Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company
Apr 15, 2021
Benson, MN - April marks the 25th Anniversary for Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (general partner to Chippewa Valley Agrafuels Coop). This milestone is something to be celebrated as CVEC continues on its mission to generate distributions to our members by engaging in opportunities to increase the value of agriculture production.
“In 1992 and ’93, the chances of profit were maybe a nickel per bushel or less and I thought, ‘We have to get something to process it and get in the end-game’..... ethanol is not only fuel. It’s food, it’s oil, it’s feed, dried distillers .... for those that believed in it, we’ve done very, very well and gotten good returns.” Janet Lundebrek, CVEC Board Member
This milestone comes in the wake of many accomplishments of the company over the last 25 years, including:
- Reducing energy consumption by 36%
- Grown production capacity to over 50 million gallons per year
- Innovation through diversity of products including distillers grains, corn oil and industrial alcohol
“If the station I pull into has E-85 available, that’s what goes into my vehicle. The more E-85 we can sell, the more profitable the plant can be, the more money they can pay back to their shareholders and more they can try to use to buy more crops to expand and benefit everyone in the community” says Tom O’Leary, CVEC Board Member
About Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company: CVEC was founded 25 years ago by a local farmer and electric co-op manager looking to add value to area corn while stabilizing electricity rates. They had a vision to process corn into ethanol that would impact the environment and surrounding economies in a positive way. Since 1996, CVEC has grown to over 900 member owners, produces 50 million gallons of ethanol per year, reduces energy consumption annually, and is recognized at both state and federal levels for efficient production and leadership in shaping ethanol policy.
Read the original press release here.