Winnebago’s economic development specialist has met with Greenfield Global officials to discuss the fate of its ethanol plant located at 711 6th Ave. S.E.
Last month, the Canadian-based company announced a financial advisor had been hired to help sell the facility.
David Schmidt says the company scrapped plans to accept non-binding letters of interest from prospective bidders or hold an auction.
Schmidt says he has met twice with company officials, the latest being on Jan. 29.
“I went into the meeting with a cloud foreboding over my head. I walked out with a little hop in my step,” he says. “So, I think there is something to be optimistic.”
At the Economic Development Authority meeting held Wednesday, Schmidt did not give board members any details of his talks with Greenfield officials.
“I would love to say more about it, but there’s a lot of moving parts,” he says. “I don’t want to jeopardize anything that is going on.”
Schmidt estimates the plant that produces 48 million gallons of fuel annually may have more than 50 employees.
In late 2020, Greenfield purchased the ethanol plant that was owned and operated by Corn Plus for more than two decades before closing the facility in September 2019.
Greenfield resumed operations of the plant in late 2021 after making repairs and improvements.