NOMINATIONS OPEN: 2019 Ethanol Producer Awards DEADLINE: March 29, 2019

(Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine, in conjunction with the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, proudly invites nominations for the 2019 Ethanol Producer Awards. In addition to the FEW’s longstanding industry accolades — The Award of Excellence and The High-Octane Award — we’re expanding our showcase of industry honors by recognizing ethanol plants in the following areas:

All ethanol producers — staff, management and board members — are welcome and encouraged to nominate plants for these awards. You may nominate your own facility or another facility. However, please do not nominate groups of facilities or entire multi-plant ethanol production companies; individual ethanol plants within groups must be named. Nominations are due by March 29.

Award winners will be selected by Ethanol Producer Magazine’s editorial staff and advisory board. Award winners will be featured in the June issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine and prominently recognized during the general session of the 2019 FEW in Indianapolis, Indiana. READ MORE

THE GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD
Exemplary Community Service and Support
Ethanol production facilities nominated for The Good Neighbor Award should be active participants in charitable giving, volunteerism, public outreach, consumer/student education, or other forms of civic involvement. Nominees for this award support local causes and impact their community positively through service and support. Additionally, ethanol plants that currently host or support initiatives that benefit the environment or protect local ecosystems and habitat may also be good candidates for this accolade.

BOARD OF THE YEAR
Exceptional Board Leadership, Planning and Vision
This award is presented to an ethanol plant board of directors, or executive management team, that has benefitted from exemplary direction, planning and fiduciary oversight. Candidates for this award will include teams that have made significant capital investment decisions, diversified, expanded or otherwise improved their operations through informed business management. Boards that participate in industry growth strategies, support trade associations and engage in ethanol advocacy — amplifying the industry’s political and regulatory voice — may also be good candidates for this award.

WORKPLACE OF THE YEAR
Outstanding Employment and Management Practices
Ethanol plants nominated for the Workplace of the Year award strive for a high level of employee wellness, compensation and job satisfaction. Nominated facilities should have good safety records, top-notch training, cultures of open communication, low employee turnover and regular opportunities for professional advancement. Other beneficial criterion may include workplace diversity, high levels of military veteran employment, competitive benefits and stimulating bonus programs. Nominees for this award should have strong cultures of engagement, loyalty and teamwork.

PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Overall Scale, Complexity and Impact
Nominees for Project of the Year award include ethanol plants that have completed construction on a major capital project in the past 12 months, including greenfield ethanol facilities, plant expansions, bolt-on technologies and ethanol-related infrastructure. Candidates for this award should briefly describe the elements of their project that make it worthy of recognition, including the project’s approximate budget and timeline. Nominations should include a concise description of companies with major roles in the build, particularly engineering and construction partners. Other factoring criteria include the scale and relative complexity of the project, as well as its perceived impact on the business and the industry.

COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Technology Advancement through Partnership
Candidates for Collaboration of the Year include ethanol producer/vendor technology partnerships — from product trials to demonstration-scale technology testing — that have resulted in notably successful outcomes. Nominators should describe how and why the collaboration materialized, investments necessary to fund the work, and any relevant design, engineering, fabrication and construction, either on or off site. Finally, please explain the results of the collaboration, next steps, potential challenges, and its potential impact on the ethanol industry. READ MORE