CHS Inc. has been named the ethanol marketing partner of Patriot Renewable Fuels LLC, a 100 MMgy ethanol plant located in Annawan, Ill.

Gene Griffith, president of Patriot Renewable Fuels, said he anticipates the partnership with CHS could give the ethanol plant additional global market access, as CHS is expanding its ethanol platform rapidly. CHS, a farmer-owned cooperative, works in a variety of areas, including energy, grains and foods, as well as providing business solutions such as insurance, financial and risk management services. “Five years ago, I knew starting this business would be a big project, because as a start-up, you don’t have a legal, IT or marketing team like the big corporations,” he said. “But by strategically working with CHS, we’ve gained valuable marketing, risk management and logistics expertise, which has contributed to our success.”

In five years, the ethanol plant has produced 550 million gallons of ethanol and shipped about 18,000 rail cars of the fuel. “Together, Patriot Renewable Fuels and CHS are contributing significantly to rural economic development and providing consumers with a dependable, high quality ethanol fuel supply,” he said.

In addition, the ethanol plant produces about 320,000 tons of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) yearly, which are exported by CHS to countries such as China, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan. “Our DDGS exports have contributed an additional $300 million reduction on our nation’s U.S. trade deficit,” he said. “Over five years, corn purchased from area growers and processed into DDGS, a value-added protein ingredient, has fed approximately five million hogs.”

The ethanol plant is celebrating five years of ethanol production in August, with open houses scheduled for Aug. 22 and Aug. 23. The company has invited legislators and government officials to tour the facility and learn more about the importance of corn processing in the region.  “As we celebrate this milestone, we must thank area growers and grain elevators for their ongoing and continued support,” Griffith said.  “In just five years, we’ve contributed significantly to the area economy through more than $18 million in direct and related industry jobs, and by giving farmers new, and important global market access through innovative partnerships.”