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Posted on  

December 26, 2002

Serie brings enthusiasm to Great Plains Ethanol

Construction on the Great Plains Ethanol Plant located on Highway 44 between Lennox and Chancellor is continuing at a fast and furious pace. In the space of a few short months the plant will be up and running. And to be sure that it is up and running smoothly, Rick Serie (pronounced Sir ee) has been hired as general manager of the plant.

Serie comes from Luverne, Mn where he is the manager of the Agri-Energy Ethanol Plant. He is looking forward with enthusiasm to managing the Great Plains Ethanol Plant as well.

“You talk about a great construction year,” said Serie, “It’s been amazing. “It’s a huge, huge project to get built,” continued the new manager, “and it will be a huge, huge project to start up.”

But, being the type of individual that loves pressure, Serie is looking forward to the challenge with a “can do” attitude.

“The ethanol plant will have a great economic impact on our area, “ said Serie. The plant will use over 14 million bushels of corn, 75,000 to 85,000 bushels a day, producing 200,000 gallons of ethanol a day.

Five hundred and five farm family investors will deliver corn according to their contract, said Serie. The contracted corn will amount to about 25% of the corn needed by the plant. The additional corn will be bought on open market. Because of the consumption in the area, corn prices should raise by five to ten cents a bushel, said Serie. Local hardware and supply stores will also do well, he continued. The area will also see more job opportunities.

“I plan to do as much local hiring as I can,” said Serie. The plant will hire a staff of about 35 people, with six to eight of those skilled technical employees. He will bring some of the skilled technicians with him from Luverne, the rest will be hired from the surrounding area.
Serie has already begun the process of interviewing prospective employees. His technical crew will be hired first, followed by production and maintenance employees. Employment applications are available at Great Plains Ethanol’s temporary office located on Lennox Main Street (in the old Buechler law building). Applications are also available at the plant.
The plant will be running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 360 days a year. Three hundred electric motors will be running continually in the plant. The fermentors are the only batch part of the plant, said Serie, the rest will continually flow.

Serie works for Broin Management. Broin currently manages 11 ethanol plants. Serie had high praise for the management company, saying that they were a world leader in research and development. Three plants are now being built, said Serie, and each one gets better than the last. Having so many plants in production gives Serie a wealth of expertise to turn to when needed.

“I’m proud to be involved with ethanol,” said Serie, “because it’s good for the environment and it’s good for America.

“We have oil fields in every one of our corn fields out here,” continued Serie.

In addition to ethanol, the plant will produce distillers grain, a highly valued livestock feed. The feed works very well in beef and dairy herds, said Serie, and research is showing that it will also work well for the swine and poultry markets.
Serie grew up in Luverne and he and his wife continue to make their home there. They have two grown children, a daughter who lives in Chicago, and a son who attends St. John’s University in Minnesota.

“We’re very fortunate to have Serie join our team,” said Great Plains Ethanol Board member Dennis Schrag.

Serie has been the manager of Agri-Energy for the past three years. He is a man who really enjoys his work and wants his staff to share in that enthusiasm.

“Everyone should enjoy coming to work each day,” Serie said with a smile.

Originally printed in the Lennox Independent Online 

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