Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
Scott Geda and Robert Allen of Allied Bio-Energies announced Friday that they have selected a site on which to construct a biodiesel plant and production facility that will initially produce 5 million gallons of fuel a year. “We will start with 18 employees and in three years will be at 48,” said Allen, vice president of operations for Allied Bio-Energy LLC. Once the site is finalized, an official ground-breaking ceremony at the location is planned. Geda, CEO of the company, added that they selected the site because it was the Montana location “central to the most productive growing area within Montana.” The mission and goal of Allied Bio-Energy also are complimentary to the Northern Agricultural Research Center south of Havre and to Montana State University Northern, Geda said in a press release. Northern’s Bio- Energy Innovation and Testing Center in its Applied Technology Center will be providing fuel certification services, ensuring that biodiesel produced at the plant is of top quality and performance, he added. The business’ office is located in the Bio-Energy Incubation Center at Northern, the release said. Investors from Montana and other states as well as the Montana government are supporters of the company’s objectives of creating infrastructure for bio-product development, moving crops into value-added venues, creating higher-paying jobs and expanding existing job-training, improving the cost of living for Montana’s farm sector, developing a local animal feedmeal market, and utilizing real-world applied research activities within the Montana secondary education system, the release said. The company is stuctured as a consortium of shareholders for the purpose of commercializing Montana’s agricultural resources into biodiesel and bio-based lubricants. Research shows it is poised to become Montana’s first commercial biodiesel processing and refining plant, the release said. It will initially produce 5 million gallons of biodiesel a year, expanding to 10 million gallons a year by its third year in operation. Allied Bio-Energy will use canola seed crops, which are less expensive to grow and present higher yields than using soybean oils or fats, and will also produce high-energy highprotein meal that can be used for feeding livestock, the release said. Geda’s background includes more than 20 years in banking, finance and agriculture production. Allen has more than 19 years experience in business development, investor relations and corporate management. Clancey Eldridge, who has an experienced background in developing advanced process systems and coordination of project startups will act as project advisor. The company is also recruiting for other key positions and for manufacturing and operational support.
