Vital Magazine - Spring 2023

SPRING 2023 A HISTORY OF INNOVATION

POET Research Center celebrates 35th anniversary with the company

BY

CHANGING THE WORLD FOR 35 YEARS

A VISION & BEYOND: SCAN TO VIEW OUR SHORT FILM THE STORY OF POET

OUR IMPACT

Vital magazine is a news and media resource managed by POET, the world’s largest producer of biofuels. Since 2008, Vital has provided readers with forward-thinking content that helps to advance an industry that provides renewable energy and bio-based products from the surface of the Earth. Vital seeks to educate readers about the state of the biofuels sector today and the breakthrough stories of innovation and sustainability of tomorrow by presenting a variety of insights and perspectives.

Each issue features in-depth, quality reporting on important topics, such as the fight against the climate crisis, innovation in agriculture, local and national policy landscapes and stories of the men and women advocating to advance bioethanol and other renewable bioproducts.

Vital by POET is committed to editorial excellence, along with high quality print production and distribution. In the spirit of its continued commitment to being good stewards of the environment, POET is proud to produce Vital using recycled paper when printed.

Additional reporting can be found online at vitalbypoet.com. The opinions and statements expressed by content contributors and advertisers in Vital are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of POET. Neither POET nor its third-party content providers shall be liable for any inaccuracies contained within Vital, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

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Vital is published quarterly by POET, LLC and other individuals or entities. All materials within are subject to copyrights owned by POET. POET, JIVE, Dakota Gold, BPX, ProPellet and other associated designs and logos are registrations or trademarks of POET, LLC. Growth Energy is a registration or trademark of Growth Energy, a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the District of Columbia. Any reproduction of all or part of any document found in Vital is expressly prohibited, unless POET or the copyright owner of the material has expressly granted its prior written consent to so reproduce, retransmit or republish the material. All other rights reserved. For questions, contact the POET legal department at 605.965.2200.

The opinions and statements expressed by content contributors and advertisers in Vital are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of POET. Neither POET nor its third-party content providers shall be liable for any inaccuracies contained within Vital, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

©2023 POET, LLC. All rights reserved.

FEATURES

11 | A Legacy of Giving

POET further enhances company’s servant–hearted leadership

18 | Making Co2nnections for the Future

Carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration bring environmental and economic benefits

35 | POET Grain Puts People First

POET Grain takes a relationshipfocused approach to business

43 | A History of Innovation

POET Research Center celebrates 35th anniversary with the company

53 | A Clean Sweep

Upgraded bin sweep technology increases safety, efficiency at bioprocessing facilities

COLUMNS

06 | In Sight

By Jeff Broin

26 | Mechanics Corner

Automotive advice from the Under the Hood radio show

40

Fresh

By Nicole Hasheider

58 |

Of Left Field

By Scott Johnson

Left: DJ Haggerty, Plant Manager at POET Bioprocessing -- Big Stone | Top Right: POET Witchita corporate office

Bottom Right: POET Research Center in Scotland, South Dakota

Embracing the Low-Carbon Future

By Jeff Broin, Founder and CEO of POET

When the bioethanol industry grows, agriculture wins. That’s a fact. I’ve seen it hold true in all my 35 years leading POET, and I have no doubt that it will continue to hold true as we take our next steps to grow biofuel’s impact on our world.

So it excites me to know we have already started moving toward the next step in this industry’s growth, putting us in an even larger role in the low-carbon economy.

Low-carbon is the future, not only for biofuels but for the entire energy and agriculture sectors. It is the clear direction our world needs to take in the short term in order to benefit future generations in the long term. And although there are still some who want to fight this evolution, at POET we are committed to leading it.

Around here, we think big. And we make big bets on those thoughts. When I was 22 years old, my family took a risk on an industry that many thought would fail. At that time, bioethanol was a nice story to tell but still unprofitable and largely underutilized in the fuel market. Today bioethanol uses 40% of our nation’s corn crop and makes up more than 10% of America's gasoline supply.

In those early days, I went door-to-door selling distillers grain to farmers, even though some other bioethanol producers viewed it as a waste product. There were plenty of naysayers around the value of distillers grain back then — but today, it’s the secondlargest feed ingredient in the U.S., just behind corn.

I could share similar stories about many other major moves POET has made over the years. That includes the creation of new bioproducts, the merging of all of our companies into one strong entity, and our 2021 acquisition of six additional facilities. We are always willing to move forward with what we believe is the right thing to do, and that has set us apart.

Now it’s time to make investments on the low-carbon future. Biofuel producers and farmers needs to have a seat at the table, and in order to make that happen, we must continue to drive biofuels toward carbon neutrality and capture the full value of renewable CO2 for farm families and rural communities across the Midwest.

Some of that will happen through improvements at the plant. POET has constantly improved the overall sustainability of our process through investments in technology like combined heat and power, solar power, CO2 capture for commercial use, waste-to-energy, and total water recovery. Some of that will happen on the farm, where farmers continue to adopt carbon-smart ag practices like precision farming, low-till and no-till, and cover crops while improving yields to make American agriculture the best in the world.

And some of that will happen by thinking big and embracing new solutions to the carbon challenge. POET has joined the Navigator CO2 Heartland Greenway carbon capture system. The system will phase in all 18 POET facilities in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. This is a game-changing development that will increase the value of corn and bioethanol and create local jobs..

We believe carbon capture systems are an important piece of the carbon reduction puzzle. By creating new opportunities for biofuels, we believe this will bring long-term value back to the farm, ensuring that agriculture continues to play a key role in moving our world toward a more sustainable future.

I often say you have to lead, follow, or get out of the way. At POET, we have always worked hard to do the right thing to lead this industry forward. Now it’s time for us to lead the way to the lowcarbon future.

in rhythm with nature biotechnology solutions

At some point, technology and nature fell out of rhythm. POET is getting us back in rhythm with nature with sophisticated and sustainable biotechnology solutions to our most immediate challenges.

A Legacy of Giving

POET demonstrates servant-hearted leadership by giving back

By Andrea Van Essen

At POET, leading with a servant’s heart is embedded in the company culture. In the same way team members work to change the world through their careers, there is also great potential to create change in the way they engage with their communities through a newly launched company-wide initiative: POET Gives Back.

The philosophy behind this outreach is not a new one. The POET team carries a longstanding tradition of community engagement, volunteerism, and philanthropy that stems from the heart of Founder and CEO Jeff Broin and his wife, Tammie.

“Since day one, our mission has focused on being a good steward of the Earth and a good neighbor to those around us,” says Broin. “It’s not a responsibility we take lightly, but one we have always felt called to. I believe that our steadfast dedication to continue making the world a better place has led to our success and defined the very essence of what makes us POET.”

New to the effort as well is a position dedicated to leading the charge and building out the mission of giving back throughout the POET network. Alyssa Broin Christensen stepped into the role of Vice President of Team and Community Impact in early 2023.

She says the passion she carries for this initiative stems from Jeff and Tammie and the core values they cultivated within their family from a young age.

“Throughout my childhood, we participated in local programs like Sioux Falls Cares and the Angel Tree each year, and my parents have been involved with Make-A-Wish and Children's Home Society for as long as I can remember. They have always carried an enormous heart for our community, and each of us grew up to carry that passion in our own ways as well,” she said.

Through the launch of POET Gives Back, there are even more opportunities to go above and beyond to inspire team members into action. The company has also taken its mission of servant leadership a step further by implementing annual volunteer hours to encourage each team member to serve their communities in a way that is meaningful to them.

“We’ve implemented volunteer hours to show not only the impact of our dollars but the heart behind our people,” Christensen said. “Who knows what area of service they’re going to fall in love with and how that might light a spark they bring home to their families?

POET Gives Back features three core pillars of giving: The Earth, The Community, and The Next Generation. These pillars have been thoughtfully put in place to help steward dollars and volunteer hours to efforts that share synergy with the POET mission.

"Encouraging small but mighty moments of action from the POET team takes our mission to change the world a step further.”

- Alyssa Broin Christensen, Vice President of Team and Community Impact

Making life-changing wishes come true

One of POET’s deepest connections is with Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana, a relationship that has spanned at least 20 years.

The organization’s mission is simple — “Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses,” — and it aligns with POET’s pillar of cultivating creativity, confidence, and compassion in the next generation by providing support for disadvantaged youth in the local communities.

“We like to emphasize that word, ‘together,’ because there’s no way we could do this without a strong partnership of supporters throughout our territory, a whole community of folks coming together to make wishes come true,” said Sue Salter, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana.

Since its founding in 1984, Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana has granted over 2,200 wishes to children suffering from critical illnesses. Salter clarifies that critical does not always mean terminal and about 70 percent of children served through the program live into adulthood or even overcome their illnesses.

Wishes fall into one of five categories: to be something, to have something, to go somewhere, to meet someone, or to give back. The organization hosts an Adopt-A-Wish program, in which a donor is assigned a child and partners to make their specific wish come true.

Several members of the POET team regularly participate in the Adopt-A-Wish program, and the company is also a sponsor of the organization’s annual golf tournament and Evening of Inspiration.

“POET is more than a valued partner; they are stakeholders. When we look at the level of their generosity over the years, it’s difficult to express. They get a chance to be directly involved through our Adopt-A-Wish program and see how the family and child are impacted. It’s a life-changing opportunity to make a difference for a child,” Salter said.

Supporting the safety and well-being of children

POET has fostered another meaningful partnership of over 20 years with the Children’s Home Society of South Dakota (CHS). The organization, which celebrated its 130-year anniversary in February, has evolved over the years, but its mission has always been the safety and well-being of children. Over time, that has expanded to include adults and families.

“The majority of our work is with children who are suffering from abuse, neglect, and domestic violence, but we always want to explain that we’re also a mental health provider, and not all the children served here are with the Child Protection System,” said Rick Weber, Director of Development for the Children’s Home Foundation.

The organization operates on a $27 million budget, with the majority of funding coming from government sources. Still, that funding comes up short by about 30 percent, and CHS relies on charitable contributions to meet the remaining need.

Weber says that in the 35 years he has been with CHS, the deficit has been increasing steadily.

“Government funding is important, but it’s always challenged. When I started, we needed less than five percent of our budget to come from charitable support, but it’s definitely increasing, ” he said. Support from companies like POET is key to bridging that gap.

“We are so thankful to friends like POET who are stepping up in a big way. There are lots of challenges in our world today, and it’s pretty cool how the business community invests in our kind of work. They sincerely want to make communities better and stronger,” he said.

Top: Family partnered with Children's Home Society

Bottom: Recipient of a wish from Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana

In addition to financial support, POET makes an effort to get team members involved and raise awareness in the community.

“Their support has come in many ways, from sponsoring fundraisers to supporting the publication of our Christmas children’s book. One of their departments got together and brought in presents for the kids at Christmas. Building that grassroots connection to employees is so important because it extends to their families and personal communities, too,” Weber said.

He emphasizes that POET makes an effort to truly get to know CHS and understand its mission.

“They have a huge business, but they take the time to connect, visit, take a tour, and learn about what we’re doing,” Weber said. “That’s a gift in itself when you think about how busy the world is and the demands on everyone’s time.”

From the enduring corporate sponsorships to the many local partnerships and hands-on volunteer efforts across the vast POET network — including everything from Earth Day park cleanups to Christmas food drives to student mentorship — Christensen believes the introduction of POET Gives Back will only bolster the POET team’s generosity in the years ahead.

“POET has been very blessed, and we feel deeply that it’s our duty to pay those blessings forward,” said Christensen. “This initiative enables us to harness the passion of our people and provide the means to channel that passion into action, and I’m very excited to see what we can accomplish together."

POLICY Freedom to Fuel

By Matt Ward, POET Government Affairs Manager

On Friday, April 28, 2023, President Joe Biden and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan granted an emergency waiver for summertime Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP). This decision ensures that American consumers have the freedom to fuel with E15, made with 15 percent plant-based bioethanol, throughout the summer driving season. The announcement, mirroring one made by the president at POET Bioprocessing – Menlo, Iowa, in 2022, marks the second time the Biden EPA has lifted nonsensical seasonal restrictions on the cleaner, cost-saving biofuel blend.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to protecting Americans from fuel supply challenges resulting from the ongoing war in Ukraine by ensuring consumers have more choices at the pump,” said Administrator Regan. “Allowing E15 sales during the summer driving season will not only help increase fuel supply, but support American farmers, strengthen U.S. energy security, and provide relief to drivers across the country.”

With the war in Ukraine escalating and the Federal Strategic Petroleum Reserve at its lowest inventory in nearly 40 years, conditions were warranted to once again extend access to E15 throughout the summer of 2023.

“The Biden administration’s decision will keep E15 flowing when Americans need it most,” said POET Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Joshua Shields. “With tight fuel supplies, rising prices, and poor air quality looming this summer, continued access to E15 puts a cleaner and more affordable fuel option within reach. We’re grateful to President Biden, EPA Administrator Regan, and House and Senate biofuel champions for working together to protect America’s fuel supply, ensure continued savings at the pump, and promote cleaner air for all.”

News of the waiver was welcomed by bipartisan biofuels champions in the House and Senate, who had pressed the Administration and EPA to act to ensure year-round access to E15.

“American biofuels are a homegrown energy solution that support Wisconsin’s farmers and producers, help drive down the price at the pump, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). “I applaud the Biden administration’s action to ensure cleaner E15 fuel is available this summer, supporting jobs in rural communities and moving our Made in Wisconsin economy forward.”

Senator John Thune (R-SD) remarked, “As I have repeatedly made clear to the Biden administration, biofuels are a common-sense, readily available energy solution that should be utilized to their full potential,” said Thune. “I’m glad the president listened to my repeated calls to extend E15 fuel sales through the summer, which is the right move to give American drivers a lower-cost option at the gas pump. Higher blends of homegrown ethanol enhance our energy security, lower emissions, and provide a vital market for South Dakota farmers.”

Last summer, E15 saved American drivers up to nearly $1 per gallon in some areas, with an average savings of 16 cents per gallon, according to ABF Economics.

“Boosting the nation’s available fuel supply with E15 is better for consumers, the environment, and the economy,” Shields continued. “E15 can help shield Americans from gasoline supply shortages and price spikes. In addition, E15 reduces smog-forming emissions, which can mean cleaner air in congested urban areas most impacted by air pollution. E15 also supports jobs, creates value for family farmers, and drives economic growth in rural communities across America.”

Federal regulations limit the vapor pressure of gasoline during the summer ozone season; however, those rules were drafted before E15 was available. E15 is effectively blocked from the marketplace during the summer months because of an unintended wrinkle in federal law, despite having lower evaporative emissions than standard summertime gasoline. Just last year, research by the University of California Riverside reaffirmed that E15 reduces volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter that contribute to smog formation.

POET thanks President Biden, EPA Administrator Regan, and House and Senate biofuels champions for ensuring access to higher blends of biofuels like cleaner, affordable E15 this summer. We remain committed to working towards a permanent solution that protects consumers' access to E15 year-round.

Making CO2nnections for the Future

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage bring environmental and economic benefits

By Steve Lange

Tim Burrack describes himself as "a farmer who delivers corn to my POET plant."

But Burrack, who grows corn and soybeans in northeastern Iowa and delivers to the POET plant in Fairbank, has a long history as a big-picture, forwardthinking leader in the ag sector. He has served as president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Vice-Chairman and Board Member for the Global Farmer Network, and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board Chairman.

"The world is decarbonizing," said Burrack, who planted his 50th crop this year. "Governments have decided we're going to decarbonize, and they're going to put billions of dollars into it. Private industry has decided they're going to decarbonize, and they're going to spend billions of dollars. I look at the trends, and I can see that the fuels for the future are going to have a lower carbon intensity score than the ones we're running today."

For Burrack, lowering those carbon intensity (CI) scores means capturing and sequestering more CO2. And that means looking at the future of moving that CO2 effectively. This is not possible without corn farmers and landowners working together to secure their future.

Heartland Greenway Timeline

Source: www.navigatorco2.com

"If we can get bioethanol's CI score down, it can continue to be a viable fuel for the future," said Burrack. "We may have different opinions on it, but that means we need to support the platforms that will carry the CO2. We can all help each other. And, to me, Navigator [CO2 Ventures] looks like the best organization to make this happen the right way. If bioethanol is viable in the future, that means the corn industry is viable, which helps agriculture, which is good for everyone in the Midwest.

On the environmental side of things, capturing and utilizing more carbon dioxide could, according to a recent study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, "slow, stop, or potentially reverse ... the effects of climate change."

On the economic side, the large-scale capture of CO2, a natural co-product of bioethanol production, has been an ever-increasing value add for farmers and the ag industry.

And, from their headquarters in Omaha, Navigator is working to bring these two ideas together through the Heartland Greenway system, described as "one of the first largescale, commercially viable carbon capture projects to be developed in the United States."

"We can't do that without progress. We can't do that without investing in the future for farmers."

- Tim Burrack

Navigator CO2 Ventures was founded by the Navigator Energy Services management team with the purpose of focusing on "redefining the carbon ecosystem so that businesses, communities, and the planet can thrive." The company has built over 1,300 miles of new infrastructure since being founded in 2012. Today, the management team brings a collective 200plus years of industry experience and 6,400 miles of pipeline construction built collectively.

The Heartland Greenway system will provide carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) services for more than 30 bioprocessors and food production companies in the Farm Belt. It is projected to safely and efficiently transport up to 15 million tons of liquid CO2 every year across a pipeline connecting 1,300 miles of bioprocessing facilities and sales sites and storage facilities across Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois.

The project is more than just a 1,300-mile pipeline. Heartland Greenway will help customers finance and build their carbon dioxide capture equipment on-site — capturing CO2 that is already being produced and may otherwise be discharged into the atmosphere. It will transport the liquid CO2 to connect plants to the most effective sites to store or sell their CO2 — all while reducing a collective carbon footprint.

"Capturing CO2 from bioethanol production is something we've been doing for a number of years," said Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs for Navigator. "Transporting CO2 as a liquid in a pipeline is also not terribly new for this country — we've been doing it for decades. What we're looking at is taking those processes and growing them. We're making sure that we're efficiently and effectively connecting the points that have CO2 to the areas that need it."

While other CO2 collection comes from invasive drilling and sources like ammonia production facilities and oil refineries, the CO2 destined for Heartland Greenway is predominately created from a renewable resource: corn. It's better for the environment, and it benefits farmers.

"We hope people appreciate the environmental foundation of this project," said Burns-Thompson, who was raised on an Iowa farm and went to college for ag business. "But at the end of the day, bioethanol plants are businesses; farmers are businesses. This is one of those unique opportunities where farmers get to be involved in the development of critical infrastructure for the future of an industry that they developed."

POET, for their part, has been capturing — and selling — CO2 since 1998. Today, 15 of POET's plants supply the highest-grade liquid carbon dioxide to customers across the U.S. for everything from flash-freezing food to fighting fires to carbonating beverages.

In the future, there is potential for additional revenue to be passed on to farmers in the form of higher prices paid for lower-carbon corn.

A direct pipeline to each of POET's CO2 plants would make their carbon capture — and the subsequent storage and sales — even more cost-efficient and even more environmentally friendly.

CCUS is an important component in meeting important carbon-reduction goals for all of the region's bioprocessing facilities. Some of these goals and mandates have been set by the U.S. Government; some have been self-imposed (POET, for example, recently pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050).

Many industry leaders, and many farmers, recognize that the CO2 capture side of the ag industry needs to move forward and fast. That means more bioethanol plants capturing more CO2. That means better logistics. And that means more efficient, less carbon-intensive methods for moving CO2 to markets than the trucks or trains in use today.

And that, for the region's bioethanol plants (including POET), means partnering with Navigator CO2 through the Heartland Greenway system.

“We recognize that now is the time to take bold action to preserve our planet for future generations,” said Jeff Broin, POET Founder and CEO. “POET has been a leader in low-carbon biofuels and CO2

capture for commercial use for decades, and this project is another significant step in utilizing bioprocessing to accelerate our path to net zero."

In June of 2022, POET announced that it had officially partnered with Navigator CO2 for CCUS services of 5 million metric tons of POET carbon dioxide every year. By the end of 2022, the agreement was finalized.

“We choose our partners carefully, and we believe Navigator has the expertise to deliver long-term value to rural America by further positioning agricultural commodities as a viable source of lowcarbon liquid fuels to power our future,” said Broin.

For Steve Lee, Navigator's Executive Vice President of Engineering and Construction, the Heartland Greenway team brings all of the experience of midstream infrastructure to a project that directly benefits the economy, the area, and the people it covers.

"This is a project that represents a full circle of benefits," said Lee, who spent 20-plus years in the oil and gas industry, much of it on the transmission and pipeline side, before joining Navigator. "Pipelines have been the safest system of transportation for the past 30 years, and they keep getting safer. There are no long-term effects to land use. This is a project where the farmers can help the bioethanol producers who can help the farmers. Everyone can benefit."

Be Proactive to Protect Your Engine

Russ Evans, Under the Hood Radio Show Host and Mechanic

When fuel prices changed last summer, so did our fueling habits — our driving, however, not so much. Even though the price of fuel reached around twice its prior amount, we still drove more miles than ever before.

When the price of fuel goes up, our eyes tend to gravitate toward the most affordably priced label on the pump. For many of us, the obvious choice for fuel savings is bioethanol, but some who aren’t fuel knowledgeable may worry if it’s the right choice for their vehicle.

Think about all the people who are driven by a lower price point. It’s safe to say that includes most of us, right?

Biofuels were used more in the past 12 months, not only by repeat users but also by people who had previously stuck with non-bioethanol choices. They may have avoided biofuels due to longstanding myths heard through word of mouth or misleading information in the marketing world.

We see a variety of repairs in our shop, from simple tune-ups to major engine repairs and replacements. We tear engines down and inspect them to determine what parts have failed, replace those parts, and get those vehicles back on the road as quickly, affordably, and reliably as we can.

During those repairs, the top failures we see are often caused by oil system failures, which result in engine replacement or major mechanical repairs. Oils have changed in the past decade or so, and manufacturers are changing the specs and weights of oils more than ever before to make sure their engines last, but there is a factor that often goes overlooked: the drivers.

Many of the failures we see are caused by drivers not changing their oil often enough. Can you believe that the average number of miles overdue for an oil change that we see in our shop is 6,000 miles? Combine that with today’s emissions and oils that have very little zinc and ZDDP, and you have a recipe for failure.

The vehicles coming in for tuning issues due to poor drivability conditions that are not oil systemrelated are usually ignition system item-related parts like coils and spark plugs, which should be regularly maintained but often are not.

What we see the least in the shop and get the fewest calls about on our radio show are fuel system issues. The increased use of bioethanol today has helped to keep engines clean, and we believe it’s why we see fewer failures. Our shops and other shops operated by our colleagues are simply not seeing biofuel failures.

That’s why we continue to recommend choosing bioethanol to save you money, protect your vehicle investment, clean the air we breathe, and keep the availability of American-made biofuel at pumps near you.

The Motor Medics. Under The Hood can be found on a station near you or your favorite podcast site.

POET PAC

The Reasons I Give

By Rachael Alwin, POET Public Affairs Manager

POET PAC is a Federal Political Action Committee (PAC) formed to support candidates who are committed to being champions for America’s biofuel and agricultural industries. Hear from some of our team members across the POET network who lead by example and invest in the future of biofuels by being part of POET PAC!

To learn more or contribute to POET PAC, visit poetpac.com

Name: Ben Arentson

Hometown: Harlan, Iowa

Tell me about your connection to POET.

I was hired as quality manager at POET Bioprocessing – Corning (Iowa) in the fall of 2014 and spent four years in that role. In 2018, I relocated to POET Bioprocessing – Hanlontown (Iowa) to serve as plant manager before transitioning to General Manager in 2019.

How did you first hear about POET PAC?

In my first few weeks at the Corning facility, my General Manager Greg Olsen explained the importance and value of supporting a political action committee specific to the bioethanol industry.

Why do you give to POET PAC?

I know the dollars that we raise for POET PAC are being well spent on increasing support for bioethanol. The PAC is non-partisan; it simply uses funds to support and educate those on both sides of the aisle who represent our industry and way of life in Washington, D.C.

Why should others give to POET PAC?

Supporting POET PAC directly supports our livelihood. POET’s government affairs team does an excellent job of determining where PAC dollars should be allocated in order to build a strong probioethanol network. I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. this past fall to meet with congressional members and saw firsthand the group of supporters that POET PAC is building to help tell bioethanol’s story.

Name: Barb Black

Hometown: Enochsburg, IN

Tell me about your connection to POET.

I am the Administrative Coordinator at POET Bioprocessing – Shelbyville (Indiana) and came to apply simply because I love agriculture. I grew up on a farm and felt this position would be perfect for me.

How did you first hear about POET PAC?

My General Manager, Dan McMahan, presented POET PAC to me when I first started with the company.

Why do you give to POET PAC?

I give to POET PAC because I want POET to thrive.

Why should others give to POET PAC?

I think others should give not only to support our industry, but also to support their livelihoods.

Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?

We can all support more by using biofuels! Plus it's lower-cost, which means a lot with today’s inflation!

Name: Brandon McLellan

Hometown: Garretson, SD

Tell me about your connection to POET.

I have been a member of the POET team for over 15 years, and I am currently the General Manager of POET Bioprocessing – Ashton (Iowa).

How did you first hear about POET PAC?

I learned about POET PAC when it was first created as a means to get our initiatives in front of policymakers.

Why do you give to POET PAC?

I give to the PAC because I have seen firsthand the good it can do for the industry. POET PAC provides us an opportunity to provide policymakers and decision-makers with the best possible information about our industry. I’ve personally had the opportunity to stand in the offices of legislators and senators or host them at our facility and tell them why the work we do at POET each day is vital to the environment and economies of the states and districts they represent. That doesn’t happen without the PAC in place.

Why should others give to POET PAC?

If this industry and this company are something you are passionate about, then participating in the PAC is a must. No matter your feeling on the functions of politics or the need for PACs, in order to keep advancing biofuels to make the world a better place, we must have a strong POET PAC.

Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?

Each year one of our strategic goals at POET Bioprocessing – Ashton is 100% participation in the PAC, and it is something I discuss with new team members on the day they start.

PEOPLE OF POET

Engineering a Bright Future

DJ Haggerty utilizes his passion to inspire the next generation

By Makenzie Huber

For DJ Haggerty, engineering isn’t just an occupation. It’s a way of life.

The plant manager at POET Bioprocessing – Big Stone (South Dakota) has always relished making a system run smoother, faster, and better. Efficiency is part of who he is.

“When I was in a college internship — back before GPS was common — I’d calculate on a stopwatch while driving my miles per hour, calculating how long it would take me to get home,” Haggerty said. “I’d calculate the gear ratios on my tires and make calculations in my head down to the minute. It convinced me I went into the right profession after I graduated.”

Now, he revels in the challenge of his role every day at POET, and he’s inspiring the next generation of engineers in his free time as an advisor.

As plant manager, Haggerty leads the facility’s operations, improving the site’s bioethanol productivity and cost savings. He helps lead capital projects, monitors performance levels, and gives guidance to his team.

Haggerty grew up in Ortonville, Minnesota, just a few miles from Big Stone. He lives on farmland nearby with his high school sweetheart-turned-wife and their three children. He graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in agricultural and biosystems engineering and lived briefly in the Sioux Falls area before moving back to his hometown.

He’s proud to be part of a team that, in his eight years as plant manager at POET, has increased production from 80 million gallons of bioethanol to over 100 million gallons. He’s been part of a rail expansion to transport products efficiently, has helped add two fermenters onsite, and has played a role in increasing bioethanol storage capacity by two million gallons.

Blaine Gomer, who serves as general manager and Haggerty’s supervisor, believes Haggerty’s leadership and self-motivation drive the plant and its team to be as successful as they are.

In their first one-on-one meeting in 2014, Haggerty told Gomer he wanted to “learn the whole plant.” He’s done that, Gomer said.

“He’s become the go-to person on difficult issues, mechanical or technical, because he knows the plant and the process so well,” Gomer said.

And Haggerty takes his love for engineering outside the walls of the POET facility. He volunteers with the Ortonville High School Midwest Warriors FIRST Robotics team and leads an elementaryaged Big Stone County 4-H sponsored LEGO® Robotics/Engineering class at the community library.

Haggerty supervises the robotics team as they design and build a nearly 100-pound robot for a global competition. The team has two months to work on the robot, which is assigned tasks such as picking up objects or climbing over obstacles.

The LEGO program encourages elementary school students to experiment with robotics and engineering principles. The children build robots that can shoot objects or drive around like bumper cars.

Haggerty is in his fifth year advising the robotics team and has helped lead the LEGO classes for nearly a decade.

“I really enjoy when there’s a challenge out there that I get to help the kids see a solution to and implement that solution,” Haggerty said. “You try it, it doesn’t work, you change it a little bit, and then you make it work. The thing I love the most is the lightbulb pop in their eyes when they understand what the problem is and know how to fix it.”

Haggerty understands that feeling. He still gets the same rush of satisfaction when he fixes problems at work.

He joked that he’s still working while playing with LEGOs and robots, though.

“I feel like I’m helping train future employees for our company,” he said. “I’m getting people excited about something we do here.”

The elementary students in the LEGO program tour POET Bioprocessing – Big Stone each year, along with a neighboring power plant. Sometimes, Haggerty will show his high school students a project he’s working on at POET and how he approaches it.

The program is a way to share his passion for engineering with the younger generation and re-energize his perspective of the profession.

“It helps keep me inspired and engaged in engineering,” Haggerty said. “I have a problem, and I look at fixing it — I don’t have to worry about safety or financial payback or personnel relations. It’s just kids having fun and playing with robots. I feel like it reinspires me to return to work and do what I do here.”

POET Grain Puts People First

POET Grain takes a relationship-focused approach to business

By Matt Merritt

At its most basic level, business is about relationships. It is about trust, respect, and mutual benefit. Nowhere is this more evident than in biofuels, a massive industry in the U.S. that sources the majority of its feedstock from local farmers in the areas surrounding each bioprocessing facility. That trust and respect are evident throughout each POET bioprocessing facility, and for the members of POET Grain, it is the very heart of what they do each day.

Collection of value propositions

POET Grain is the corn-buying division of POET. But perhaps a better definition would be the farmer-relationship division of POET.

Day in and day out, members of POET Grain work to find the best value for both POET and the farmers. Price is certainly a part of that value, but it’s more than that. It’s what Christian McIlvain, President of POET Grain, calls a “collection of value propositions.”

“There are other areas of value beyond just our corn basis,” he said. “It's our infrastructure and our systems and our relationship-oriented approach and the fact that we're a consistent bid in the marketplace.”

Members of POET Grain talk to farmers each day to ensure they procure a steady supply of grain to keep a 24-hour-a-day facility operating at peak efficiency. Over POET’s 35 years, they’ve learned that the best way to accomplish that is by local team members working with local farmers directly.

“Rather than having a centralized corn-buying capability out of an office, whether that's Wichita or elsewhere, we choose to invest in a local procurement solution,” McIlvain said. “We have POET Grain team members at each one of our bioprocessing facilities.”

They have also invested heavily in making sure the corn delivery process is as smooth as possible.

“We realize time is money, and that's true for the farmer,” McIlvain said. “So, we want to get them to our plant, through our plant, and back out to whatever they need to be tending to as quickly and safely as possible.”

Investing in relationships

Although POET is technically the customer buying the farmers’ product, McIlvain doesn’t see it that way. Farmers are POET’s customers, he said.

“We're not just about a transaction; rather, we're about a partnership and a relationship.”

- Christian McIlvain, President of

A local approach prioritizes relationships. That means an open-door policy at the office, but also often meeting with farmers where they are, said Cliff Huot, Regional Marketing Manager at POET Bioprocessing – Hudson (South Dakota).

“I've been here 18 years. Early on, a lot of the investors were very eager to support their investments and to support the economy, so they kind of came to us,” he said. “But obviously, we have needs way beyond just the investor bushels that would come. So, it is a focus to get out and to generate the business and to go meet the producer and develop that relationship.”

“We'd like to meet with them wherever they feel most comfortable,” McIlvain said. “That may be at the kitchen table on their farm. That may be over a coffee at the local cafe.”

That also involves working with farmers to make sure their needs are met in a transaction. POET Grain can offer specialty contracts that allow producers diverse options for selling grain.

“Much like your 401k, you'd prefer to have a diversified investment portfolio rather than that singular investment,” McIlvain said. “POET Grain is able to help those farmers who have a desire to diversify their grain sales portfolio through the use of our specialty contracts.”

Bioprocessing improves corn markets in many ways

Competition raises prices for farmers, and biofuels have offered new competition in corn markets like no other industry this century.

POET Grain purchases around one billion bushels of grain annually across the Midwest.

“That's more corn than many states produce, like in Ohio, where we operate or Missouri,” said Matt Gerhold, Regional Marketing Manager at POET Bioprocessing – Macon (Missouri). “It's a whole state’s worth of corn. So, what we do does move the corn market.”

That matters on the local level.

“Price-wise, that just provides a competitive landscape,” Huot said. “It’s more opportunities for the producers in the local area because if we weren't here, you'd just have a feed mill, and then you'd have a rail station. It’s another demand piece.”

Another valuable aspect of bioprocessing is its steadying impact on markets. Grain markets can be volatile, and bioprocessors like POET can help even out those peaks and valleys.

“We've brought a lot of stability to the overall basis market,” Gerhold said. “Feeders tend to pay premiums. They're in and the out of the market frequently. They'll be the high watermark one day, and then they'll be out of the market. But our bioethanol demand is very consistent.”

Bioprocessing never stops, and that’s a feature that makes those facilities especially valuable in rural America.

“POET is a consistent bid of corn for these farmers,” McIlvain said.” We are working day in, day out, 365 days a year, minus some maintenance. So, it's a delivery location for the farmer that they can count on.”

POET Grain

Top: Semis hauling grain at POET Bioprocessing -- Hudson

Bottom Left: Spencer Crouch, Marketing Analyst and Christian McIlvain, President of POET Grain, review data

Bottom Right: Cliff Huot, Regional Marketing Manager at POET Bioprocessing -- Hudson

Flexibility in corn quality

Bioprocessors like POET are also able to move a lot of grain that previously was wasted or sold at a steep discount by farmers, Gerhold said.

“It used to be if they had damaged corn, they had very little outlet for it,” he said. “It’s not that we want damaged corn, but we know how to meter it, how to utilize it. We know exactly what it does and doesn't do for us.

“We handle quite a bit of wet corn that's very competitive to what the farmer can do on his own,” Gerhold said. “So now we're in a position where we can save the money on drying costs should they need to bring wet corn to town or not want to dry it.”

Local buying creates local impact

Employing local people and buying local grain leads to local benefits.

POET Grain hires locally whenever possible. The company provides a great opportunity for people with ag degrees to work close to home. Huot and Gerhold are both testaments to that fact.

“I spent 10 years with ADM working in Illinois from Missouri,” Gerhold said. “It took me 10 years to find a job that was comparable to what I could make working for another grain

industry in another state. POET put a plant in Macon, Missouri, and I was able to move home. It's been a good gig ever since.”

“I'm living about a mile from where I grew up,” Huot said. “I made a kind of a crosscountry stint with the major grain company when I first started in the industry, and, you know, this really allowed the opportunity to move back home.

"It's been just a fantastic opportunity, and I know that I'm just one of several that have had that,” he said. “It’s provided a lot of opportunities for local talent to thrive with really nice jobs.”

“A fantastic partnership”

Bioprocessing is in perfect synchronization with agriculture. Both depend on each other to thrive. Both have been tremendously successful at doing so.

By focusing on relationships first, POET and the entire bioethanol industry have transformed agriculture and created stronger bonds across rural America.

“I think about it as a fantastic partnership,” McIlvain said. “We're all in this together. We help lift one another up. We help make one another successful.”

Top: POET Wichita corporate office

Bottom: Eve Mattucci, Raid and Optimization Planner, and Amanda Compton, Trade Fulfillment Coordinator, in the Wichita office

NCGA’s Corn Yield Contest Expands with New Challenges and Opportunities

By Nicole Hasheider, National Corn Growers Association Director of Crop Inputs and Investor Relations

Soaring input prices are nothing new for corn growers, but that doesn’t make them any easier to accept. And recently, nothing has soared more than the price of fertilizer.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects fertilizer to make up 46% of the total operating costs for growing corn in 2023. This is up from 37% for the 2021 crop and 35% for the 2020 crop. In fact, aside from 2008, the current fertilizer-to-operating-cost ratio is at its highest point since the 1970s.

On top of soaring prices, fertilizer is often a target in discussions related to water quality and corn sustainability. That’s why the National Corn Growers decided now is the right time to use one of its most popular programs, the 59th National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC), to offer a new challenge and a new opportunity for grower innovation and participation.

In 2023, corn growers will have the opportunity to enter the NCYC Nutrient Management Pilot. The premise is simple: growers will decide what nitrogen forms to use and when to apply, but total nitrogen applied must be 180 pounds or less. Participation will be limited to the first 100 growers located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

According to a six-year Precision Conservation Management data study of farmers, nitrogen application rates greater than Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) are never more profitable for corn production on high soil productivity rating soils, even when higher nitrogen results in additional yield.

Farmer data from this USDA- and Illinois checkoff-funded report, “The Business Case for Conservation,” shows that corn grown on high soil productivity rating fields was most profitable when the total nitrogen application rate was in the MRTN range of 160 to 195 pounds.

Farmers are nothing if not innovative. Pushing the potential of hybrids has always and will continue to be a feature of NCYC. The pilot class offers a new twist on pushing this potential and a new latitude for learning, both from participating in the contest and by learning from others who compete. NCYC’s Nitrogen Management class is just another step in paving the way for competitive innovation in agriculture.

The contest’s competitive spirit is a tradition that dates back to 1965, but the National Corn Yield Contest isn’t satisfied with resting on its laurels. To be part of its history-making, visit ncga.com/NCYC.

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A History of Innovation

POET Research Center celebrates 35th anniversary with the company

By Erin Smith, POET Media Specialist

“Oh, that sounds fun!”

This was the response that General Manager David Wood received from Plant Manager Deb Roth when he discussed a tough project in his first few weeks at POET Research Center (PRC).

“When I first got to POET Research Center, we were tasked with researching a new yeast to mitigate a grain toxin,” said Wood. “It was going to be disruptive to our entire operation, as well as a difficult challenge. I expected resistance and a lot of questions but instead was met with excitement and determination. That’s when I realized how special this team was.”

POET Research Center, the company’s original bioprocessing facility, is located in Scotland, South Dakota. It is POET’s dedicated piloting and demonstration facility. For 35 years, PRC has led the POET team into new discoveries, technologies, and processes.

History in the Making

In 1987, the Broin family purchased what was then a bankrupt bioethanol facility in Scotland. This single one-million-gallonper-year facility became the cardinal plant for what would evolve into POET. Jeff Broin, POET Founder and CEO, originally served as the first General Manager of PRC.

The Broins took Scotland from a defunct facility to the first of a fleet of state-of-theart bioprocessing plants. Today, PRC has a capacity of 11 million gallons and creates immense value for POET as a cornerstone of POET’s research team.

Celebrating its own 35th anniversary in conjunction with the entire POET entity, PRC remains just as dedicated to research and development as it did in the 1980s.

“A Tremendous Amount of Research”

“PRC’s capabilities are incredibly broad,” said Wood. “We have two separate operating plants as well as extensive research capabilities in adjacent facilities. The main plant is 80% of our capacity, and the pilot plant is 20%. We run a variety of trials in each plant to evaluate and de-risk research concepts.”

In fact, the research facility boasts the most extensive fermentation and solids/ liquid separation scale-up technology in the world. PRC has the ability to go from lab-scale to pilot to full-scale production prior to implementation at POET’s other bioprocessing locations.

“Many of POET’s signature bioproducts and processes have come out of PRC,” said Wood. “From the original patent of the BPX no-cook process — which set POET apart from other bioethanol producers — to our original highprotein feed product, cellulosic bioethanol, Voilà corn oil, and gel sanitizers.”

Though PRC is best known for its impressive research capabilities, it also boasts teamwork found only in POET’s unique company culture.

“This team embraces change better than any other team I’ve worked with,” said Wood. “There is little resistance to trying new things here; this team thrives on change.

"They are an experienced and incredibly knowledgeable staff. The work they do every day helps POET change the world.”

- David Wood, General Manager

Smooth Operations

Deb Roth has been with POET since just a few months shy of day one. Though she’s been at POET for more than three decades, Roth has never been bored with her work.

“There is always something interesting or exciting happening,” said Roth. “After all these years, you’d think I’d be tired of it, but it doesn’t feel like I’ve been here this long. We have an awesome team that works together. We all have a lot of respect for what we can each do and what each team does.”

Coming from a person with Roth’s experience and tenure, her praise is highly regarded. She knows talent and high-quality work when she sees it and is continually impressed with the work that happens at PRC.

“You can’t leave a team out when talking about PRC’s success. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do every day without everyone pulling together. The operations team works incredibly hard to keep the plant running smoothly and consistently, which is important in experiments. The lab team handles a significant number of samples daily due to the variety of experiments and new projects. The maintenance team works hard on preventative maintenance to keep the aging equipment operational. Every team member is an integral piece in making each and every breakthrough.”

Top: Deb Roth and David Wood at POET Research Center | Left: David Wood presents to his team

Right Top: Brady Clavel and Nicholas Wallner review process

Right Bottom: Clinton Sieben watches as team members assemble gear

Having been at POET since the beginning has given Roth a unique perspective on the company and what she thinks the world needs to know about how POET functions.

“I don’t think people understand the amount of research or the amount of change that happens at POET. They may think we’re a standard bioethanol facility and do the same thing every day. That couldn’t be further from reality. POET is an industry leader, a groundbreaking researcher, and every day is striving to change the world in new and profound ways.”

“A Force to be Reckoned With”

Clinton Sieben, Maintenance Manager, has been at POET for 13 years. His team keeps the plant in order, up-to-date, and running smoothly. They are the first place the PRC team looks to when a new project comes up, especially big-ticket projects.

“Part of our culture is a ‘can-do’ attitude,” said Sieben. “You’ll never hear someone at PRC say, ‘Oh, we can’t do that.’ Challenges come from our work and research, never from each other, which is a valuable quality in a team.”

That team spirit has served PRC well when large, quick turnaround projects come down the ladder.

“The best example I can give is when POET acquired the bioethanol assets from Flint Hills Resources,” said Sieben. “These new plants produced a number of products new to POET. The question was posed to us by POET’s leadership if our legacy facilities could produce similar products while running POET’s proprietary BPX process. Our maintenance and fabrication teams had a working process running in Scotland in less than six weeks.

" Before you know it, our research team can draft processes for how to produce our various bioproducts. The PRC team works with great synergy and is a cohesive unit when pulling off projects. It is a work of art to watch the team’s various skill sets unfold and complement one another.”

- Clinton Sieben, Maintenance Manager

“We leave our egos at the door”

Brady Clavel, Process Development Engineering Manager, started at PRC almost 12 years ago because he was interested in the cellulosic bioethanol research the facility was doing.

“We’re the scientific and development side of POET,” said Clavel. “PRC is a great resource for the organization because it has the ability to morph very quickly when a new project arises. Our fabrications team can build anything you have an idea for and get it integrated into the process. Ultimately, we’re trying to execute research trials as quickly and effectively as possible. Research isn’t necessarily about success or failure but trying to identify what the next step is to find that successful pathway.”

POET’s sustainability goals are at the forefront of the PRC team’s minds when it comes to advancement in technology.

“All our projects have an ear towards the sustainable aspect of POET’s vision for the future. The world needs to get away from fossil fuels and look to agriculture’s cyclical nature,” said Clavel. “Corn takes CO2 from the atmosphere and makes it into plant material that we can utilize to make a renewable biofuel. It’s much more elegant than the normal petrochemical process, which is pulling finite and carbon-intensive resources from the ground.

“Nature has done a great job at optimizing its carbon capture process in the field. Our job is to look for optimization opportunities for the biofuel production at our facilities, increasing plant efficiency, reducing input costs, enhancing our feed and co-products, and looking for new technologies to implement.”

Like his colleagues, Clavel also is quick to commend the PRC team for its effectiveness and ability to work as a cohesive team.

“We fit the mantra that POET has about being all one team, and we leave our egos at the door. We’re engineers, operations, maintenance, and scientists. Everyone is aware they won’t succeed on their own; success and failure rely on communication and our ability to work together, and we’ve thrived in that role. It’s dynamic and exciting and a small taste of what POET is all about.”

Top: David Wood reviews data with PRC team member

We Always Come Out Swinging

By Ryan Welsh, Director of Sales & Marketing / Growth Energy

“Grit has two components: passion and perseverance.” -Angela

Duckworth

The bioethanol industry knows a lot about grit. From day one, we’ve been fighting to bring clean, affordable, American-made biofuels to consumers across America. Usually, that fight is an uphill battle, but we have seen the fruits of those labors in the past year.

In 2023, the Inflation Reduction Act promises to be a bright beacon to bioprocessing and the bioeconomy. The support from the administration was also signaled in 2022 and again this year with the issuance of emergency waivers to curb high gas prices and allow summertime sales of E15. Although there is yet to be a permanent fix, these waivers help prove the quality and costeffectiveness of bioethanol.

When President Biden spoke at POET Bioprocessing – Menlo (Iowa) to announce the 2022 waiver, he said, “I’ve set a goal of zero-carbon for the aviation sector by 2050. It’s going to require billions of gallons of sustainable aviation fuel. And you simply can’t get to net zero by 2050 without biofuels.” This is a new frontier for bioprocessing, and just like when we started out, it will require a display of grit and strength of character, especially when rising above the adversity we’ve grown to know so well.

Our performance team aligns well with those very characteristics. Strength of character and fighting back are commonplace for these fierce competitors.

Get Biofuel’s first MMA fight of 2023 served as the headliner for Bellator’s debut on CBS at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Our longtime friend Ryan Bader squared off against Fedor Emelianenko, also known as “The Last Emperor,” who was fighting his last fight. Bader spoiled Emelianenko’s final appearance in an MMA cage by making quick work of him, winning by first-round TKO after just 2 minutes and 30 seconds to retain his heavyweight title.

A day later and just 20 minutes away, another member of our Get Biofuel performance team was taking part in a different kind of clash. The Busch Clash is an exhibition event held by NASCAR, which the league uses as a marketing tool to introduce the sport to potential new fans.

This particular race was introduced last year when NASCAR decided to turn the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum into a flat short track. Austin Dillon started 10th in a crowded field of 27 with only a quarter mile of race track available to fight over. After a grueling evening of beating and banging, the Get Bioethanol Chevrolet exhibited its speed and tenacity by reaching the number two spot and putting itself in good standing to get another win at the Daytona 500.

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States and has around 7 million drivers. California also has higher gas taxes than anywhere else in the country. So it was serendipitous that the Get Biofuel performance teams were dawning our signature green and black colors, representing our mission, and fighting for wins in the City of Angels.

With continued perseverance and targeted exposure in places like L.A. markets, we’ll continue to fight to show the benefits of clean, renewable biofuel. And if we have to, we’ll come out swinging to drive that message home.

A Clean Sweep

Upgraded bin sweep technology increases safety, efficiency at bioprocessing facilities

By Janna Farley

The best way to stay safe around a grain bin is to never go inside it. That’s the prevailing advice when it comes to farm safety, and it’s not something to be taken lightly. Working in or around a grain bin exposes people to hazards. But never entering a grain bin isn’t always feasible — particularly when it needs to be cleaned.

While bin cleaning is an essential task at POET’s 33 bioprocessing facilities, it can also be very dangerous. But thanks to innovative new technology derived from POET’s commitment to safety, that’s changing. POET is currently in the process of upgrading its bin sweep technology to be more efficient while reducing downtime, maximizing productivity, and — most importantly — increasing safety across the board.

A bin sweep does exactly what it sounds like. It sweeps the bottom of a grain bin when it’s mostly emptied out to remove the last of the corn. But it’s not as simple as using a broom to sweep the kitchen floor.

“We’re talking about several feet of corn here — not just a few kernels,” said Michael Carpenter, Project Engineer on the POET Design & Construction team that’s coordinating the bin sweep upgrade project.

The goal is to sweep the bins out with some regularity — at least once a year. Doing so is about quality control.

“Even though corn is storable and has a relatively long shelf life, it does have a shelf life,” said Matt Braun, Senior Vice President & General Manager of POET Bioprocessing. “It doesn’t stay at its highest quality for long periods of time. It’s good to keep that inventory turned. It’s good to cycle it through the plant, to keep that inventory fresh, and to fill up the bins with new corn to avoid spoilage, mold, or bugs.”

But it’s not necessarily an easy process.

POET’s older bin sweeps were pushed around the bin with a big tractor tire. It did the job, but with a lot of effort. Oftentimes, Carpenter said, the tractor tire wouldn’t be able to get the traction it needed on the floor of the bin, so teams installed push bars on the sweeps so if something wasn’t working correctly, they could go inside the bin to manually push the sweep around.

“And, as a general rule, you don’t want people inside a grain bin,” Carpenter said. “But with the necessary precautions it can be done safely to get the job done.”

POET Implemented a Safe Bin Entry Procedure to make sure team members were not put at risk if it was necessary to enter a bin. The precautions are necessary because working in a grain bin can be dangerous. One foot of grain in a bin, for instance, can create about 300 pounds of pressure.

“We always have safety on the top of our minds,” said Braun. “It’s absolutely the highest priority for each of our teams."

Matt Braun, Senior Vice President & General Manager of POET Bioprocessing

"That’s why POET launched our ‘Work to Live’ initiative in 2016," said Braun. "It’s a reminder to each of our team members to make safe choices and to return safely each day to the people we care about. Through ‘Work to Live,’ we continually educate about safety in the workplace and have significantly reduced lost time accidents.”

Another way that safety has changed in recent years comes from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updating its rules. The new rules make it more difficult to troubleshoot said Nathan Underwood, Regional Marketing Manager at POET Bioprocessing –Shell Rock (Iowa). Now, if there’s a problem, unless the bin entry procedure is completed people can only stand in the doorway of the bin with a flashlight, trying to troubleshoot the equipment. “Did that part move? Did it not move? What’s wrong with it? It takes a long time when you can’t look at it up close while it’s running,” Underwood said.

Troubleshooting equipment that doesn’t operate as it should can be frustrating, but the teams at POET’s facilities have always gotten the job done. But improving the safety and efficiency of the bin sweeping process was paramount, Carpenter said. “Our plants bin sweeps were operational before, but we saw an opportunity to make our team members even safer. That was the big driving force,” he said. “We had to find a way to make this safer, to do it better.”

Safety comes first, after all. “You see that in everything we do. In all our project meetings, the first thing we bring up is safety,” Carpenter said.

So, POET made it a priority to invest in and upgrade the bin sweep equipment to improve safety and effeciency. The new technology is already operational at 13 facilities. More will be upgraded in 2023 as the four-year project continues. “We can’t get them installed fast enough,” Braun said.

The new bin sweeps incorporate a number of safety features and allow for a zero-entry design, meaning no team members ever have to enter the bins. The new sweeps also work more efficiently.

The big tractor tire is gone, Carpenter said. The new sweeps are basically big spiked cogs lying on their sides. The sweeps grab into holes around a track around the entire circumference of the bin that help move them around. “We don’t have to worry about losing traction anymore,” Carpenter said.

They’re also more automated. “With the old sweeps, we used to have to sit and watch them run,” said Keegan Lange, POET Milling and Material Handling Engineer. “They were pretty labor intensive for the plants to run. With the new sweeps, we really wanted to make them run themselves. It’s a pretty simple system overall. There are not a ton of moving parts.”

At the plants where the new technology is already in place, the benefits go beyond safety — the bin-sweeping process is also faster. What used to take a week or two can now be done in just a day or two. “That means we can get the vessel back to being filled with corn,” Underwood said. “It allows us to turn our space more frequently.”

And because the bin sweeps are so automated, they almost run themselves. “People used to have to ‘babysit’ the sweep. Not anymore,” Underwood said. “Now they can do other tasks while the sweeps are running.”

That also means an increased focus on the customers. Plants with limited bin storage, for instance, would have to close while the bins were being swept. That meant sometimes delaying delivery from farmers or pushing contracts out. “It really affected our grain receiving hours,” Underwood said. “Customer service is second only to safety, and this project has enabled us to improve on both fronts. It’s really a win-win.”

Upgrading the bin sweep technology is a significant capital improvement project for POET, but the return on investment is priceless. You can’t put a price on safety, after all.

“We value our people. We want people to go home in the same condition they came to work,” Braun said. “We don’t value that on a monetary basis. If it’s the right thing to do for the organization and for our teams, we do it.”

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Hope for Kiwi Berries

By Scott Johnson, A Thinker of Thoughts (and POET Data Systems Administrator)

Spring is finally here, and I’m eager to monitor the progress of my kiwi berry plants! What's a kiwi berry? I’m glad you asked.

Kiwi berry, or “hardy” kiwi, is a fast-growing vine that produces clusters of smooth-skinned kiwis the size of grapes. These aren't the fuzzy, tropical fruits you’re likely familiar with. Kiwi berries are native to Siberia and therefore are obviously cold-tolerant or “hardy” plants well-suited to harsh Midwestern climates.

These kiwi berry fun facts are mostly theoretical for me, however. In the past five years, I’ve attempted to grow nine separate kiwi berry plants, and only one plant has survived.

The straggly, lone survivor wakes up every spring, sprouts a few anemic leaves, and grows a few measly inches. Last year it finally produced a single tiny but glorious kiwi berry. It was indeed just as advertised — sweet and citrusy with translucent green flesh and tiny black seeds.

I swear I’m not making this up! I realize it sounds like an alternate universe in which miniature tropical fruits flourish in an environment where the air hurts your face. In this mythical realm, pizza sprouts in bushy clusters under the dappled shade of a cheeseburger tree. (Sorry, I’m writing hungry again.)

Unfortunately, the mystifying kiwi berry is not my only horticultural failure. I’ve botched blueberries. I’ve struggled with strawberries. My efforts have been fruitless with fennel…and carrots, potatoes, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes…. (Now it appears I’m just naming foods.) I’ve even killed a zucchini plant. Experienced gardeners know zucchini is so prolific and easy to grow that gardeners have been known to leave it in unlocked cars just to discard the excess harvest.

I am, by any reasonable measure, a lousy gardener. With my track record of failure, why do I keep trying? Because hope springs eternal. And spring is the season of eternal hope. No matter how desolate and bleak winter was, spring always represents a fresh start. It’s a clean slate when anything seems possible. The fresh air stirs up baseless motivation that sat dormant just weeks ago. I mean, how else would you explain the spring cleaning phenomenon?

Even seemingly ridiculous pipe dreams deserve a shot. Wayne Gretzky noted, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” I don’t believe he was referring to kiwi berries, but the inspiration still applies. So far, I’ve only missed 88.9% of the shots I’ve taken! My 11.1% pseudo-success rate proves that this elusive goal is attainable.

I have compiled a plethora of useful data on how NOT to grow kiwi berries. Past failures are irrelevant. I can feel the momentum shift. Soon I’ll have so many kiwis that I’ll have to toss the surplus in unlocked cars and hand out bunches to trick-or-treaters on Halloween!

I may be stubborn or arrogant or spellbound by the wisdom of Canadian hockey superstars. But like every prior year, spring has me drunk on unfounded optimism. The slate is clean, and a bountiful kiwi berry harvest remains…possible.

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