Veteran of VeraSun, BASF will manage ethanol production worldwide
Palo Alto, CA. and Broomfield, CO – May 1, 2007 – Range Fuels, Inc., a cellulosic ethanol company, announced today that Kevin Biehle has joined the company as Vice President of Production. He brings over 20 years of diverse experience in manufacturing platform development, operations, cost management, and Lean Manufacturing techniques. Biehle will be responsible for all plant operations and ethanol production.
“I am thrilled to join Range Fuels and bring the promise of cellulosic ethanol to reality,” said Kevin Biehle, Vice President of Production for Range Fuels. “Range Fuels will play a critical role in the development of green energy and will transform our reliance on fossil fuels into renewable and sustainable energy solutions. I am confident my experience in plant operations will complement the strong team already in place at Range Fuels.”
Most recently, Biehle was Vice President of Plant Operations for VeraSun Energy Corporation where he was responsible for all aspects of operations for two 100 MGPY ethanol production facilities and where he provided operation guidance for three additional facilities in varying stages of construction. Before VeraSun, Biehle spent 20 years at BASF Corporation, where his most recent role was the management of all operations for a newly acquired engineering plastics site. Biehle has managed plants over $300M in assets with hundreds of plant employees. He has experience in OSHA certification, ISO 9000 standards, and Risk Management Planning. Biehle received his BS, Magna Cum Laude, in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri, and his Masters of Business from Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
“We are excited to have Kevin on our management team to help us lead our company’s cellulosic energy efforts,” said Mitch Mandich Range Fuels’ CEO. “Our goal is to be the first to reach commercial scale cellulosic ethanol production and Kevin’s expertise in plant operations and production will help us achieve it.”
Range Fuels has been at the forefront of the nationwide effort to increase use of alternate fuels. In February 2007, the company was awarded a $76M grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the company recently filed a permit for its first plant in Treutlen County, Georgia based upon wood residues and waste which will be converted into ethanol.
About Range Fuels
Range Fuels is focused on green energy and the production of cellulosic ethanol. The company does not use food products like corn, but rather uses waste materials and turns them into valuable products. The company's innovative technology uses wood chips, municipal waste, paper pulp, olive pits, and more and converts those materials to ethanol. The company's system, named K2, uses a two step thermo-chemical conversion process. The first step converts the biomass to synthesis gas and the second step converts the gas to ethanol. The company's business model is to design, build, own and operate its plants. The company is privately held and funded by Khosla Ventures, LLC, arguably the top venture firm in the U.S. focusing on alternative, green energy systems. The leadership team melds experience from Silicon Valley's fast-paced, high-tech world, and the technologically intense coal, coal gasification, gas-to-liquids and chemical industries. Range Fuels' vision is to introduce the world to a fuel that's renewable, sustainable, and eco-friendly in its production.
Media contact:
Tim Turpin
OutCast Communications
(415) 392-8282