WWREC Hosts Annual Meeting ~ Steve Rasmussen Receives Friend of the Cooperative Award

December 9, 2009

Menomonie - Paul Harrison, President of the Western Wisconsin Renewable Energy Cooperative (WWREC) recently called to order and presided over the 7th Annual Membership Meeting in Menomonie.

In a meeting crowded with local investors, Harrison called to order the WWREC's Annual Meeting which was held at the Off-Broadway Banquet Center. During the meeting, Harrison announced to members Dunn County Chair, Steve Rasmussen, would be receiving the 2009 Friend of the Cooperative Award. This is an annual award given to individuals in the local community in special recognition of their contributions to the WWREC. In making the announcement, Harrison stated, "Through his leadership role with the County, Steve Rasmussen has always had an open door and has been supportive of the Cooperative's mission to provide local markets for locally grown corn. Steve has been a good listener, a great friend, and truly a believer that our plant was compatible with other Dunn County businesses."

Also in attendance at the Annual Meeting was State Senator Pat Kreitlow who commented on the award, "I've had the opportunity to work with Steve in his capacity as County Board Chair, and I've found him to be an exceptional leader who is trusted by everyone in the community. He is well deserving of this honor and I'm proud to call him a constituent. The strong working relationship between local leaders like Steve and the Cooperative is a big reason for their success in Dunn County. Thanks to Partherships like this with government and private sector leaders from throughout the area, WWREC will continue to be a force in our region's economy for years to come."

Steve Christensen, WWREC General Manager, also commented on County Chair Rasmussen receiving the award, "As General Manager of the Cooperative, I always know I can call Steve Rasmussen and lean on him for advice on issues impacting the local community. Steve is a sharp leader and always provides a voice of reason. I really appreciated all of Steve's assistant when our plant needed special permission to expand in Dunn County. Chair Rasmussen worked with us to ensure our request moved forward in a timely manner and most importantly our request was passed unanimously by the County Board. The unanimous sign of support from the County would not have been possible without Steve's leadership."

The WWREC ethanol plant has been in operation since August 28, 2006. The plant is designed to produce 40 million gallons of fuel grade ethanol per year, which can be used in numerous vehicles being produced by automobile manufacturers.

For More Information: Contact Steve Christensen, General Manager, at 715/643-2602.