Midwest Ethanol Expansion Complete

NEW YORK - Feb 16/06 - SNS -- Cooperative-owned ethanol venture Midwest Grain Processors, LLC has completed a $40 million expansion of its fuel ethanol plant in Lakota, Iowa, lifting annual plant capacity to 100 million gallons.

MGP's original plant, which was producing nearly 50 million gallons of ethanol each year, began operations in December 2002.

"With this completed expansion, MGP is able to capture a larger share of the growing ethanol market for its farmer-owners, while also providing a stronger market for corn grown in north-central Iowa," said Dave Nelson, MGP LLC board chairman and a Belmond, Iowa, farmer.

MGP LLC is controlled by: Midwest Grain Processors Cooperative, a farmer-owned cooperative with nearly 1,300 farmer members in 11 Midwestern states, and Great Lakes Ethanol LLC, Blissfield, Mich., which has more than 300 members; nearly 98 percent are Michigan farmers.