Paul Diemert Receives Friend of Cooperative Award

December 28, 2008

WHEELER- Paul Harrison, President of the Western Wisconsin Renewable Energy Cooperative (WWREC), recently presented Menomonie Farmers Union Cooperative Manager, Paul Diemert, with the 2008 Friend of the Cooperative award. This is an annual award given to individuals in the local community in special recognition of thier contributions to the WWREC.

As part of the award, Harrison stated, "This past year the WWREC has forged wonderful partnerships with many leaders throughout Dunn County. One of the relationships we really treasured in 2008 was our relationship with Paul Diemert. When the WWREC first launched plans to build an ethanol plant, many of our friends and neighbors ask if E-85 would be available locally. By partnering with Paul and the Menomonie Farmers Union Cooperative, an E-85 fuel pump was installed this year in Menomonie and our ethanol became available for area consumers."

State Senator Sheila Harsdorf offered her congratulations to both Paul Diemert and the WWREC. "I think both, Paul Diemert and the WWREC, are to be congratulated on their joint project this past year. Only by working together and creating new opportunities, will businesses be able to survive this tough economy. The relationship forged by both entities is a great example of the cooperative model and demonstrates how working together can promote agriculture, create additional markets for corn and continue to WWREC's mission to create a greener lifestyle."

Steve Christensen, WWE General Manager, also commented on Paul being selected as this year's Friend of the Cooperative winnner, "In addition to helping make E-85 available to local consumers, we worked in conjunction with Paul and the American Lung Association in hosting statewide Clean Air Campaign activities. We hosted a day long event in Menomonie which featured State Senator Pat Kreitlow, Alice in Dairyland and Dunn County officials in celebrating the positive health benefits associated with using E-85 as compared to other fossil fuels. The Clean Air Campaign would not have been successful without Paul's hard work and dedication."

The WWE 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.