ACE releases 2010 Ethanol Today media kit

ACE has now released the 2010 media kits for Ethanol Today magazine, including the editorial calendar for the upcoming year. Ten issues will explore industry topics that impact your company, customers, and community. The Ethanol Today staff is committed to proactively addressing the latest in public policy, market development, and grassroots advocacy.

Whether you’re a loyal advertiser in Ethanol Today or looking forward to reaching out to the grassroots voices of the ACE community, now is the time to dive into advertising on one of the industry’s most trusted resources for ethanol news. Visit www.ethanoltoday.com to view the editorial calendar and to learn more about advertising special packages, rates, sizes, and new ways to reach the ethanol audience in print and online. Any questions? Contact Lacey at [email protected].

Lamberty speaks at RINWorld Summit

In November, ACE Vice President / Market Development Ron Lamberty spoke at the 2009 RINWorld Summit in Dallas, Texas. The event focused on accounting practices, how to address invalid RINs, and optimizing business operations.

Government officials and industry experts speaking at the event included companies such as RINSTAR, Stoel Rives, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Air Resource Board. Lamberty represented the “Blend Your Own Ethanol” campaign to discuss the installation of blender pumps, available incentives, and the advantages of increasing ethanol availability in the marketplace.

“Blend Your Own Ethanol” campaign reaches North Dakota, Michigan

The “BYOethanol” campaign team traveled to Michigan and to North Dakota during the month of October, representing ethanol at the Michigan Petroleum Association & Association of Convenience Stores trade show in Dearborn and at the North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association in Bismarck. These state events gave the BYO team the opportunity to talk to station owners one-on-one about how blender pumps can benefit their business.

Staff members are in the process of gathering information about petroleum marketer trade shows for the upcoming year. Is there a petroleum marketer conference or trade show in your state? Please contact Lacey Dixon ([email protected]) with possible additions to the BYO campaign 2010 events schedule.

ACE staff prepares to meet with ethanol producers this fall

As 2010 approaches, ACE staff is preparing for the year ahead and would like to meet with ethanol producers to learn more about each facility’s key issues and priorities. Ethanol producers’ input will help ACE best address the opportunities and challenges facing our industry, as well as take the proactive steps needed to build on legislative and market development progress made in recent years.

We would like to meet with ethanol producers’ board of directors during an upcoming meeting to demonstrate the value and benefits of ACE membership, as well as hearing from the board about concerns and plans for the future. Please contact Lacey Dixon, Director of Member and Industry Relations, to alert ACE to any scheduled meetings. Lacey may be reached at [email protected] or 605-334-3381.

BYO campaign prepares for 2010 travel schedule

Throughout the last quarter, the “Blend Your Own Ethanol” campaign team has been outlining its travel schedule for 2010. The list of petroleum marketer trade shows they will attend includes state and regional events representing marketers from all 50 states.

The schedule includes the Gulf Coast Food and Fuel Expo, the Western Petroleum Marketers Association, Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Expo, Atlantic Region Energy Expo, Midwest Petroleum and Convenience Trade Show, World of Food and Fuel Expo, Pacific Oil Conference, and more.

To follow the BYO campaign’s market development route, take a look at the list of upcoming events online at www.byoethanol.com. If you are planning to attend any of these events and would like to set a time to meet with the BYO campaign leadership, contact Lacey Dixon ([email protected]).

ACE Board elects new officers

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board of Directors met on November 12 to elected officers for the upcoming year, bringing even more grassroots representation and diversity to the nation’s largest ethanol advocacy association.

Lars Herseth was elected as President of the American Coalition for Ethanol by his peers on the Board. He operates Herseth Ranch, his family farm near Houghton, SD, where he raises corn and soybeans along with a small cow/calf operation. Herseth serves on the Board of Directors for Northern Growers LLC, the more than 900 member shareholders behind the POET Biorefining – Big Stone ethanol plant in Big Stone City, SD. In addition to Big Stone, he is also an investor in the locally owned ethanol plants Glacial Lakes Energy LLC of Watertown, SD, Redfield Energy LLC of Redfield, SD, as well as Granite Falls Energy LLC of Granite Falls, MN.

Herseth served in the South Dakota State Legislature for many years, in the House of Representatives from 1975-1986 and in the Senate from 1989-1996. He held various leadership positions, including House Minority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, and Senate Pro Tempore. Lars is the father of South Dakota Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

Herseth takes the reins from Brian Wilcox of Nebraska Public Power District who became Acting President earlier this year when the position was vacated by Bob Scott, whose company, POET Ethanol Products, resigned from the Board. POET and its representative Jeff Broin also resigned from the Board at that time to devote more time to the new trade association he formed last year.

Brian Wilcox was today re-elected to serve as Vice President, a leadership position he has held for several years. Owen Jones of 4 Seasons Co-op was re-elected as Treasurer. Jones is a farmer / rancher from Britton, South Dakota.

Duane Kristensen of Chief Ethanol in Hastings, NE was newly elected as the organization’s Secretary. Chief Ethanol began operations in 1985 and is Nebraska’s first dry mill ethanol plant. American Coalition for Ethanol founder and first president Merle Anderson of Climax, MN retains his seat on the Board and was granted the title Chairman Emeritus.

In addition to this slate of officers plus Chairman Emeritus Anderson, two additional directors were given a seat on the Board’s Executive Committee: Scott Parsley of East River Electric Cooperative and Ron Alverson of Dakota Ethanol, LLC. Alverson is a farmer from Chester, SD and Chairman of Lake Area Corn Processors, the cooperative behind South Dakota’s first farmer-owned ethanol plant.

“ACE is proud of its history as the grassroots voice for ethanol in America, and we’re confident that with the leadership represented in our slate of officers and on our executive committee, these grassroots voices will serve ethanol well in the future,” said Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of ACE.

ACE is the nation’s largest ethanol advocacy association, with nearly 1,500 members nationwide, including farmers, ethanol producers, industry suppliers, rural electric co-ops, the agriculture community, and others supportive of ethanol.