President Barack Obama to visit POET plant

"White House to Main Street Tour" will stop at POET Biorefining -- Macon, Mo.

President Barack Obama will visit POET Biorefining -- Macon, Mo. on Wednesday, April 28, as part of his "White House to Main Street Tour" through Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, the White House has announced.

The President plans to take part in a plant tour and talk with POET team members "about what they are experiencing during these tough economic times and share ideas for rebuilding our economy in the long term," according to a White House press release. The President will also tour a local farm and speak with the family.

POET Biorefining -- Macon was the first ethanol plant in Missouri when it began operations as a 15 million gallon-per-year plant in May 2000. Its immediate success prompted an expansion in 2003 to a capacity of 46 million gallons-per-year. The plant also produces the high-protein animal feed Dakota Gold® dried distillers' grains and carbon dioxide for market as part of the ethanol production process. The Macon plant was POET's fifth in a network that now totals 26 ethanol plants in seven states.

"We appreciate President Obama's long-time support for ethanol, and we're anxious to show him how efficient production today is providing valuable fuel for our nation," POET CEO Jeff Broin said. "I am proud that POET plants provide 1.6 billion gallons of renewable fuel annually for the United States. That fuel is produced by our 1,500 team members, who are working hard to reduce oil imports each day at facilities across rural America."

Attendance at the visit Wednesday is by invitation only, but POET will post video, audio and photos of the event on its website: www.poet.com.

Press Release