Range Fuels Appoints Energy Veteran Rick Winsor President and Chief Operating Officer
Winsor to Develop Cellulosic Ethanol Plants in the US and Abroad
Palo Alto, CA and Broomfield, CO – December 20, 2007 – Range Fuels, Inc., a company focused on green energy and the production of cellulosic ethanol, announced today that Rick Winsor has joined the company as president and chief operating officer. Winsor brings to Range Fuels a 35-year proven track record building and operating billions of dollars of energy infrastructure projects. At Range Fuels, Winsor will assume responsibility for the company’s efforts to develop cellulosic ethanol plants in the US and around the world, reporting to CEO, Mitch Mandich.
"It is an honor to join the Range Fuels team; I look forward to applying my experience in building and operating renewable energy projects to a company that is at the forefront of developing new solutions for our energy needs and independence," said Winsor. "Range Fuels provides me with an outstanding professional opportunity to contribute to bringing economical and sustainable energy solutions to the world."
Winsor will take on project responsibility for all aspects of operations for Range Fuels and its cellulosic ethanol plants – from cost and scheduling, to procurement and fabrication, to engineering, construction and production. Range Fuels broke ground on the country’s first cellulosic ethanol plant in November 2007, located in Soperton, Georgia. Winsor will play a key role managing the construction of the first 20 million gallon per year phase of the Soperton Plant, expected to be completed in 2008, and will oversee the plant’s expansion to a production capacity of 100 million gallons per year.
"Rick’s deep industry knowledge and proven track record of driving both domestic and international growth in the alternative energies field makes him a superb candidate to assume the operational responsibilities for Range Fuels," said Range Fuels’ CEO, Mitch Mandich. "Having managed large capital intensive projects in the wind industry, Rick’s strategic insights will be critical for helping Range Fuels attain its goal of scaling our cellulosic ethanol plants rapidly, building on the momentum we established following the groundbreaking of our Soperton Plant."
Winsor most recently served as chief operating officer of Horizon Wind Energy, formerly Zilkha Renewable Energy, where he played a key executive role in guiding Horizon from its infancy to one of the leading companies in the US wind industry. Prior to joining Horizon in June 2001, he served as senior vice president for Energia Global International, where he directed business development, construction, and operations for hydroelectric and wind projects in Latin America. Before Energia, Winsor also held a variety of executive positions, including director of stations design and construction and director of consumer services, during his 20-year tenure with TransAlta Corporation in Canada, which was the largest investor owned electrical utility in Canada.
Winsor received a Bachelors of Science degree, with great distinction, and a Masters of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
About Range Fuels, Inc.
Range Fuels, Inc., 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 other non food sources 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, and gas-to-liquids industries. Range Fuels' vision is to introduce the world to a fuel that's renewable, sustainable, and eco-friendly in its production.
Media contact:
Heather Milne
OutCast Communications
[email protected]
(215) 875-8138