COON RAPIDS, IA (April 14, 2015) – POET Biorefining – Coon Rapids plans to donate $5,000 to repair a local playground in Coon Rapids. The playground was recently vandalized, causing approximately $25,000 in damages.

POET Biorefining – Coon Rapids’s donation will be matched by CoBank, a cooperative bank serving vital industries throughout rural America, through its Sharing Success program. Since the program’s inception, CoBank and its customers have together provided nearly $14 million in support to charitable organizations across the nation.

“We continue to be proud members of the Coon Rapids community and are excited about the opportunity to rebuild one of our local playgrounds,” said Bill Howell, General Manager of POET Biorefining – Coon Rapids. “Giving back is one of the cornerstones of our operations here at POET and this donation is just one example of that commitment. We’re grateful to CoBank for their willingness to match our donation and look forward to seeing this project through.”

“Sharing Success has become one of the cornerstones of CoBank’s multifaceted corporate giving program,” said Robert B. Engel, CoBank’s CEO. “It leverages the passion, expertise and local knowledge of our customers to identify and support the causes and programs that best address the unique needs of rural communities. We’re delighted our board has generously re-authorized this program and proud to partner with POET Biorefining – Coon Rapids on this important initiative.”

About POET

POET, one of the world’s largest ethanol producers, is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. The 25-year-old company has a production capacity in excess of 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol and 9 billion pounds of high-protein animal feed annually from its network of 27 production facilities. POET, through its joint venture with DSM, also operates a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. For more information, visit http://www.poet.com.

About CoBank

CoBank is a $107 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation's rural economy. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

For more information about CoBank, visit the bank's web site at www.cobank.com.