September 14, 2011
BY Ron Kotrba
An oil man of 32 years who also became a biodiesel producer has been tapped to lead Iowa’s thriving biodiesel industry. Members of the Iowa Biodiesel Board elected Mark Cobb as chair of the nonprofit organization at its annual meeting on Sept. 9.
Cobb is vice president of Iowa Renewable Energy, based in Washington, Iowa. The biodiesel plant employs 23 people and has the capacity to produce 30 MMgy.
He’s also president of Cobb Oil, a petroleum distributor based in Brighton, Iowa. Cobb Oil was an early adopter of biodiesel, first offering the product in 2002 at the request of farmer customers.
“Like most Americans, I don’t like the idea of imported oil and having to fight to defend our right to buy oil,” Cobb said. “Biodiesel just makes sense. I am a believer in biodiesel. I’ve seen how well it worked for my own business, and look forward to helping facilitate what will hopefully be a period of prosperous growth for Iowa biodiesel in the coming years. The rest of the country is going to continue to look at Iowa as a leader in biodiesel.”
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Earlier this year, Iowa passed some of the nation’s most comprehensive biodiesel policies, including an incentive for petroleum retailers who carry at least 5 percent biodiesel.
“Electing Mark Cobb as Chair gives us a tremendous opportunity to put biodiesel in the tanks of more Iowans,” said Randy Olson, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board. “He can help us bridge the gap between biodiesel producers and petroleum wholesalers, who distribute our product, as we strive to inform them about the benefits of making it available to consumers.”
Cobb also serves on the board of the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa, chairing that group’s alternative fuels committee.
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Cobb replaces Dan Oh, president and chief operating officer of Ames-based biodiesel producer Renewable Energy Group Inc., who served as chair of the Iowa Biodiesel Board for four years. The board applauded Oh and thanked him for his dedicated service.
Also elected to become IBB directors were Ben Kruger, general manger of biodiesel for Cargill, and Chad Stone, REG’s chief financial officer.
Iowa is home to 15 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce more than 300 million gallons of biodiesel.
The Iowa Biodiesel Board is a state trade association representing the biodiesel industry.