Ozarks ethanol company selects second plant site

In a news release issued Jan. 17, Gulfstream Bioflex Energy LLC said the official start date for construction wouldn’t be announced until the plant’s exact location is determined.

Once the site is selected, the $220 million plant would be built and operating within 16 months, according to the release. GBE officials expect the plant to create up to 65 full-time jobs.

In August, GBE unveiled its plans to build a $185 million ethanol plant on 252 acres east of Rogersville – a proposal that was met with fierce opposition from surrounding property owners concerned about their groundwater supply. GBE officials said the plant was one of three it planned to build in Missouri with financing through private equity groups, senior lenders and subordinated lenders.

Company consultant Kathy Garrison said the Monroe City plant had no effect on the GBE’s plans to build the proposed Webster County plant, which would be able to produce 100 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol each year.

Plant opponents suing GBE to block the plant near Rogersville said in a statement that Monroe City is much better suited for an ethanol plant because of its proximity to corn producers and the Mississippi River. They also said Monroe City’s hydrogeology would handle the plant’s needs better than the underground aquifer in Webster County.

Greg Wilmoth, president and CEO of GBE, was unavailable for comment, but he said in the release that GBE was thrilled with the warm welcome his company received from Monroe City officials.

“We are especially pleased with this location,” Wilmoth said. “Monroe City provides an exceptional site for an ethanol plant with access to rail, natural gas, available work force and markets for all products.”

The plant will convert corn into ethanol by fermenting the starch portion of corn and distilling it into alcohol. The ethanol is produced from field corn normally fed to livestock, not sweet corn consumed by humans, according to the release.

Vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber left over from ethanol production will be used as distiller’s grain, a value-added livestock feed.

The proposed facility also could generate more than 700 direct and indirect jobs, GBE said in the release.

Monroe City Administrator Jim Burns said GBE identified Monroe City through a real-estate agent hired by the company to locate potential plant sites with rail access and utility service.

Burns said the plant would likely be built next to an existing industrial park. The land has access to two rail lines, he said, adding that the surrounding region has a large number of grain producers.

“We are in a very ag-oriented area,” Burns said. “It just makes sense that whatever industry comes here is something that’s synergistic with the other activities.”

Hundreds of laborers would be needed to build the plant, which Burns said would increase property values and generate additional tax revenue for the city, school district and county.

The full-time jobs are the biggest benefit, he said.

Monroe City, which has a population of 2,500, is already home to two die-casting plants and a manufacturer of heating elements and thermostats, Burns said.

“We do have a little bit of industry here … but you can always use more,” he said.[[In-content Ad]]