South Dakota Ag Connection - POET: Bio Industrial Alcohol Boosting Environmental Sanitizers

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POET: Bio Industrial Alcohol Boosting Environmental Sanitizers
South Dakota Ag Connection - 08/04/2020

POET announced its commitment to scale up production of industrial and beverage-grade alcohol at two biorefineries. This will help meet growing demand due to market changes from COVID-19 while creating a new domestic market to boost the ag economy. Industrial alcohol is a fundamental component of products such as cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer. POET is making significant investments to enhance operations at its biorefinery in Leipsic, Ohio, and is in the design phase for modification of a second industrial-grade plant in Alexandria, Ind., that will come online in early 2021.

POET expedited efforts to produce pharmaceutical-grade, alcohol-based hand sanitizer after COVID-19 created an unprecedented spike in demand for sanitation and cleaning products. "People shouldn't have to choose between protecting the Earth and sanitizing their surroundings. Bio-based sanitizers are made from renewable resources and can replace poisonous synthetic cleaners, made from fossil fuels, in our hospitals and homes, while still keeping us safe by killing harmful bacteria and germs," said POET CEO Jeff Broin, who founded the company with the mission of preserving the Earth for future generations through the production of biofuels and bioproducts.

POET's all-natural product will grow the volume of cleaner, greener, high-quality alcohol options available to industrial, personal care, and food and beverage consumers. "Our company has always been well poised to quickly make process adjustments in order to meet evolving demand. POET worked around the clock in order to modify our operations and supply frontline workers with high-quality sanitizer in a time of great need, and scaling up our industrial alcohol production presents an opportunity for us to continue to live our mission and produce another environmentally friendly product that consumers are asking for," said Bob Casper, POET chief commercial officer.

POET is the world's largest producer of biofuels and has successfully marketed a number of bio-based products including several animal feed solutions, renewable CO2, and JIVE, an eco-friendly asphalt rejuvenator and modifier.

POET, headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D., is the world's largest biofuels producer. POET is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. Started in 1987, the company today has a network of 28 production facilities across 7 states. At full run rates, POET purchases 5% of US corn and produces 2 billion gallons of ethanol, 10 billion pounds of distillers dried grains, and 600 million pounds of corn oil annually. In 2019, Fast Company recognized POET on its annual list of "Most Innovative Companies" for transportation and FORTUNE recognized POET on its list of companies that are changing the world.

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