Sioux Falls, S.D. – Broin Companies, the nation’s largest dry mill ethanol producer, announced today that the grand opening for Prairie Ethanol will be Saturday, Dec. 2 on the plant site near Loomis, S.D. The event will begin with the Vanguard Squadron, the world's only 100 percent ethanol-powered aerobatic fleet, performing a series of fly-overs at 10:15 a.m. The speaking program will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. with lunch being served at 11:30 a.m. Public tours of the production facility will start at 1 p.m. and run until approximately 4 p.m.

The 60-minute program will include several speakers, including United States Senator John Thune; Erik Nelson, who will represent U.S. Senator Tim Johnson; South Dakota State Senator Ed Olson; South Dakota Representative Mike Vehle; Mitchell City Council President Ken Tracy, who will speak on behalf of Mayor Lou Sebert; Bryan Hisel, Executive Director of the Mitchell Area Development Corporation; Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol; Bob Dinneen, President of the Renewable Fuels Association, and Broin Companies CEO and President Jeff Broin.

The public tours of the facility will be conducted by engineers and designers from Broin Companies. Tours will leave from the plant’s grains building. Tour participants will not be allowed to use cameras, cell phones or video equipment while inside the plant.

Public parking will not be allowed at the plant site as buses will run continuously to and from dedicated locations in Mitchell to the plant throughout the day. Guests planning to attend the event are asked to park at either the Palace Mall at 1801 North Main or the Disco Feed Parking Lot at 700 North Lawler.

MEDIA NOTE: Media attending the grand opening event need to secure credentials and authorized on-site parking by contacting Mike Lockrem via e-mail ([email]mike.lockrem@broin.com[/email]) no later than noon, Friday, Dec. 1.

About Prairie Ethanol

Prairie Ethanol will consume approximately 21 million bushels of locally-grown corn to produce 60 million gallons of ethanol and 178,000 tons of premium Dakota Gold Enhanced Nutrition Distillers Products™ for regional, national, and international markets. The plant will employ 40 full-time employees with an annual payroll of approximately $1.8 million and it will utilize Broin's newest technology innovations including BPX™. Prairie Ethanol will be the sixth Broin managed plant in South Dakota and the 19th Broin Premier Partner Plant in the United States.