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GRAND CHAMPION BABY Page 4A
The Macon County
USPS-299800 Vol.136, No. 45 Bevier, MO, 63532 • 16 Pages • 3 Sections • 75 Cents
Serving Macon County Since 1876
Subscribers to the Home Press are the nicest people! This week we salute
Korina Hurley Macon, MO SPECIAL GRADUATION EDITION! PAGE 1B
BEVIER SECTIONAL TRACK QUALIFIERS Congratulations to our sectional qualifiers: Cheyenne Shelmadine in Discus; Dominca Prokup in 100 and 300 Meter Hurdles; Jesse Ashenfelter in the 110 Meter Hurdles; Seth Shurvington in 110 and 300 Meter Hurdles; Jean Fiquet in 200 Meter Dash ; Mike Kissee, Seth Shurvington, Jean Fiquet, and Jesse Ashefelter in 4 x 200 Meter Relay
BEVIER WILDCATS WEEK WRAPPED UP
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
POET Biorefining Celebrates 12th Anniversary May 8, 2000 was a big day for Macon County and “Northeast Missouri Grain, LLC”. That is the day the ethanol plant began operations in a new facility just east of Macon. There were 28 members at the time and the following 13 of those members are still there today. Ken Richison, Scott Warren, Darcy Anderson, Eric Basler, Glenn Peterman, Mike Primrose, Josh Thudium, Steve Sagaser, Doug Simons, Josh Greenwood, Joe Curtis, David Wolfe and Steve Burnett. At that time NEMO Grain was the biggest plant to be built by the Broin Companies. The original plant met its production goal (Nameplate) after only one week of running, and by the end of 2 weeks it had run a full 7 consecutive days with an average production rate exceeding 15 MGPY(Million Gallons Per Year). The first operations team members were trained under the leadership of Rob Broin and his brother Todd Broin. Todd was behind the automation and controls of the plant process. The new plant was very quickly able to increase and hold production at 17 MGPY and grounding 6 million bushels of corn in that first year. Everyone worked very hard and also had many challenges along the way but with team work, perseverance and faith, as well as a great crew, the plant increased to run 21 to 23 MGPY up until 2003 when the first expansion was completed. The plant now has a capacity of 46 MGPY, and it employees 44 Team Members. NEMO Grain was the first ethanol plant to ever be built in Missouri. Board members John Eggleston and Grover Gamm worked tirelessly for many years to make the plant happen. Skeptics were plentiful as scores of locals would not dare invest in a plant they thought would not last more than six months. Other Agri-Businesses in the state worked to prevent the plant from being built. “I was asked by a local realtor, “Are you sure you shouldn’t rent a place to live for the first year? The “local talk” is there is not much chance the ethanol plant will ever make it”. Said Steve Burnett, General Manager. The ethanol plant cost more to build than any plant or business within Macon County. This is still true today. POET Biorefining Macon has had a tremendous positive effect on the local and state economy for the past 13 years, including the beginning construction phase that started
ABOVE - Steve Burnett, General Manager of POET, stands in front of the sign welcoming visitors to the biorefining plant. BELOW - POET has had a tremendous positive effect on the local and state economy since its opening in 2000.
in the spring of 1999. “The plants total economic effect in terms of jobs, equals over 1900 permanent full time jobs when all the “Trickle effect” jobs are included”, states Burnett. POET Biorefining Macon has earned the distinction of being one of the largest companies in all of Northeast Missouri when measured by gross revenue and is respected as one of the very best places to work within all of Northeast Missouri. Burnett stated he has lived and worked here longer than any other place in his life and says “God has truly held the reins of our destiny and I fully trust Him to continue carrying the load for us in the fu-
ture”. POET offers its employees one of the best benefit packages in the area and has a very high employee retention rate. “We are very close to our employees says Burnett; when one of them needs something, we’re all here to help”. “I have been blessed to get to serve with our great team all these years”. POET Biorefining Macon has just celebrated its 12th anniversary on May 8th. Through all the trials, tribulations and on to the celebrations it remains a very strong force in Macon County and brings strength to the local economy.
MACON COUNTY INNOVATION CENTER Pictured is Spencer Hendricks waiting to steal a base during the Bevier vs. North Shelby game.
Monday night May 7th the Wildcats traveled to North Shelby to face the Raiders. Bevier came out on top with a final score of 13 to 5. John Fiquet had 2 singles and a double, McKenzey Pipes, Jonathan Basler, Louie Fiquet, and Logan Christensen all had singles and Seth Shurvington had 2 singles and a double. Mckenzy Pipes pitched 7 innings and gave up 5 hits, walked 2 and struck out 7 batters. On May 8th the Atlanta Hornets buzzed through Bevier and stung the Wildcats with a final game score of 15 -0. Bevier’s McKenzey Pipes had a double and Jonathan Basler a single but no runs were scored. Cat Scratch Fever hit Cairo on Thursday night as the Wildcats and Bear Cats played out the 7 innings ending in a 4 to 0 victory for the Bear Cats. Logan Christensen and Andrew Peter had singles. The Wildcats finished their regular season at 5-5. They travel to Keytesville on May 15th to play Northwestern for their first game in districts.
Due to a serious funding crisis, MO State Transportation Department leaders voted to eliminate 1200 positions statewide through attrition and transfers, closed three district offices, including Macon’s District 2 Complex and sold hundreds of pieces of equipment. This decision was devastating to the
employees, and our local economy. Our community is working to turn a devastating situation into a positive one… Macon County, the City of Macon and Macon County Economic Development leadership, along with state and local MODOT leadership, developed a plan to create a business incubator/en-
trepreneur center utilizing the existing MODOT complex. The Macon County Innovation Center (MCIC) will help create jobs and opportunities within the Macon County area. The MCIC will provide business services including business plan writing, feasibility studies, marketing assistance, procurement assistance, product development and financial planning. In addition, the MCIC will have office and/or manufacturing space available to new or growing businesses within our community. These businesses must be clients of the MCIC and utilize the resources provided, in order to occupy space. Onshore Outsourcing is the very first MCIC client. The MCIC is governed by a fourmember committee, including Presiding Commissioner, Alan Wyatt, Associate Commissioner, Jon Dwiggins, City Administrator, Allan Muncy and Mayor Dale Bagley. Macon County Economic Development Director, Denise Bennett, will serve as a consultant to the committee. Macon County Economic Development will oversee the Center and together with the University of Missouri Extension office and our local Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC), will provide the business assistance services.
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