Jeff Broin got his first taste of ethanol production as a teenager on the Broin family farm near Wanamingo, MN. Since then, the CEO and President of POET, has led the growth of a single, small ethanol production facility into what is now the world’s largest producer of renewable fuels. The 26 POET plants have a combined annual production capacity of 1.54 billion gallons of ethanol and approximately 4 million tons of distillers grains.

In the summer of 1987, the Broin family purchased a foreclosed ethanol plant in Scotland, SD and began renovations immediately. At 22, Jeff served as the plant’s General Manager. The plant opened the following year and reached full capacity of 1 million gallons. The Scotland facility soon became a success and led to the development of other projects and the formation of several business entities that allow POET to provide a vertically integrated system including project development, design and construction, plant management, risk management, ethanol marketing and distillers grain marketing.

POET, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is also a leader in the effort to successfully commercialize cellulosic ethanol. Along with the U.S. Department of Energy and the state of Iowa, POET is co-funding Project LIBERTY, the conversion of an existing ethanol production facility in Emmetsburg, Iowa into a biorefinery that produces grain-based ethanol and ethanol from the cellulose found in corn cobs.

Once finished, the plant will add 25 million gallons coming from cellulosic feedstock to its capacity. It will also increase the amount of ethanol from a bushel of corn by 11 percent, from an acre of corn by 27 percent and will reduce the need for fossil fuel to power the facility.

Mr. Broin has taken the initiative to actively promote renewable fuels by serving on several boards of directors including Growth Energy. Mr. Broin is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a degree in agricultural business. He is married and has three children.