the day was over.

"We wanted to show the public the plant is complete," Hoffman said. "It's only been 100 percent complete since May 1. Everything is done, the contractors are gone. It's running at 100 percent capacity."

Visitors on the tour saw samples of the product in different stages through the plant.

Some noticed no visible steam was rising from the plant.

Hoffman explained that when humidity drops and the temperature rises, little steam can be seen, even though the plant is producing 140,000 to 150,000 gallons of ethanol per day.

The only thing out of the ordinary Thursday was the absence of more than 100 trucks that come to the plant daily -- 60 coming in with corn and 50 leaving with byproducts. Hoffman said they kept the trucks at bay for safety reasons during the grand opening.

Although recent months have been shaky ones for some ethanol facilities, Plymouth Energy has been profitable for the past two months, Hoffman said.

"We're making more than we're spending, so we're optimistic going forward," he said.

Along with a sizeable investment from Irish group Fleming Holdings USA, 330 stockholders are invested in Plymouth Energy.

One of them is Roger Ruhland, of Struble, who joined hundreds touring the plant Thursday.

"I'm here for an educational experience," he said.

He decided to invest because of the people involved.

"I've known John (Becker, a Plymouth Energy board member and founder) and Dave (Hoffman) for some 25 years," he said. "I'll put my money beside them gladly. And I think ethanol could be the fuel of the future."

Ruhland works at a feed yard that buys distiller's grains and syrup, byproducts from the Plymouth Energy plant, for their livestock.

"They have excellent service and quality product," Ruhland said. "They run a tight ship here."

Plymouth Energy officials are still seeking capital, Hoffman said.

"The board of directors injected $1.5 million in equity this spring," he said. "We're going to offer some subordinated debt to everyone."

Currently, Plymouth Energy's grain dealer license is temporarily revoked, and a June 9 hearing is set in Des Moines to resolve the issue.

In the meantime, Plymouth Energy officials are buying corn through elevators with dealer licenses, according to Hoffman.

"We think we have the grain license deal resolved," he said, indicating that he expected the June 9 hearing would be cancelled.

The problem, he said, was with the software Plymouth Energy uses.

"The software company is working to meet those requirements the state has set," Hoffman said.

Hoffman was named CEO after Craig Arnold, former CEO, left the company.

"He accomplished his mission," Hoffman said. "That was to help get the plant built, which he did a great job of."

Hoffman said part of the grand opening was to give visitors a chance to meet some of the 35 people who work full-time at the plant.

"We're really proud of our employees," he said.

Charles Stremick, of Le Mars, is the plant manager.

"I've had 16 years of experience in ethanol plants," Stremick said. "I've started out shoveling corn. I've done every job in the plant."

Rich Husman, the mayor of Merrill -- about a mile south of Plymouth Energy -- spoke highly Thursday of the plant and of its CEO, Hoffman.

"Dave's been a very good friend to the community of Merrill," Husman said. "And eventually tax money from this plant will repair the streets in Merrill. It will also pay for the blacktop and two bridges on C-38 here."

He wasn't the only one who predicted long-term benefits of having an ethanol plant in the neighborhood.

Jim Farley, who farms near Brunsville, sells his corn to the Craig elevator, which sells it to the ethanol plant.

"It's something that can readily be appreciated in the agricultural community -- there's fuel conservation and the distillers grains," Farley said. "It's a fantastic opportunity for the Le Mars area to have an industry like this."