Last week, a Global Ethanol Summit (GES) post-team of Mexican researchers, government officials and industry stakeholders visited Wisconsin to view the U.S. bioethanol value chain. Pictured, team members discuss the ethanol fermenting process at Azatlan Bio. Image courtesy of USGBC.
As Global Ethanol Summit 2025 (GES) concluded last week, the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) escorted nine post-conference delegations to corn-growing and ethanol-producing states to better understand the U.S. ethanol value chain.
GES offered three pre-conference trade teams and nine post-conference teams with 138 total delegates from 28 countries. Trade teams are critical to the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council’s (USGBC’s) mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives, giving participants an opportunity to witness a significant segment of the U.S. value chain.
Emma Dostal, USGBC communications coordinator, traveled with 20 researchers, government officials and industry stakeholders from Mexico to document their journey as they visited the ethanol value chain in Wisconsin.
The Council hosted the team in partnership with the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association. Brenda Damrow Gudex, executive director of the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association and Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board and USGBC Ethanol Consultants Galo Galeana and Christian Santamaria traveled with the team throughout the week.
“The importance of the visit to the United States by the Mexican delegation, comprised of representatives from various sectors, lies in the fact that the Mexican government is seeking to create a new agro-industry based on ethanol production,” Galeana said.
“This industry can boost development in the poorest regions, creating direct and indirect jobs throughout the value chain.”
The trade team began Thursday with a visit to a Kwik Trip retail store to meet with Kristi Moore, a consultant with USGBC member Growth Energy, where she discussed E10 and E15 policies in the U.S. and the ethanol production process. Moore provided details on how ethanol is distributed in the U.S. and how gas stations like Kwik Trip support higher ethanol blend usage.
The delegation continued on to Didion Bioscience, an ethanol and corn milling company, where attendees spoke with CEO Riley Didion and Grain Manager Garry Gard before touring the ethanol and corn milling plants. Wisconsin corn farmer and Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board director Cal Dalton also attended the meeting and tour to share his experience as a corn grower and provider for ethanol plants.
Participants saw the entirety of both processes and how Didion is a nearly zero-waste plant – using the whole corn kernel in its milling and ethanol production.
“The Council’s collaborative spirit helps leverage the potential for cooperation in promoting bioethanol in Mexico,” Galeana said. “The provision of technical and scientific data on this trade team helped policymakers advance toward a technological pathway that enables rapid, affordable, inclusive and renewable energy transitions.”
Thursday concluded with a dinner with Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board members who shared their involvement with the Council and growing practices in the state.
Friday began with a visit to Azatlan Bio, the largest ethanol production facility in Wisconsin. The visit included a facility tour and presentation on the plants ethanol and dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) production.
Participants also saw the ethanol loading process into tank trucks that load ethanol at the plant and transport it to distribution centers and gas stations.
Delegates then travelled to Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board President and USGBC Asia Advisory Team (A-Team) member Casey Kelleher’s farm in Whitewater where the team watched the corn harvest process and learned more about corn storage.
The day ended with a visit to a grain elevator and rail shipping facility near Avalon, managed by USGBC member DeLong Co. The facility receives 200,000 bushels (5,080 MT) of corn daily during harvest season and participants asked questions about rail and truck shipping logistics.
“Seeing firsthand how Wisconsin integrates ethanol production from the pump to the plant and all the way back to the farm makes a powerful impression on global decision-makers,” Damrow Gudex said.
“This visit didn’t just showcase our capabilities—it built meaningful connections and opened the door to greater ethanol adoption in Mexico and new opportunities for Wisconsin corn growers.”
Read more from USGBC here.