The $110 million investment Green Circle Bio Energy Inc. has made for its wood-pellet manufacturing plant in Cottondale and Jackson County, Fla., is the largest business investment ever made in the county. The company's selection of a greenfield site four years ago in this rural area couldn't have come at a better time as two plants had ceased operations.

Green Circle Bio Energy, whose biomass product is used in the coal-firing process, has put 75 people to work in this area of northwest Florida. “Our project comes at a time when the digital age is catching up with the pulp and paper industry,” says Olaf Roed, CEO and president, Green Circle Bio Energy, Inc. “We saw resources opening up in the area's forest, which is a surplus area to start with. We went to Tallahassee and met with the EP [Department of Environmental Protection] and the governor's office and presented our project and shared with them what we felt would be a win-win. We felt very welcome.”

Read “Bioenergy Teams With Communities For Success” to learn more about this project, as well as how communities throughout the country are touting their business-friendly atmospheres, research assets, and other advantages to support the burgeoning bioenergy industry.

It isn't just communities that are partnering with industry; companies themselves have long understood they need to band together with fellow industry members in areas such as legislation, business climate and training efforts. For example, northeast Indiana's economic development officials have been working with food processing cluster members to ensure their business needs are being met. These companies understand they can achieve more together as opposed to working alone.

To learn more about the trends and opportunities in the food processing and agribusiness sectors, read “Agribusiness Players Take A Unified Approach.”

Plus

Yet another example of reaching out to others to strengthen an industry is found in Arizona with high school educator, Kevin English. “Educator Turns Emerging Technology Into Effective Curriculum” details how English continues to work with emerging green energy businesses and other stakeholders to uncover regional workforce opportunities in order to create a vibrant talent pool to support emerging and future jobs.

Warm regards,

Rachel Duran

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