At ICM, Inc., we're tapping into the greatest force in business ... our people. On this page,
you'll find photos and biographies of ICM's leaders, including President and CEO Dave Vander
Griend and ICM's Executive Leadership Team. Plus, you'll find information about other key
employees, many of whom are authorities within the ethanol industry.
Dave Vander Griend, President & CEO
ICM President and CEO Dave Vander Griend first experienced the effect farming can have on rural communities, as well as the economy, when he grew up on a farm outside Sheldon, IA. Today, Dave’s made it his mission to help sustain agriculture by finding innovative ways to turn grain into renewable energy, such as ethanol.
With a strong design and fabrication background, he began working in the ethanol industry when it was just getting started in the early 1970s. In fact, Dave and his brother, Dennis Vander Griend, built a distillation column that was granted license #00001 by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Before founding ICM, Dave was Vice President of Operations for High Plains Corporation (now Abengoa Bioenergy), an ethanol production company. Dave left High Plains in early 1995 to start ICM in Colwich, KS, where it’s grown from 20 employees to more than 500, offering everything from research and development to plant support.
Dave and the ICM team are driven to increase value for their customers by finding new, creative ways to make ethanol production more efficient. In recognition of his contributions, Dave received the “Distinguished Service Award” at the 2003 BBI International Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) for helping the ethanol industry increase efficiencies and refine methods of practical applications during the past 20 years.
Dave and the people of ICM continue to make contributions to the industry by improving process design, making operational and maintenance improvements, and increasing energy efficiency. They also work to control costs at operational and construction levels, support everyday operations, as well as recognize partnerships they believe will support and grow the industry.
With more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Alan Goodnight, Director of Marketing
As director of ICM’s marketing department, Alan Goodnight is focused on leveraging ICM’s world-class engineering and technical expertise into products and services that meet the needs of those who wish to produce ethanol. Although new to the industry, since joining ICM, Alan has played an active leadership role in advancing our company’s growth through establishing international distribution partners, retail distribution of ethanol, and strategic planning. This work will eventually expand to include take-to-market strategies, promotions and customer service. At ICM, we are focused on helping to redefine the ethanol industry and Alan is at the helm of these efforts.
Before joining ICM, Alan was the President and Founder of Quantum Market Research, a privately held company that established the most widely used predictive model of company profits through the measure of employee engagement and customer loyalty. The company was sold to Right Management Consultants in 2003. Before that, he spent time at Cessna Aircraft as director of Worldwide Marketing, leading initiatives around product development, strategic planning, and promotion for the propeller product line.
Alan earned his bachelor’s degree at Wichita State University and his MBA at Tamp College, graduating magna cum laude.
ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquires: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Andy Buessing, PE, Director of Energy Team
ICM was founded in 1995 by a small team of talented engineers and skilled craftsmen who shared the core belief that, in the ethanol industry, things could be done more efficiently, safer, and with greater returns. ICM’s initial product offering was a gas-fired rotary dryer that has become the industry-preferred drying solution, installed in approximately two out of three U.S. ethanol plants. As the director of ICM’s Energy Team, it is Andy Buessing’s job to make sure ICM stays on track to provide the best service possible to our customers as we install dryer systems, boilers, and other Energy Center components in ethanol plants across North America. Along with gas-fired rotary dryers, ICM now offers steam tube dryers, as well as wet cake conveying systems, DDG systems, thermal oxidizers, and spare parts.
Andy and his team are responsible for the integration, installation, and start-up of the entire Energy Center in all ICM-designed plants. With over 200 dryers installed to date, ICM’s Energy Team is also responsible for helping our growing list of customers with everything from 1,000-point inspection services to shutdown services to plant expansion logistics.
Prior to joining the energy team, Andy Buessing, PE, spent time as ICM’s project manager for ethanol plants built across the Midwest. He served as project engineer on the Western Plains expansion, playing a key role in taking it to 40 million gallons per year (MGY) from a previous capacity of 30 MGY. Later, he was promoted to senior project manager where he oversaw as many as six teams and several projects at a time. From joining ICM as a civil engineer to managing projects and now leading the energy team, Andy’s dedication over the last four years has helped ICM deliver on our promise to build the biofuels industry’s best ethanol plants.
Before joining ICM, Andy was a civil engineer at Professional Engineering Consultants; responsible for the design of water and wastewater treatment plants. He also served as city engineer for several cities in Kansas.
Andy earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from Kansas State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Kansas. Andy’s work ethic was established early on the dairy farm in northeast Kansas, where he was raised. In his spare time he keeps busy with his family and enjoys an occasional woodworking project.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquires: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or
Monique.Garcia@icminc.com .
Andy Bulloch, Vice President of Finance
Part of the backbone of ICM, Inc., is in the Finance and Information/Technology (IT) Departments, which strive to meet the high standards of ICM’s internal customers — its employees. Vice President of Finance Andy Bulloch, CPA, leads a team charged with providing the financial structure and technologies used to support the company’s people, research and development, and ethanol plant projects.
Andy is responsible for ICM’s resource planning systems, which help more than 750 employees perform their jobs. His team is responsible for IT support, optimization of the company’s Navision software, as well as monthly financial reporting, sales tax compliance, and maintaining the company’s accounting processes.
Andy brings years of experience to ICM from some of the country’s most progressive companies. For the Coleman Co., he was vice president of finance in charge of budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and analysis for the hard lines division. At Coleman, he analyzed the financial needs for product development, supply chain management, and marketing. Andy also was controller of digital communications firm LSI Logic Corp., a division of which he helped financially prepare for an initial public offering.
Andy, a certified public accountant, has bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance from Kansas State University. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family and friends on the lake and ski slopes. He’s also involved on the finance council of his church.
ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Angie Konda, Director of Human Resources
Angie Konda, ICM’s director of human resources, first inquired about opportunities at the company after a January ice storm in 2005. It made sense to try to cut out the daily 30-minute commute of her previous job, so she decided to submit a resume to ICM. While the location was ideal, what really stuck out was ICM’s philosophy of faith first, family second, job third, along with the high value the company places on its employees.
Today, Angie feels the same enthusiasm about coming to work as she did when she started at ICM as its recruiter. In that role, Angie filled 125 positions in nine months. She was promoted to human resources manager in early 2006, and by mid-year, she became the department’s director.
Angie and others in human resources work to make ICM more responsive to employee concerns. For instance, the department introduced a program that allows employees to modify their benefits and other personal information online. And for those employees bothered with stress, it also launched an employee assistance program that offers confidential counseling services.
Before ICM, Angie gained skills in human resources with several companies and her alma mater, Kansas State University, where she worked as human resources coordinator. In other similar positions in Wichita, KS, she played important roles in recruitment, records, and employee relations. At Friends University in Wichita, she kept account of an $11 million salary budget.
Angie’s bachelor’s degree is in business administration, with an emphasis in human resources management. When she’s not at ICM, Angie enjoys camping with her three children and husband, Dave, who is the senior estimator for ICM. Angie and Dave are dedicated fans of Kansas State University football, as they attend all of the school’s home games in Manhattan, KS.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Astra Patrick, Director of Standards
ICM, Inc., has done a lot of things right to earn a top spot in the ethanol industry. To stay in the lead, it’s important that its employees follow established procedures to maintain consistency and improve efficiencies. There to help ICM meet and even exceed its goals, Astra Patrick, director of standards, makes sure processes are properly documented and clearly understood.
Once each team at ICM has quality controls in place, they can work to improve productivity, training, and communications. Astra leads the charge on ICM’s Quality Management System, which is based on ISO 9001:2000. To develop these standards for a company with nearly 20 strategic teams and more than 750 employees, it takes someone with a wide range of experiences. For ICM, Astra was previously director of engineering, where she oversaw process engineering, project management, design services, combustion technology, and the environmental group.
Before ICM, Astra worked as a mechanical engineer and project manager for Pekin Energy Co., now Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc., for 13 years. In 1981, the company’s starch/syrup refinery was converted to a 100 million gallon per year ethanol plant. Astra was involved in nearly every part of corn wet milling, from process troubleshooting to operations optimization. She also helped design and build a 36 million ton per year brewers yeast plant for Pekin.
Astra has a master’s degree in business administration from Illinois State University, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. She is a member of the American Society for Quality.
ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Bill Roddy, Corporate Manager of Environmental Affairs and Emission Compliance
As ICM’s corporate manager of environmental affairs and emission compliance, Bill Roddy brings more than 30 years of experience from the private and public sectors. He has experience in environmental permitting and planning in 23 states and seven countries, including Egypt, where he rewrote ambient air quality standards as a consultant for the country’s Environmental Affairs Agency. Bill has credentials in environmental law, combustion evaluation, regulation enforcement, and in several other environmental areas.
Bill provides air, water, and waste permitting services for ICM’s ethanol plant customers, who also benefit from his expert testimony at public hearings. He has enabled ICM to provide services for plant owners, and through the development of test data, has created emissions standards for ethanol facilities.
For the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and the Governor’s Coalition, Bill produced “Ethanol Facilities: Environmental Impacts and Future Growth,” which illustrates environmental control technology standards for the ethanol industry. Bill developed the industry’s first environmental management system, Ethanol Environmental Compliance System, and in 2006 developed a software tool for ethanol plants to classify and manage hazardous waste.
Bill’s previous professional experience includes positions as director of environmental compliance and director of air quality management for Koch Industries, Inc. He also was director and air pollution control officer for the Kern County Air Pollution Control District in Bakersfield, CA.
He previously took on several leadership roles for environmental groups and the American Lung Association, for which he was past chairman of the air quality committee. A former chairmanship was at the Air and Waste Management Association, and Bill was past president of the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association.
Bill earned a master’s degree in engineering from California State University, and his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering comes from California Polytechnic University.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Brad Box, Sr. Vice President of Engineering
ICM’s Sr. Vice President of Engineering, Brad Box, serves as a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team with responsibility for overseeing the engineering group. His experience in the dry mill ethanol industry spans over two decades and includes work in process plants, power distribution, process control systems design, installation, start-up, and maintenance.
Brad’s been with ICM since the company’s founding in 1995, when its core business was the manufacture of distillers grain dryers. Backed by the talent and vision of individuals like Brad, ICM has since expanded its service offering beyond that initial niche product to serve and support the entire ethanol industry. In fact, ICM is now the world’s leading ethanol plant process technology provider, designing more than two-thirds of the facilities in construction across the United States. Brad’s contributions have been instrumental to this success.
On early ICM projects, Brad estimated costs, specified and programmed control systems, prepared bid packages, and designed electrical and instrumentation systems. As the company grew, Brad was promoted to Vice President of the Electrical division, relying on his engineering knowledge to lead a large group of employees responsible for the electrical engineering portion of all ICM projects. Experience gained from these positions, as well as his previous career at the High Plains Ethanol facility, allowed Brad to step into his new role as Sr. Vice President of Engineering with ease. He is guided by his 20-year background in the ethanol industry, as he serves as facilitator for many ICM departments. He also evaluates work practices to eliminate duplication of work throughout the company.
With more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Brian Burris, General Counsel
Brian Burris’ responsibilities as ICM’s general counsel go far beyond legal advice and direction. In fact, his experiences in private practice and corporate law, as well as leadership roles in his profession and in the community, serve him well as he performs several essential functions for ICM, Inc.
Brian oversees contracts with customers and vendors and is involved in acquisitions, divestitures, strategic alliances, and international business. He plays an important role in ensuring corporate legal compliance, while also evaluating potential risks for the company.
Before he came to ICM, Brian served as assistant general counsel for Raytheon Airline Aviation Services, LLC, and Raytheon Aircraft Credit Corp. For 14 years, he practiced law as a partner in Martin, Pringle, Oliver, Wallace, and Bauer, LLP, in Wichita.
Outside of his corporate life, he is involved as an active member of the bar. He serves on the Ethics Advisory Committee for the Kansas Bar Association, and he is a chapter author of its Ethics Handbook. He also is a frequent lecturer on legal, professional, and personal ethics. In Wichita, he serves as director of the POWER Community Development Corp., a not-for-profit organization that is working to bring economic revitalization to the inner city in Northeast Wichita.
From Washburn University in Topeka, KS, he earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and history. He received his Juris Doctorate from Washburn’s School of Law. Brian also coaches youth baseball and enjoys playing golf and hunting.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Chris Carter, Director of Flight Operations
As an extension of its commitment to employees and customers, ICM, Inc., maintains a fleet of six corporate aircraft that carry about 180 employees on about 60 trips per month. Chris Carter, director of flight operations, oversees the Travel Department’s aircraft, pilots, and mechanics, with the responsibility of safety and efficiency when it comes to ICM’s private travel.
The Travel Department helps maximize productivity, as employees often travel to remote areas of the country where it makes sense to cut down on renting vehicles and making connections on commercial airlines. The department also helps ensure that the needs of ICM customers are met, while also providing employees with more time at home.
Chris, who started at ICM in late 2001, has several Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificates, including those that certify him as an Airline Transport Pilot with a CE-525S-type rating and as a commercial rotorcraft pilot. He also is licensed in Airframe and Powerplant mechanics.
His bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University is in business administration and entrepreneurship. He earned his Airframe and Powerplant mechanics degree from Wichita Area Technical College.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Marketing
Since our inception in 1995, ICM has built its foundation on supporting the needs of our customers by maintaining a solid focus on excellence and innovation. It is critical to have outstanding leadership to maintain a competitive advantage, and ICM’s Vice President of Marketing, Chris Mitchell, combines his legal expertise and extensive customer service experience to fulfill our mission.
Chris leads various departments including domestic and international business development activities, product development, environmental affairs, communications, and public relations. At the helm of marketing, Chris ensures the implementation of a strategic global approach to proactively identify opportunities for market expansion.
ICM considers customer satisfaction paramount, and Chris is leading efforts to develop new products and services to benefit current and future customers. Additionally, he establishes communication strategies and company branding to increase sales.
Chris brings significant legal experience to ICM. During his previous experience at two respected law firms in Wichita, KS, his litigation specialties included representing clients in corporate, bankruptcy, insurance and property tax matters. Chris departed from the law firm and began serving as United Bio Energy’s Legal Counsel. UBE is a professional service provider for ethanol plants, and that experience provided him with an introduction into the ethanol industry. Chris also gained a vast amount of experience in handling risk management issues for ethanol plants. In 2006, he joined ICM as a contracts manager and led the facilitation of master-subcontractor agreements and many other contractual elements associated with the business.
Chris earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Bethel College in Newton, KS, and he received his Juris Doctorate from Washburn School of Law in Topeka, KS.
ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Dale Turner, PE, Director of Project Management
Dale Turner, PE, project management director for ICM, Inc., has been directly involved in the creation of some of the company’s most progressive and innovative “firsts” since he started in 2005.
As project manager, Dale’s earliest project was the construction of ICM’s first coal-fired plant in Goldfield, IA. In such a plant, a clean and economical coal burning process is used to create steam for the facility’s energy. ICM is working to improve the design of these facilities, while also exploring the use of alternative fuels, such as biomass, to create steam. Following the Goldfield assignment, Dale helped manage the design, as well as ICM’s construction, of the company’s first 110 million gallon per year (MGY) self-perform ethanol plant in Clymers, IN.
In 2006, Dale was promoted from project manager to senior project manager, a position in which he oversaw six teams, each constructing plants across the Midwest. He oversaw the management of as many as a dozen plants and was involved in business development. Now, as project management director, his responsibility also includes international plant construction, expansions of several domestic plants, and smaller-scale 10 MGY plants that are placed closer to feed lots that purchase wet distillers grain, a co-product of ethanol production. In the design and construction of ethanol plants, Dale and his team stay busy as they strive to meet or exceed customer demand, quickly adapt to changes, and provide facilities that are easy to operate and maintain.
Before he came to ICM, Dale was involved in domestic and international construction projects as a design engineer, general manager, and vice president of engineering and construction. For a storage tank manufacturer, he worked to expand engineering and manufacturing capacity and implement ISO-9000 quality standards.
Dale earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Kansas State University. He’s a licensed professional engineer (PE) and a member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, gardening, and scuba diving.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Dennis Vander Griend, Process Engineer
ICM Process Engineer Dennis Vander Griend’s ties to the agricultural industry date back to his childhood, growing up on a farm outside Sheldon, IA. His rural upbringing, coupled with his strong engineering aptitude, has made Dennis’s lifelong career in the ethanol industry an ideal fit. A true ethanol pioneer, he became involved in the fuel ethanol industry when it was just getting started in the United States in 1978.
In fact, Dennis returned home to the family farm in 1978 at the request of his South Dakota State University (SDSU) professor, Dr. Paul Middaugh, to build a distillation column for the University. He asked his brother Dave, now ICM’s President and CEO, to help. The brothers’ combined talents and vision yielded impressive results: The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) issued them the first fuel ethanol manufacturing permit for legal, small-scale fuel ethanol production. Their two-column, 190-proof distillation equipment was initially intended to be used by the University to research ethanol production through the fermentation of various cellulosic feedstocks.
In 1978, legislation promoting fuel ethanol production had passed through Congress, and the following year, the Department of Energy asked Dr. Middaugh to bring the still to the National Mall in Washington, DC, to demonstrate small-scale ethanol production at the nation’s largest ever gathering of community-based technology programs, The Appropriate Community Technology (ACT’79) Fair. Dennis accompanied Dr. Middaugh to the event, which attracted high-profile attendees, including Congressmen, the Vice President, and the Secretary of Energy.
Dennis’s commitment to the success of ethanol has remained strong in the years since he helped build that first still. Today, Dennis and the rest of the ICM team are driven to increase value for their customers by finding new, creative ways to make ethanol production even more efficient. Dennis’s dedication was recognized at the 2004 BBI International Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW), where he was honored with the bi-annual “Award of Excellence” for significant contributions through research and technological advisory activities to the fuel ethanol industry, enhancing the industry’s fuel ethanol production capabilities.
Dennis holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Don Dickson, Corporate Customer Service Manager
ICM, Inc., might be known best in the ethanol business for its innovative and industry-leading technologies, as well as the promises it keeps for plant performance, energy use, and production. Once a plant is designed and built, the company stands behind its ethanol facilities with the people, support services, and products that help keep the plants running strong. As manager of corporate customer services, Don Dickson is there to ensure plant operators have the tools and knowledge that will help them succeed.
For ICM, Don is focused on the development of a customer service team that offers consistent and reliable expertise regarding ICM’s products and services. Don takes the lead in developing ICM’s field account representative and field site representative teams, which service plants under construction and work with existing customers. The teams help make sure plant managers and owners are aware of the products, technologies, and services that will keep them ahead of the curve in an ever-changing industry. For the future, Don foresees the development of a web-based program that ICM will use to better communicate with its customers.
Before he came to ICM in mid-2006, Don took on several leadership positions in sales, marketing, and customer service. He was founder and president of two companies, Focused Training Systems, Inc., and Architectural Building Specialties, Inc. He also was director of sales and marketing education for Control Data Corp., as well as vice president of field services, sales, and operations for Systems Industries, Inc.
Don earned his college degree from Phoenix College in Arizona. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, golfing, fly fishing, hunting, and photography.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Douglas B. Rivers, Ph.D, Director of Research & Development
ICM’s Director of Research and Development, Douglas B. Rivers, Ph.D., leads the company’s R&D efforts in facilities across two states. Responsible for laboratory and pilot plant operations in St. Joseph, MO, Doug also directs ICM’s laboratory at its headquarters in Colwich, KS. Additionally, Doug oversees the biorefinery research project in St. Joseph selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to test biomass-to-ethanol conversion technologies on a pilot scale, to bring full-size commercial-scale cellulosic biorefineries online. Doug’s work also includes investigating technologies that will produce food, fuel, and other value-added products from starch and cellulosic biomass.
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has appointed Doug to serve on the Kansas Innovation Consortium through 2010. The KIC was formed to help Kansas develop an innovation-based economy to increase its competitive position in the world marketplace.
Prior to joining ICM, Dr. Rivers was responsible for a variety of successful development, scale-up and commercialization efforts, including starch and cellulose conversion to ethanol. At MBI (Lansing, MI), he directed development, scale-up, and commercialization of fermentations producing lactic acid in a joint venture with Cargill that resulted in the formation of NatureWorks. He was also responsible for fermentations producing succinic acid and butanol, as well as other efforts resulting in commercial products such as optically pure chiral chemicals derived from fermentation that form the backbone of the drug Crestor®, the plant growth modulator AuxiGro®, and enhanced animal feeds. While at ADM (Clinton, IA), he was responsible for implementing the first commercial-scale application of adsorption/desorption technology, dramatic improvements in the production of thermostable α-amylase, and installation of yeast propagation systems for fuel and potable ethanol production. Doug also contributed to the first wave of cellulosic ethanol development in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a development/scale-up leader for the Gulf Oil Corporation and the University of Arkansas where he was responsible for feedstock evaluations, scale-up of simultaneous saccharification fermentation, and development of pretreatment methods and equipment.
Doug has also contributed to national security, developing/patenting the first biological agent point detector used in Operation Desert Storm. In addition to other work evaluating biological warfare agents, he worked directly with the New York City Transit Authority, National Transportation Safety Board, and the National Academies of Science in the wake of 9/11 to help secure the nation’s subway systems from possible terrorist attack.
With more than 700 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Eric Mork, Director of Domestic Business Development
About five years ago, ICM, Inc., had to work pretty hard to find new plant investors. Now, given the company’s top-quality products, technologies, and support services, Eric Mork, director of domestic business development, responds to dozens of those inquiries each week. Eric’s on the front end to make sure a potential project or business relationship will work for ICM. His goal is to develop new customers, while also helping to identify how those in agriculture, the energy sector, and outside industries can advance the ethanol business.
Eric described himself as a guy behind the scenes — he doesn’t design or build ethanol plants. In many ways, though, he’s a face for the company. His name is on several ethanol industry websites, so he fields a variety of questions from investors, bankers, contractors, and engineers who are interested in ICM products and services. He also receives calls from local residents who want to learn about ethanol production or a project in their area. During industry presentations, Eric offers analysis on trends and opportunities for ethanol, as well as explains ICM’s history and capabilities.
Eric came to ICM after 17 years with Koch Industries, Inc., where he worked in crude-oil purchasing. He also spent time in transportation and trading for the central U.S. and Rocky Mountain regions. For Koch Ventures, he evaluated transportation options using carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery.
A resident of Wichita, KS, Eric is a graduate of Wichita State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and played on the Shocker golf team. When he’s not in the office, he still enjoys playing tournament golf.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Greg Krissek, Director of Government Relations
ICM’s Director of Government Affairs, Greg Krissek, represents the company on state and federal matters relating to ethanol policy and overall industry development. He has 19 years’ experience working with ethanol and renewable energy projects as well as related public policy.
Greg currently serves as the chairman emeritus for the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC). He’s also the secretary-treasurer of the board for the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) as well a board member of the Kansas Association of Ethanol Processors, Kansas Energy Council, and KansasBio. In addition, he represents ICM on several ethanol plant boards of directors.
Prior to joining ICM in 2003, Greg spent three years as Director of Operations with the offices of the Kansas Corn Commission, Kansas Corn Growers Association, and Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association. He also worked with the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) for 11 years, including three years as Assistant Secretary. While at KDA, he served as chief staff coordinator for the Governor’s Ethanol Coalition.
Greg holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Rockhurst University in Kansas City as well as a law degree and MBA from the University of Denver.
With more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Joe Amos, Maintenance Coordinator
If you don’t check the fluids, brakes, or hoses on your car every once in a while, there’s a pretty good chance it’ll leave you stranded one day. The same holds true for an ethanol plant, in which improper upkeep can cause a much more serious breakdown or spell significant losses in efficiency. As maintenance coordinator for ICM, Inc., it’s Joe Amos’ job to help plant owners and operators recognize and prevent such occurrences.
Joe works to provide ICM-designed ethanol facilities with a condition-monitoring program that uses thermal imaging, sound and leak detection, vibration sensors, and other technologies that help identify problems before they become bigger issues. The program complies with the standards set by ICM’s insurance and safety teams, and it includes the support of the company’s spare parts program and computerized maintenance system.
Before he became maintenance coordinator, Joe was on the plant start-up team. He came to ICM in mid-2003, after spending nearly 20 years in the ethanol industry as production manager for Abengoa Bioenergy, an ethanol production facility. He also was operations manager for an oil-drilling company and previously owned an oil company in Kansas.
Joe is a member of ISA, a trade group for automation professionals, and a former member of the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association. He has a Class II certificate in wastewater treatment and has extensive experience from management training programs.
While he’s not at work, Joe enjoys anything outdoors, including fishing, hunting, camping, and watching youth sports. He’s an active member in his local Knights of Columbus council.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Joe Scheer, Vice President of Operations
Although ICM’s vice president of operations, Joe Scheer, is relatively new to the ethanol industry, his involvement with agriculture has been life-long. In fact, Joe, the middle son of a wheat- and cattle-farming family, still spends his free time at the farm owned by his wife’s family in Andale, Kansas.
Joe, a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team, joined ICM as director of operations in 2006 and quickly advanced to the role of chief operations officer before being promoted to his current position. In that role, he’s responsible for leading the Operations Department, which encompasses project management, manufacturing/design, travel, standards, and the Energy Team.
His avant-garde thinking, persistence, and focused action combine with his vision to make Joe an integral part of ICM’s leadership team. One of his first projects as vice president was the implementation of top-line scheduling, allowing his group to compare work load to their capacity. Joe’s current area of focus is implementing lean manufacturing, maximizing value while minimizing waste. He’s also leading ICM’s initiative to become an ISO 9000 certified company.
With the help of his team, he was instrumental in instituting man-hour standards used to track and measure the successes of the manufacturing department. These measures were so successful that they’re also being adapted throughout ICM to assist all employees in tracking their achievements.
Before joining ICM, Joe worked in operations and manufacturing. As an ambitious 20-year-old with a wife and young family, Joe began his 24-year history with Love Box Co. on the night shift, attending school full-time during the day. Joe’s determination led him upward through the ranks at Love Box as he held the positions of superintendent, plant manager, leading supervisor, general manager, and finally operations manager.
Nicknamed “MacGyver” growing up, Joe is well known for his creativity and innovative thinking. In fact, he helped build new corrugation machinery while working at Love Box, and he even holds two patents in corrugation design.
Joe attended Bryant Institute of Business & Computer Science, finishing his education at Wichita State University. He’s educated in the methods and processes of quality control as well as ISO 9000, Six Sigma, and Lean Manufacturing. Joe’s also a board member of school district Renwick USD 267.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Joe Wary, Corporate Manager of Safety and Health
In one way or another, Joe Wary, corporate manager of safety and health, has spent most of his professional life involved in agriculture. He’s been an agricultural extension agent and journalist, as well as a farm-news radio and television broadcaster. Now at ICM, Inc., his agricultural background and communications skills serve him well as he helps the company stay true to its vision — “sustainable agriculture through innovation.”
Joe and the safety team work to ensure compliance with ICM safety measures on its property and during plant construction. He also helps keep the Ethanol Risk Management Safety Group up to date with all safety policies and procedures. This team has developed a safety program that ICM sells to ethanol plants on a subscription basis.
In 2006, Joe represented ICM at BBI International’s Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo with a presentation on ethanol plant safety. He’s a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the National Safety Council. In 2006, his team was a finalist for the Saxcie Award for Safety Program of the Year.
Before ICM, Joe was a faculty member at his alma mater, Kansas State University. Most of that time was spent as an agricultural extension agent in Hays, KS. In the late 1990s, he presented information on dairy legislation to U.S. Senators, and portions of his testimony are now part of the U.S. Congressional Record. He also spent four years as Farm Director for the Mid-America Ag Network and KSN TV. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education from Kansas State, where he also was co-author of extension publication “Wheat Stubble: What is its Value?”
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
John Huffman, Director of Plant Services and Support
Eventually, John Huffman wants to make ICM a one-stop shop for the ethanol industry. As director of plant services and support, he’s well on his way toward meeting that goal, leading a team that works to provide the company’s ethanol plant customers with several essential services that help keep plants running safely and efficiently.
John’s group helps ICM provide plant owners and operators with the peace of mind that comes from a wide range of services, including programs for plant start-up, maintenance, training, and safety. The company also provides environmental support, security programs, and insurance options.
The plant services and support team is working to expand what it offers, with a constant focus on improving customer service and a goal to have those programs in place before an ethanol plant even breaks ground.
John, who has been with ICM since early 1999, was a plant manager at two ethanol facilities before he came to the company. At Archer Daniels Midland, he was in charge of expanding a plant from 11 million gallons per year (MGY) to 28 MGY. He also was involved in the construction and start-up of an industrial-grade alcohol distiller while he worked for the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of North Dakota, and his associate’s degree in civil engineering comes from the North Dakota State College of Science.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Michael Kroeker, Director of Design Services
Michael Kroeker, director of design services, leads a team responsible for process piping design, structural design, plant site layouts, and equipment arrangements that have made ICM-designed ethanol plants the best in the industry. His group provides drawings for new plants and plant expansions, as well as design solutions that support the technologies developed by ICM’s Research and Development Department.
While the basics of process plant designs have remained the same in the past few decades, Michael and his team use the latest in 3-D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and other technologies to ensure that ICM continually creates and improves upon the best-designed ethanol plants on the market. Though he’s a 30-year veteran of the process plant design industry, Michael finds inspiration in the use of new technologies. He surrounds himself with some of the country’s most seasoned professionals and a group of young designers who share innovative new ideas.
Before ICM, Michael was responsible for process plant designs for engineering companies such as Litwin Engineering and World Wide Construction Services. He managed his own business for about 20 years, providing technical services for the manufacturing industry, and he has worked in oil refining and chemical manufacturing facilities across North America and the Caribbean throughout his career. For ICM, he’s been a contract designer, piping team leader, and design services manager.
Michael attended Newman University and Wichita State University, both in Wichita, KS, where he pursued undergraduate studies in biology/chemistry and mechanical engineering, respectively. He’s been certified in AutoCad and MicroStation software, while he’s also had training in 3DS Max, Rhino 3D, surveying, and mapping. Michael is a member of the Society of Piping Engineers & Designers.
Although many of his hobbies directly relate to his career, Michael’s interests outside of work include vintage cars, motorcycles, aircraft, and snow skiing. He’s also a railroad history enthusiast.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Neil Havran, Manager of the Plant Asset Preservation Group
Neil Havran, manager of the plant asset preservation group, first developed his passion for agriculture growing up as one of seven children on a farm in the country’s corn capital, Iowa. At ICM, Neil finds satisfaction in working for a company that sustains agriculture through innovation in the design and construction of corn-to-ethanol plants, providing a computerized management system as well as related products and services to maintain plant assets.
For ICM-designed plants that purchase the company‘s maintenance program, Neil and his team develop and install the preservation system and provide training and support. The group also monitors plant conditions, labels pipes, and supports plant operators with their spare parts needs. Other plant services include leak detection and repair as well as auditing.
Neil has about 25 years of experience in maintenance and engineering management as well as time in human resources and production management. Before ICM, he worked in the foundry industry as a production and maintenance manager. Earlier in his career, he worked in several supervisory roles for General Motors.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Iowa State University, and his master’s degree in business administration comes from Webster University in St. Louis.
In his spare time, Neil enjoys spending time with his family and restoring cars and motorcycles. He plays the guitar and sings in his church’s choir.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Richard Hanson, Project Coordinator
Richard Hanson, project coordinator, leads one of ICM’s most important research and development initiatives at LifeLine Foods, LLC, in St. Joseph, MO. In this location, ICM, Inc., part owner of LifeLine, will research promising technologies, such as fractionation and gasification, which will help pave the next generation of grain-to-ethanol production processes.
As pilot plant manager, Richard is responsible for the layout, construction, and equipment purchases at the facility. ICM plans to have a 3,800-square-foot office and 1,600-square-foot laboratory, as well as a pilot plant that will feature several research fermentors, ranging in capacity from 50 liters to 10,000 gallons. A 12,000-square-foot pilot plant will be adjacent to the laboratory, while a small fractionation plant also will be on site. In addition to being in charge of the project’s physical elements, Richard will help lead more than 10 ICM employees who will operate the plant and conduct research.
In the pilot plant, Richard will work with the R&D and engineering teams to implement new ideas, many of which might originate from smaller research projects in ICM’s laboratory at its Colwich, KS, headquarters. Specifically, R&D employees will look for new milling and fermentation processes, as well as innovative ways to recover energy, generate co-products, and extract ethanol from cellulose.
During his early years at ICM, Richard worked with the team that started the company’s first 100 million gallon per year (MGY) ethanol plant. He came to ICM in late 2003 following several years of management experience with ethanol plants and related companies. He was plant manager at Badger State Ethanol, LLC; Gopher State Ethanol; Agri-Energy, LLC; High Plains Ethanol; and Minnesota Corn Processors. He also was site materials manager for Fagen, Inc.
Richard is a prominent face in the ethanol industry, sharing his expertise as a presenter and discussion panel participate at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW). He also has been a presenter at the Alltech Alcohol School in Lexington, KY, and Dublin, Ireland.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Scott Kohl, Technical Director
ICM’s Technical Director, Scott Kohl, PhD, works with more than a dozen scientists and researchers driven to increase value for ICM’s customers by developing creative, new ways to make ethanol production more efficient and cost effective. In fact, Scott and ICM’s research and development team lead the industry in developing revolutionary new equipment and process technologies, while working from a state-of-the-art research facility in the company’s Colwich, KS, headquarters.
Scott’s life-long affiliation with agriculture began on the rural South Dakota farm where he grew up. After earning his PhD in chemistry from South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, Scott stayed on at his alma mater as a researcher and professor. He began his career in the ethanol industry as the lab manager for Glacial Lakes Energy in Watertown, SD
He pulled up his South Dakota roots and moved his family to Wichita in 2003 when he joined the ICM team. In his initial role as principal scientist, Scott’s main focus was plant optimization, primarily in the fermentation area. Thanks in part to his efforts, ICM plants are the industry’s most efficient ethanol plants, using about 25% less pipe and 10% less energy while experiencing 5% less downtime than other plants. As he was promoted, first to lab supervisor and then to technical director, Scott tackled new projects, including his most recent duties, directing research in starch-based crops as well as investigating the sugar and thermal platforms in cellulosic ethanol production.
In addition to his work at ICM, Scott has served as a guest speaker for The Alcohol School, both in the US and internationally. He also writes technical articles for Ethanol Today magazine.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Tim Swanson, Director of Research and Development
ICM’s Director of Research and Development, Tim Swanson, leads a team of more than a dozen scientists and researchers driven to increase value for ICM’s customers. They’re charged with developing new ways to make ethanol production more efficient and cost-effective. In fact, Tim and his team lead the industry in developing revolutionary new equipment and process technologies, while working from a state-of-the-art research facility in the company’s Colwich, KS, headquarters.
Tim is responsible for process optimization, and his group continually explores ways to further improve plant efficiencies. Thanks to their efforts, ICM has the industry’s most efficient ethanol plants, using about 25% less pipe and 10% less energy, while experiencing 5% less downtime than other plants.
Tim also directs the R&D team in research of dry fractionation in an effort to make ethanol production more profitable for owners and investors. In addition, his group is explores self-sufficient ethanol plants, which can produce enough power to run the entire facility. Tim also explores opportunities with other businesses, including plans to add ethanol production capacity to existing power plants and grain processing facilities.
Tim’s ties to ethanol began with his background in the starch-processing industry. With more than 30 years of experience in that field, his roles have included HFCS Operations Manager, Worldwide Technical Service Manager, Quality Control Manager, and Product Development Manager for companies such as The Dow Chemical Company, Novozymes, and Minnesota Corn Processors. He holds patents on raw materials currently being used in the starch industry, and he’s also published articles in both the sweetener and fuel ethanol industries.
A graduate of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Tim has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and geology.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants, as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
Tony Sanders, Director of Automation in the Engineering Group
Tony Sanders, director of automation in the engineering group, and his team at ICM, Inc., are charged with making sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently, whether it’s the Distributed Control System that runs plant processes or the Programmable Logic Controllers that are essential for plant operation.
The electrical automation component of ICM’s Engineering Department develops standards and process controls that are unmatched in the ethanol industry, helping ICM meet, and even exceed, its quality promises for plant production and efficiency. Tony and his team place a strong emphasis on training and education as well as continuous improvement of automation and control systems, which ensure that ICM customers receive the highest-quality products and services in the industry. The electrical automation team delivers on-site computer setup and support as well as remote support capabilities for plant startup.
To ICM, Tony brings more than 20 years of management and controls experience from the ethanol, chemical, and oil industries. After completing college with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Tony began his career as an instrument engineer. He then moved on to control systems engineering, where he was charged with upgrading the control systems for the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves. For several engineering firms, Tony continued his career in control systems, focused on developing advanced automation controls. He joined ICM in January of 2004.
Tony also served for more than 24 years in the active and reserve forces of the U.S. Army. His military experience has provided problem-solving and leadership skills that have proven invaluable to him in his current position. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., as well as ISA, a trade group for automation professionals that has more than 30,000 members.
With a staff of more than 750 employees, ICM designs, builds, and supports ethanol plants as well as serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit icminc.com.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Monique Garcia at 316.977.6508 or Monique.Garcia@icminc.com.
