Posted Dec. 13, 2010 Marquis Holdings LLC has invested in an ethanol plant located in Necedah, Wis. On Jan. 1 Castle Rock Renewable Fuels LLC will change its name to Marquis Energy - Wisconsin LLC. The investment deal was made along with a limited number of shareholders, said Mark Marquis, president of Marquis Holdings and Marquis Energy LLC, adding that the company now has a "significant stake" in the plant. Financial details of the equity, management and marketing deal were not released. The company took over operation of the plant in July. The Marquis Management division provides ethanol marketing and Marquis Grain Inc. procures corn for the plant and markets the distillers grains. Several production enhancements have been made to increase the run rate, conversion rate of corn to ethanol and reduce energy consumption. Overall, the plant's ethanol output increased by 12 percent and resulted in "significant" profit gains. "There are more (operational changes) we will implement over time," he told EPM. Although Marquis declined to name the production enhancements he did say the plant had gone from a capacity of 50 MMgy to 60 MMgy. "It required some permitting changes and it required some mechanical changes," he said. Marquis Holdings founded and developed Marquis Energy LLC, a 125 MMgy ethanol plant at Hennepin, Ill. Many of the production efficiencies that contributed to the success of that plant will be implemented at the plant in Wisconsin, the company said. Marquis Holdings will continue to look for opportunities to expand its management group and invest in ethanol plants. "Our family's additional commitments to the ethanol sector indicate our belief that this high-performing, clean, and renewable fuel will be here to benefit American agriculture, American jobs and American motorists far into the future," Marquis said.