UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment
No. 3
to
FORM 10
GENERAL FORM FOR REGISTRATION OF
SECURITIES
Pursuant to Section 12(b) or (g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(Name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
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NORTH DAKOTA
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EIN 76-0742311
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(State or other jurisdiction of
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(IRS Employer Identification No.)
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incorporation or organization)
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P.O. Box 11
3682 Hwy. 8 South
Richardton, ND 58652
(Address of principal executive offices)
701-974-3308
(Registrants Telephone Number)
With a copy to:
Todd A. Taylor and Michael R. OBrien
Leonard, OBrien, Spencer, Gale & Sayre, Ltd.
100 South Fifth Street, Suite 2500
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-332-1030
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of each class
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Name of each exchange on which registered
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None
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None
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Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
CLASS A MEMBERSHIP UNITS
(Title of Class)
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
FORM 10
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
Red Trail Energy, LLC was organized as a North Dakota limited liability company on July 16,
2003 (the Company.) We were originally formed for the purpose of raising capital to develop,
construct, own and operate a 50 million gallon per year corn-based ethanol plant in Richardton,
North Dakota. Based on estimates from our design engineer, ICM Inc., we expect our ethanol plant
to annually process approximately 18 million bushels of corn into 50 million gallons of denatured
fuel grade ethanol, 170,000 tons of dried distillers grains with solubles, or 430,000 tons of
distillers wet grains. In this process we will consume approximately 133,000 tons of lignite coal
per year. As of July 19, 2006, we have not generated any revenue from
our business. Our business is also subject to significant risks,
including those described on page 23 under RISK
FACTORS. Unless otherwise indicated, whenever we use the terms we, us, our or ours, we mean the
Company. Our website is located at
www.redtrailenergyllc.com
.
General Developments
Land Acquisition
On March 22, 2004, January 13, 2005 and July 11, 2005, we acquired 134.7 acres of land just
east of Richardton, North Dakota as the site for our plant. On October 18, 2005, we started
construction at this site.
Construction Contract
We have executed a Lump-Sum Design Build Contract dated August 29, 2005, with Fagen, Inc. for
the design and construction of our plant. Plant construction began October 18, 2005 and we expect
construction to be completed in approximately November 2006. We have utilized funds from our sales
of securities, grants and interest income to pay for construction costs to date.
Construction
Progress
Our
construction remains on schedule for an anticipated start up date of
November 15, 2006. Areas currently under construction are the
cooling tower, coal island, grain handling area, ethanol tank farm,
dryer area, process building area, and pump house.
The
cooling tower structure is completely erected and the piping and
electrical are in the final stages
of completion. At the coal island, the combustor is in place and our
contractors continue to construct the remainder of the boiler
including the HRSG (heat recovery steam generator) and the different
evaporator sections that the hot flue gas will travel through before
the ash bag house. The grain silos are poured and our contractors are
working on the internals and the receiving area. Once the receiving
area is complete, the rail will be connected in the middle. Currently
the rail is in place on both ends of the plant and will be connected
once the receiving pit is complete which is scheduled for
August 31, 2006. The ethanol tank farm is under construction
and scheduled to be complete August 29, 2006. The dryers are
scheduled to be onsite by mid July 2006 and will be set into place
upon delivery.
Most
major equipment is on site and piping and electrical crews are
integrating and connecting the system as equipment and tanks are set and
completed.
Loan Agreements
On December 16, 2005, we closed on a construction loan agreement with First National Bank of
Omaha for total loan proceeds of $59,712,000. We are utilizing the proceeds from this construction
loan agreement to pay Fagen, Inc. for the design and construction of our plant. We had not used
any of the proceeds from this loan yet.
On December 16, 2005, we closed on a Subordinated Debt Agreement with Fagen, Inc. in the
amount of $1,000,000. We have not utilized the proceeds from this agreement yet.
On December 16, 2005, we closed on a Subordinated Debt Agreement with ICM Inc. in the amount
of $3,000,000. We have not utilized the proceeds from this agreement yet.
On December 16, 2005, we closed on a Subordinated Debt Agreement with GreenWay Consulting,
LLC. in the amount of $1,525,000. We have not utilized the proceeds from this agreement yet.
Consulting Agreements
We have entered into two contracts with GreenWay Consulting, LLC. The first is a Development
Services Agreement whereby GreenWay will manage project development, plant construction and initial
plant operations through plant start-up. The second is a Management Agreement for management of
operations after plant start-up.
Marketing Agreements
We have entered into marketing agreements to market all of our ethanol and distillers dried
grains with solubles. Because we have not commenced operations yet, we have not sold any ethanol
or distillers dried grains with solubles and we do not expect to do so until at least November
2006.
North
Dakota Grant
In May 2006, we entered into a contract with the State of North
Dakota through its Industrial Commission for a Lignite Grant not to
exceed $350,000. In order to receive the proceeds, we must construct
a 50 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant located in North Dakota
that utilizes clean lignite technologies in the production of
ethanol. We must also provide the Industrial Commission with specific
reports in order to receive the funds. After the first year of
operation, we will be required to repay a portion of the proceeds in
annual payments of $22,000 over 10 years. These payments could
increase based on the amount of lignite we are using as a percentage
of primary fuel.
Gas
Service Agreement
On
June 9, 2006, we entered into a Gas Service Agreement with
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. to provide the natural gas line to our
ethanol plant and to provide for the use of natural gas for a one-time cost of
approximately $137,000 for three years. Use of natural gas in the mainly
coal-fired plant will include the start up of the coal-fired burners and to
control the emissions when ethanol is loaded onto rail cars and trucks. Should
we use less than the expected yearly average of natural gas,
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. has the right to recoup some of its installation
costs so we also received an approximate $137,000 Letter of Credit
from our senior lender.
1
Primary Product Ethanol
Ethanol is a chemical produced by the fermentation of sugars found in grains and other
biomass. Ethanol can be produced from a number of different types of grains, such as wheat and
milo, as well as from agricultural waste products such as rice hulls, cheese whey, potato waste,
brewery and beverage wastes and forestry and paper wastes. However, according to the Renewable
Fuels Association, approximately 85 percent of ethanol in the United States today is produced from
corn, and approximately 90 percent of ethanol is produced from a mix of corn and other input. Corn
produces large quantities of carbohydrates, which convert into glucose more easily than most other
kinds of biomass.
We anticipate that our business will be that of the production and marketing of ethanol and
distillers dried and wet grains. We have entered into an agreement with Commodity Specialist
Company, Inc. located in Minneapolis, Minnesota to market our dried grains with solubles. We
intend to be our own marketer of wet grains, and we have entered into an agreement with Renewable
Products Marketing Group, LLC located in Minneapolis, Minnesota to market our entire ethanol
output.
2
Ethanol Markets
Ethanol has important applications. Primarily, ethanol can be used as 1) a high quality
octane enhancer and an oxygenate capable of reducing air pollution and improving automobile
performance and 2) an alternative to gasoline. We have entered into a marketing contract with
Renewable Products Marketing Group, LLC to market all of our ethanol.
We face certain risks related to marketing our ethanol, please refer
to our disclosures starting on page 23 entitled RISK
FACTORS.
Local Ethanol Markets
Local markets are the easiest to service because of their close proximity. The local market
where we intend to build our plant, however, may be oversold with regional marketers leading to
depressed ethanol prices and is likely unable to purchase and utilize our production capacity.
Therefore, it is likely that the majority of our ethanol will be marketed to regional and national
markets.
Regional Ethanol Markets
Typically, a regional market is one that is outside of the local market, yet within the
neighboring states. Because ethanol use results in less air pollution than regular gasoline,
regional markets typically include large cities that are subject to anti-smog measures in either
carbon monoxide or ozone non-attainment areas, such as Minneapolis/St. Paul. In addition, the
state of Minnesota has required that all gasoline sold in the state be reformulated to include 10%
ethanol, with an increase to 20% by 2013. We expect to reach these regional markets by delivering
ethanol by truck and by rail. Regional pricing tends to follow national pricing less the freight
difference.
Occasionally, we may have opportunities to obtain backhaul rates from local trucking
companies. These are rates that are reduced since the truck is loaded both ways. Normally, the
trucks drive to the refined fuels terminals empty and load gasoline product for delivery. A
backhaul is the opportunity to load the truck with ethanol to return to the terminal.
National Ethanol Markets
According to the Renewable Fuels Association, demand for fuel ethanol in the United States
reached a new high in 2005 of 4.26 billion gallons per year. In its report titled, Ethanol
Industry Outlook 2006, the Renewable Fuels Association stated that they anticipate the demand for
ethanol to remain strong. The passage of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) is
expected to provide the flexibility necessary to expand ethanol blending into higher blends of
ethanol such as E85, E diesel and fuel cell markets. In addition, the recent implementation of a
Renewable Fuels Standard contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was signed into law on
August 8, 2005 is expected to favorably impact the ethanol industry by enhancing both the
production and use of ethanol.
Historically, ethanol sales have also been favorably affected by the Clean Air Act amendments
of 1990, particularly the Federal Oxygen Program which became effective November 1, 1992. The
Federal Oxygen Program required the sale of oxygenated motor fuels during the winter months in
certain major metropolitan areas to reduce carbon monoxide pollution. Ethanol use increased due to
a second Clean Air Act program, the Reformulated Gasoline Program. This program became effective
January 1, 1995, and required the sale of reformulated gasoline in nine major urban areas to reduce
pollutants, including those that contribute to ground level ozone, better known as smog. The two
major oxygenates added to reformulated gasoline pursuant to these programs are MTBE and ethanol,
however, MTBE has contributed to groundwater contamination and has been banned from use by many
states.
Although the Energy Policy Act of 2005 did not impose a national ban of MTBE, its failure to
include liability protection for manufacturers of MTBE is expected to result in refiners and
blenders using ethanol as an oxygenate rather than MTBE to satisfy the reformulated gasoline
oxygenate requirement. While this may create increased demand in the short term, we do not expect
this to have a long term impact on the demand for ethanol as
3
such Act also repeals the Clean Air Acts 2% oxygenate requirement for reformulated gasoline
immediately in California and 270 days after enactment elsewhere.
Ethanol Pricing
The following chart provides a comparison of ethanol and gasoline price per gallon in the
Minneapolis/St. Paul area from 1994 to 2005:
The following table provides monthly prices per gallon of ethanol in the Minneapolis/St. Paul
area.
4
Ethanol
prices tend to correlate with the price of unleaded gasoline, which
tends to rise in the summer and winter.
Historic prices may not be indicative of future prices. On March 23, 2005, the Chicago Board
of Trade (CBOT) launched the CBOT Denatured Fuel Ethanol futures contract. The new contract is
designed to address the growing demand for an effective hedging instrument for domestically
produced ethanol. We expect that our ethanol marketing firm will use the new ethanol futures
contracts to manage ethanol price volatility.
Co-Products
The principal co-product of the ethanol production process is distillers grains, a high
protein, high-energy animal feed supplement primarily marketed to the dairy and beef industry.
Distillers grains contain bypass protein that is superior to other protein supplements such as
cottonseed meal and soybean meal. According to a 1986 study by the University of Nebraska reported
in Nebraska Company Extension Study MP51 Distillers Grains, bypass proteins are more
digestible to the animal, thus generating greater lactation in dairy cows and greater weight gain
in beef cattle. Dry mill ethanol processing creates three forms of distillers grains: distillers
wet grains with solubles (distillers wet grains), distillers modified wet grains with solubles
(distillers modified wet grains) and distillers dry grains. Distillers wet grains are processed
corn mash that contains approximately 70% moisture and have a shelf life of approximately seven
days. Therefore, they can be sold only to farms within the immediate vicinity of an ethanol plant.
Distillers modified wet grains are distillers wet grains that have been dried to approximately 50%
moisture. They have a slightly longer shelf life of approximately three weeks and are often sold
to nearby markets. Distillers dried grains are distillers wet grains that have been dried to 10%
moisture. Distillers dried grains have an almost indefinite shelf life and may be sold and shipped
to any market regardless of its proximity to an ethanol plant. Our plant will be producing
distillers wet grains and distillers dried grains but not modified wet grains.
Based on the ICM plans, our plant is expected to produce approximately 166,500 tons annually
of raw carbon dioxide as another co-product of the ethanol production process. At this time, we do
not intend to capture and market our carbon dioxide gas. We believe the market for carbon dioxide
gas is currently oversupplied and therefore prices are too low to make capturing and marketing
carbon dioxide profitable. If prices increase to a level where we believe it would be profitable
to capture the carbon dioxide, we will consider adding the necessary equipment to do so, however,
we expect that adding this equipment will be expensive and could potentially require us to curtail
or cease operations while it is installed. We do not foresee the carbon dioxide market improving
at any time soon. We do not expect to be subject to any regulations
related to carbon dioxide emissions.
There
are risks, discussed starting on page 23 under the heading
RISK FACTORS, associated with selling our co-products.
Distillers Grains Markets
According to the University of Minnesotas DDGSGeneral Information website (October 12,
2005) approximately 3,200,000 to 3,500,000 tons of distillers grains are produced annually in North
America, approximately 98% of which are produced by ethanol plants. Ethanol plants in South Dakota
and Minnesota produce about 25% of this amount. The amount of distillers grains produced is
expected to increase significantly as the number of ethanol plants increase.
The primary consumers of distillers grains are dairy and beef cattle. In recent years, an
increasing amount of distillers grains have been used in the swine and poultry markets. With the
advancement of research into the feeding rations of poultry and swine, these markets are expected
to continue to grow. The market for distillers grains is generally confined to locations where
freight costs allow it to be competitively priced against other feed ingredients. Distillers
grains competes with three other feed formulations: corn gluten feed, dry brewers grain and mill
feeds. The primary value of these products as animal feed is their protein content. Dry brewers
grain and distillers grains have about the same protein content, and corn gluten feed and mill
feeds have slightly lower protein contents.
As with ethanol, the distillers grains markets are local, regional and national. These
national markets are just emerging, primarily in the southeast and southwest United States where
significant dairy and poultry operations are located. In addition, there is the possibility of
some local marketing. Local markets are very limited and highly competitive for the use of
distillers grains.
Although local markets will be the easiest to service, they may be oversold, which would
depress distillers grains prices. We plan to market 25% of our distillers grains as wet distillers
grains to the local livestock markets surrounding the plant. The distillers dried grains will be
marketed through our marketing contract with Commodity Specialist Company to the regional and
national markets.
5
Dried Distillers Grains Pricing
Historically, the price of dried distillers grains has been relatively steady. Various
factors affect the price of dried distillers grains, including, among others, the price of corn,
soybean meal and other alternative feed products, and the general supply and demand of domestic and
international markets for distillers grains. We believe that unless demand increases, the price of
distillers grains may be subject to future downward pressure as the supply of distillers grains
increases because of increased ethanol production. As demonstrated in the table below, the price
of distillers grains may be subject to downward pressure.
Wet Distillers Grains
Wet distillers grains consist of approximately 70% moisture and 30% dry matter. Because of
the short shelf life, we will have to sell wet distillers grains locally. We hope to develop a
local market once the plant is operating. Because wet distillers grains do not have to be dried,
there will be a significant energy savings to the extent that we can sell wet distillers grains.
Corn Feedstock Supply
Based upon ICM data, we anticipate that our plant will need approximately 18 million bushels
of corn per year for our processing. We have entered into a Grain Origination Agreement with New
Vision Coop to supply all of our corn. The corn supply for our plant will be obtained from
regional markets, including North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Traditionally, corn grown in
these areas has been fed locally to livestock or exported for feeding or processing, but more
recently, the construction of numerous ethanol plants has increased competition for the corn
supply. We are subject to risks, described on page 23 under
RISK FACTORS, associated with obtaining our corn supply. We expect to purchase corn from North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, which had the
following amount of grain corn production according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
6
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2005 Grain Corn
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2004 Grain Corn
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2003 Grain Corn
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2002 Grain Corn
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PROPOSED
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Production
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Production
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Production
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Production
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AREA
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(million bushels)
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(million bushels)
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(million bushels)
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(million bushels)
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North Dakota
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141,250
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120,750
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131,040
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113,430
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South Dakota
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485,850
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539,500
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427,350
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308,750
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Minnesota
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1,162,800
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1,120,950
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970,900
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1,051,900
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We will be dependent on the availability and price of corn. The price at which we will
purchase corn will depend on prevailing market prices. Although we do not anticipate problems
sourcing corn, there is no assurance that a shortage will not develop, particularly if there are
other ethanol plants competing for corn, an extended drought in the area, or other production
problems. In addition, our financial projections assume that we can purchase corn for prices near
the ten-year average for corn at our plant. We believe that the ten-year average price for corn in
the three states we are planning on purchasing our corn from for our plant is $2.08 per bushel.
Corn prices are primarily dependent on world feedstuffs supply and demand and on United States
and global corn crop production, which can be volatile as a result of a number of factors, the most
important of which are weather, current and anticipated stocks and prices, export prices and
supports and the governments current and anticipated agricultural policy. We note that historical
corn pricing information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that the price of corn
has fluctuated significantly in the past and may fluctuate
significantly in the future. The price of corn tends to be higher
during the spring planting season (May and June) and tends to
decrease during the fall harvest season (October and November). Because
the market price of ethanol is not related to corn prices, ethanol producers are generally not able
to compensate for increases in the cost of grain feedstock through adjustments in prices charged
for their ethanol. We, therefore, anticipate that our plants profitability will be negatively
impacted during periods of high corn prices.
Grain Origination and Risk Management
As part of our Grain Origination Agreement, New Vision Coop will assist us in arranging the
consistent scheduling of corn deliveries and to establish and fill forward contracts through grain
elevators and producers. In addition, we have engaged John Stewart and Associates to provide Risk
Managed Services for us. Together they will utilize forward contracting and hedging strategies,
including certain derivative instruments such as futures and option contracts, to manage our
commodity risk exposure and optimize finished product pricing on our behalf. We anticipate that
most of our grain will be acquired in this manner. Forward contracts allow us to purchase corn for
future delivery at fixed prices without using the futures market. The corn futures market allows
us to trade in standard units of corn for delivery at specific times in the future. Option
contracts consist of call options (options to purchase a fixed amount of a commodity) and put
options (options to sell a fixed amount of a commodity). We expect to use a combination of these
derivative instruments in our hedging strategies to help guard against corn price volatility.
Hedging means protecting the price at which we buy corn and the price at which we will sell our
products in the future. It is a way to attempt to reduce the risk caused by price fluctuation.
The effectiveness of such hedging activities will depend on, among other things, the cost of corn
and our ability to sell enough ethanol and distillers grains to use all of the corn subject to
futures and option contracts we have purchased as part of our hedging strategy. Although we will
attempt to link hedging activities to sales plans and pricing activities, such hedging activities
themselves can result in costs because price movements in corn contracts are highly volatile and
are influenced by many factors that are beyond our control. We may incur such costs and they may
be significant.
Our
ethanol and co-products will be marketed to a wide array of customers
in various geographic areas. As a result, we will not be dependent
upon a single or few customers or even a limited geographic area to
sell our ethanol and co-products.
Project Location and Proximity to Markets
We started construction on our plant on October 18, 2005 and anticipate it will be completed
by November 2006. Our plant will be owned by us and located in Richardton, North Dakota.
While we have obtained all required permits for construction of the plant, there can be no
assurance that we will not encounter environmental hazardous conditions such as groundwater or
other subsurface contamination as we continue construction at the plant site. The presence of an
environmental hazardous condition will likely delay construction of the ethanol plant and may
require significant expenditure of our resources to correct the condition. In addition, our
contractor may be entitled to an adjustment in price if it has been adversely affected by the
environmental hazardous condition. If we encounter any environmental hazardous conditions during
construction
7
that require time or money to correct, such event may have a material adverse effect on our
operations, cash flows and financial performance.
Transportation and Delivery
Our plant will have the facilities to receive grain by truck and rail and to load ethanol and
distillers grains onto trucks and rail cars. We purchased land from the Burlington Northern and
Santa Fe Railway Company for $15,650 for construction, location and maintenance of trackage and
have a contract with R&R Contracting, Inc. for construction of track.
Utilities
Electricity
The production of ethanol is a very energy intensive process that uses significant amounts of
electricity. We have entered into a contract with West Plains Electric Cooperative, Inc. to
provide our needed electrical energy. Despite this contract, there can be no assurance that they
will be able to reliably supply the electricity that we need.
If there is an interruption in the supply of energy for any reason, such as supply, delivery
or mechanical problems, we may be required to halt production. If production is halted for an
extended period of time, it may have a material adverse affect on our operations, cash flows and
financial performance.
Coal
Based on ICM data, we expect that our plant will consume approximately 133,000 tons of lignite
coal per year (375 tons of lignite coal per operating day) for which we have a ten-year contract
with General Industries, Inc. d/b/a Center Coal Company. This contract provides that we can
purchase and have delivered to our plant approximately 133,000 tons of lignite coal annually, or
375 tons per operating day. The price for the lignite coal is established by the contract and
escalates annually through 2014 from $17.45 per ton in 2007 to $18.00 per ton in 2014, subject to
adjustment based on delivery costs incurred by Center Coal Company to deliver the coal to our
plant.
Despite this contract, there can be no assurance that the coal we need will always be
delivered as we need it. Any disruption could either force us to reduce our operations or shut
down the plant, both of which would reduce our revenues. At least four other sources of lignite
coal exist in the western portion of North Dakota and the total lignite coal production within
North Dakota in 2003 was 30,750,000 tons and 29,943,000 tons in 2004, according to the U.S. Energy
Information Administration. Our needs constitute less than half of one percent of the total state
production. We believe we could obtain alternative sources of coal if necessary, though we could
suffer delays in delivery and higher prices that could hurt our business and reduce our revenues
and profits. If there is an interruption in the supply of coal for any reason, such as supply or
delivery, we may be required to halt production. If production is halted for an extended period of
time, it may have a material adverse affect on our operations, cash flows and financial performance
and profits.
If there is an interruption in the supply of coal for any reason, such as supply or delivery
problems, we may be required to halt production. If production is halted for an extended period of
time, it may have a material adverse affect on our operations, cash flows and financial
performance.
In addition to lignite coal, we could use natural gas as a fuel source if our coal supply is
significantly interrupted. There is a natural gas line within 3 miles of our plant and we believe
we could contract for the delivery of enough natural gas to operate our plant. Natural gas tends
to be significantly more expensive than coal and we would also incur significant costs to adapt our
power systems to natural gas. Because we have already obtained our coal-related permits, we do not
expect to need natural gas.
Water
Water supply is also an important consideration. To meet the plants full operating
requirements for water, we have entered into a ten-year contract with Southwest Water Authority to
purchase raw water. Under the contract we are required to purchase a minimum of 200 million
gallons per year. Prior to connection, we are required to
8
deposit with the Authority a prepayment of $80,000. After 3 years, if we have a consistent
payment record, we may be allowed to apply $40,000 of the $80,000 to our water bill. The other
$40,000 must remain in escrow until the end of the contract. Our cost for water under the contract
is based on our proportionate share of the Authoritys operation, maintenance and replacement
costs, excluding the cost of treatment, plus capital costs. The base rate for capital costs is
$.72 per each 1,000 gallons of water. This base rate is subject to increase or decrease based on
consumer price index changes. If there is an interruption in the supply of water for any reason,
such as supply, delivery or mechanical problems, we may be required to halt production. If
production is halted for an extended period of time, our revenues and profits will be reduced and it may have a material adverse
affect on our operations, cash flows and financial performance.
Much of the water used in an ethanol plant is recycled back into the process. There are,
however, certain areas of production where fresh water is needed. Those areas include boiler
makeup water and cooling tower makeup water. Boiler makeup water is treated on-site to minimize
all elements that will harm the boiler and recycled water cannot be used for this process. Cooling
tower water is deemed non-contact water because it does not come in contact with the mash and,
therefore, can be regenerated back into the cooling tower process. The makeup water requirements
for the cooling tower are primarily a result of evaporation. We expect that much of the water can
be recycled back into the process, which will minimize the discharge water. This will have the
long-term effect of lowering wastewater treatment costs.
Obtaining
our utilities on time and at a satisfactory price involves certain
risks, set forth beginning on page 23 RISK FACTORS.
Employees
We presently have 2 full-time employees, both of whom are administrative assistants working
with our General Manager, Mick Miller, who is contracted to work with us by GreenWay Consulting,
LLC (Greenway). After completion of the plant construction and commencement of operations, we
intend to hire approximately 40 full-time employees plus a Plant Manager under contract from
GreenWay. Our current plan is that 8 of our employees will be involved primarily in management and
administration and the remainder will be involved primarily in plant operations. We expect that
our costs for the first year of operations for employees will be approximately $1,500,000 plus
$85,000 for a plant manager and $130,000 for a general manager.
The following table represents some of the anticipated positions within the plant and the
minimum number of individuals we expect will be full-time personnel:
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# Full-Time
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Position
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Personnel
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General Manager
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1
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Plant Manager
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1
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Commodities Manager
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1
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Controller
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1
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Lab Manager
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1
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Lab Technician
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1
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Secretary/Clerical
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2
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Shift Supervisors
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4
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Material Handlers
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3
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Maintenance Supervisor
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1
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Maintenance Craftsmen
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4
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Plant Operators
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17
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Safety
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1
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Operations Supervisor
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1
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Instrumentation
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1
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
40
|
|
9
The positions, titles, job responsibilities and number allocated to each position may differ
when we begin to employ individuals for each position. We may be required to hire additional
personnel in one, if not more, positions. These additional personnel may be required to possess
more education or skills that we currently estimate we need.
We intend to enter into written confidentiality and assignment agreements with our executive
officers and employees. Among other things, these agreements will require such executive officers
and employees to keep all proprietary information developed or used by us in the course of our
business strictly confidential.
Our success will depend in part on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel at a
competitive wage and benefit level. We must hire qualified managers, accounting and other
personnel. We operate in a rural area with low unemployment. There is no assurance that we will
be successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel at a wage and benefit structure at or
below those we have assumed in our project. If we are unsuccessful in this regard, we may not be
competitive with other ethanol plants which could increase our operating costs and decrease our
revenues and profits.
Sales and Marketing
We have entered into marketing contracts to market all of our ethanol and distillers dry
grains with solubles. We intend to sell and market the wet distillers grains produced at the plant
ourselves to local feed lots. We expect that most, if not all, of our ethanol and distillers dry
grains with solubles will be sold through normal and established regional and national markets. We
do not plan to hire or establish a sales organization to market these products. Consequently, we
will be extremely dependent on the entities we have engaged to market
each of our products. Please refer to the "RISK FACTORS" section on
page 23 for more details of these sales.
Strategic Partners
Contract with Fagen, Inc.
We have executed a Lump-Sum Design-Build Contract with Fagen, Inc. for design and construction
services. We are also relying upon ICM Inc., for our process engineering services. ICM Inc., is
being paid as part of the Fagen Lump-Sum Design-Build Contract. We expect to pay Fagen
approximately $76,000,000 in exchange for the following services:
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Providing a preliminary design and construction schedule and a
guaranteed maximum price for the design and construction of the plant;
and
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Designing and building the plant.
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Significant Consultants
GreenWay Consulting, LLC
We have entered into agreements with GreenWay Consulting, LLC (GreenWay) to manage our
start-up and construction, as well as to provide management services once our plant is operational.
We negotiated this agreement with GreenWay when neither GreenWay nor
any affiliate of GreenWay held any interest in or position with Red
Trail Energy. Gerald Bachmeier, the chief manager of GreenWay, is also
a partner in Bachmeier Farms, which currently is a holder of 6.49% of our
outstanding units. Pursuant to the Development Services Agreement dated December 17, 2003, GreenWay manages our
project development, plant construction and initial plant operations through startup, for a total
price of $3,050,000. Pursuant to the Management Agreement dated December 17, 2003, upon
commencement of operation of the plant, GreenWay will provide us with operations management,
including a general manager and a plant manager, at our plant for $200,000 per year, plus
reimbursement of these managers salaries and benefits, expected to exceed $100,000 per year. In
addition, we are obligated to pay GreenWay 4% of our pre-tax income, once the plant is in compliance with the engineers
performance standard, except for the reimbursement of the salary and
benefits of the General Manager and Plant Manager, which will begin
in June 2006. There is a five-year term for
the Management Agreement.
Our
general manager, Mick Miller, manages our day-to-day operations and
is an employee of GreenWay.
Construction and Timetable for Completion of the Project
We estimate that the plant will be completed and ready for operations in November 2006. We
are extremely dependent on Fagen, Inc., our design-build contractor for the successful and timely
completion of our plant. If Fagen fails or refuses to perform under its contract with us, our
plant may not be completed when projected and the commencement of our operations could be
substantially delayed. Prior to November 2006, we expect preliminary testing, training of
personnel and start-up of operations at our plant to occur. This schedule also assumes that bad
weather, and other factors beyond our control, do not upset our timetable as there is no additional
10
time built into our construction schedule for unplanned contingencies. There can be no assurance
that the timetable that we have set will be followed and factors or events beyond our control could
hamper our efforts to complete the project in a timely fashion.
Regulatory
Permits
We will be subject to extensive air, water and other environmental regulations and have
obtained a number of environmental permits to construct and operate the plant. We have engaged
Natural Resource Group, Inc., to coordinate and assist us with obtaining certain environmental
permits and to advise us on general environmental compliance. There is no written agreement in
place with Natural Resource Group, Inc. Thus far we have incurred costs of $239,000 for regulatory
permits preparation, site investigations and applications and expect to incur additional costs of
at least $50,000 through the completion of the plant start-up.
We obtained a Building and Use Permit, North Dakota Drive Permit, Electrical Wiring
Certificate, North Dakota Air Pollution Control Permit and Authorization to Discharge Under the
North Dakota Pollutant Discharge Elimination System prior to starting construction. Additional
permits will be required shortly before or shortly after we can begin to operate the plant. If for
any reason any of these additional permits are not granted, construction costs for the plant may
increase, the construction might be delayed or forced to cease all together or we may be unable to
commence operations at the plant as expected without significant design changes. In addition to
the state requirements, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could impose conditions or
other restrictions in the permits that are detrimental to us or which increase permit requirements
or the testing protocols and methods necessary to obtain a permit either before, during or after
the permitting process. North Dakota and the EPA could also modify the requirements for obtaining
a permit. Any such event would likely delay our operations and reduce our revenues.
Even if we receive all required permits from North Dakota, we may also be subject to
regulatory oversight from the EPA. Currently, the EPAs statutes and rules do not require us to
obtain separate EPA approval in connection with the construction and operation of the plant. North
Dakota is authorized to enforce the EPAs federal emissions program. However, the EPA does retain
authority to take action if it decides that the state is not correctly enforcing its emissions
program. Additionally, environmental laws and regulations, both at the federal and state level,
are subject to change, and changes can be made retroactively. Consequently, even if we have the
proper permits at the present time, we may be required to invest or spend considerable resources to
comply with future environmental regulations or new or modified interpretations of those
regulations to the detriment of our financial performance and cash
flows. Please refer to page 23, RISK FACTORS, for more information.
The following is a list of the material permits we may be required to obtain:
Federal Permits
Clean Air Act
* Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Construction Permits
* Applicable Federal New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
* Applicable National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS)
* Title V Operating Permit of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
* Risk Management Plan
Clean Water Act
* National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
* Oil Pollution Prevention and Spill Control Countermeasures
Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act & Community Right to Know Act
(CERCLA/EPCRA)
* Tier II Forms * listing of potentially hazardous chemicals stored on-site
* EPCRA Sections 313 and 304 and CERCLA Section 103. These
reports track use and release of
regulated substances above threshold and/or designated quantities annually
11
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (ATF)
* Alcohol Fuel Permit (AFP)
State Permits
* Air Quality Permits
* Storage Tank Permits
* Water Quality Permits
* State Liquor License
* State Department of Motor Fuels
* State Department of Transportation
Highway Access Permit
Possible Easement Rights
* State Department of Health
* State Department of Public Service
Boiler License
* State Department of Natural Resources
Water appropriation permits
Other waters and wetland considerations
Major PSD Permit for Air Emissions
Our estimates indicate that our facility will be considered a major source of regulated air
pollutants. The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new regulations that would lower the
emissions standards for fuel ethanol plants. These new regulations, if enacted, may permit our
facility to be classified as a minor source of regulated air pollutants. There are a number of
emission sources that require permitting. These sources include the coal furnace, boiler, ethanol
process equipment, storage tanks, scrubbers and baghouses. The types of regulated pollutants that
are expected to be emitted from our plant include SO2, PM10, CO, NOx and VOCs. The activities and
emissions mean that we are expected to obtain a major construction permit for the facility
emissions. Because of regulatory requirements, we anticipate that we will agree to limit
production levels to a certain amount to fix potential emissions, which may be higher than the
production levels described in this document (currently projected at 50 million gallons per year at
the nominal rate with the permit at a higher rate of 68.5 MMgal/year) in order to project
compliance with air dispersion modeling and Best Available Control Technology (BACT) limits for a
major source air permit facility. These production limitations will be a part of the major
construction permit. If we exceed these production limitations, we could be subjected to very
expensive fines, penalties, injunctive relief and civil or criminal law enforcement actions.
Exceeding these production limitations could also require us to pursue modification to a major
source air permit. There is also a risk that pursuant to further analysis prior to commencement of
operations, a change in design assumptions or a change in the interpretation of regulations may
require us to file for a modified air permit. If we must obtain a modified air permit, then we
will experience significantly increased expenses and a significant delay in obtaining a
subsequently sought Title V air permit. There is also a risk that North Dakota might reject a
Title V air permit application and request additional information, further delaying startup and
increasing expenses. There is also a risk that the area in which the plant is situated may later
be determined to be a nonattainment area for a particular pollutant. In this event, the threshold
standards that require a Title V permit may be changed, thus requiring us to file for and obtain a
modified Title V air permit. The cost of complying and documenting compliance should a modified
Title V air permit be required is also higher. It is also possible that in order to comply with
applicable air regulations or to avoid having to obtain a Title V permit, we would have to install
additional air pollution control equipment such as additional or different scrubbers.
Air Pollution Standard
There are a number of standards which may affect the construction and operation of the plant
going forward. The Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) regulation creates more
stringent and complicated permit review procedures for construction permits. It is possible, but
not expected, that the plant may exceed applicable PSD levels for NOx, CO, and VOCs. If the plant
exceeds applicable PSD levels for NOx, CO and VOCs, then the plant would be required to install
more expensive pollution control equipment in order to reach the
12
mandatory maximum levels for NOx, CO and VOCs. The purchase and installation of such equipment
would increase costs.
Waste Water Discharge Permit
This plant will be a zero-discharge facility. We expect that we will use water to cool our
closed circuit systems in the plant. In order to maintain a high quality of water for the cooling
system, the water will be continuously replaced with make-up water. As a result, this plant will
discharge clean, non-contact cooling water from boilers and the cooling towers. We intend to use a
receiving stream to discharge the cooling water from our plant. A North Dakota Pollution Discharge
Elimination System Permit (NDPES) was obtained prior to commencement of construction of the plant.
We have also entered into an agreement with Assumption Abbey which is located to the north of the
plant regarding the discharge of our cooling water into a receiving stream that feeds into a lake
on the Monasterys property.
New Source Performance Standards
The plant will be subject to new source performance standards for both the plants
distillation processes and the storage of volatile organic compounds used in the denaturing
process. These duties include initial notification, emissions limits, compliance, monitoring
requirements and record keeping requirements.
Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures Plan
Before we can begin operations, we must prepare and implement a Spill Prevention Control and
Countermeasure (SPCC) plan in accordance with the guidelines contained in 40 CFR § 112. This
plan will address oil pollution prevention regulations and must be reviewed and certified by a
professional engineer. The SPCC must be reviewed and updated every three years.
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau Requirements
Before we can begin operations, we must comply with applicable Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and
Trade Bureau (formerly the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) regulations. These regulations
require that we first make application for and obtain an alcohol fuel producers permit. The
application must include information identifying the principal persons involved in our venture and
a statement as to whether any of them have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor under
federal or state law. The term of the permit is indefinite until terminated, revoked or suspended.
The permit also requires that we maintain certain security measures. We must also secure an
operations bond pursuant to 27 CFR § 19.957. There are other taxation requirements related to
special occupational tax and a special stamp tax.
Risk Management Plan
Once the plant is in production, we may use anhydrous ammonia. Pursuant to § 112I(7) of the
Clean Air Act, stationary sources with processes that contain more than a threshold quantity of a
regulated substance are required to prepare and implement a Risk Management Plan. If we use
anhydrous ammonia, we must establish a plan to prevent spills or leaks of the ammonia and an
emergency response program in the event of spills, leaks, explosions or other events that may lead
to the release of the ammonia into the surrounding area. The same requirement may also be true for
denaturant. This determination will be made as soon as the exact chemical makeup of the denaturant
is obtained. We will need to conduct a hazardous assessment and prepare models to assess the
impact of an ammonia and/or denaturant release into the surrounding area. The program will be
presented at one or more public meetings. However, if we use a different ammonia, such as aqueous
ammonia, the risk management program will only be needed for the denaturant. In addition, it is
likely that we will have to comply with the prevention requirements under OSHAs Process Safety
Management Standard. These requirements are similar to the Risk Management Plan requirements. The
Risk Management Plan will be filed before our plant is operational.
Environmental Protection Agency
Even if we receive all state required environmental permits for construction and operation of
the plant, we will also be subject to oversight activities by the EPA. There is always a risk that
the EPA may enforce certain rules
13
and regulations differently than the states environmental administrators. State or EPA rules and
regulations are subject to change, and any such changes may result in greater regulatory burdens.
Nuisance
Ethanol production has been known to produce an odor to which surrounding residents could
object. Ethanol production may also increase dust in the area due to operations and the
transportation of coal and grain to the plant and ethanol and distillers dried and wet grains from
the plant. Such activities may subject us to nuisance, trespass or similar claims by employees or
property owners or residents in the vicinity of the plant. To help minimize the risk of nuisance
claims based on odors related to the production of ethanol and its co-products, we intend to
install a thermal oxidizer in the plant.
We are not currently involved in any litigation involving nuisance or any other claims, nor
are we aware of any such claims that have not yet reached litigation or have been threatened
against us.
Description of Dry Mill Process
Our plant will produce ethanol by processing corn. The corn will be received by rail and by
truck, then weighed and unloaded in a receiving building. It will then be transported to storage
bins. Thereafter, it will be converted to a scalper to remove rocks and debris before it is
transported to a hammermill, or grinder, where it is ground into a flour and conveyed into a slurry
tank for enzymatic processing. Then, water, heat and enzymes are added to break the ground grain
into a fine slurry. The slurry will be heated for sterilization and pumped to a liquefaction tank
where additional enzymes are added. Next, the grain slurry is pumped into fermenters, where yeast
is added, to begin a batch fermentation process. A vacuum distillation system will divide the
alcohol from the grain mash. Alcohol is then transported through a rectifier column, a side
stripper and a molecular sieve system where it is dehydrated. The 200 proof alcohol is then pumped
to tank farm shift tanks and blended with approximately five percent denaturant, usually gasoline,
as it is pumped into storage tanks. The 200 proof alcohol and approximately five percent
denaturant constitute ethanol.
Corn mash from the distillation stripper is pumped into one of several decanter-type
centrifuges for dewatering. The water (thin stillage) is then pumped from the centrifuges to an
evaporator where it is evaporated into thick syrup. The solids that exit the centrifuge or
evaporators (the wet cake) are conveyed to the distillers dried grains dryer system or to flat
storage to be sold as wet distillers grains with solubles. Syrup is added to the wet cake as it
enters the dryer, where moisture is removed. The process will produce distillers grains, which is
processed corn mash that can be used as animal feed.
The following chart illustrates the dry mill process:
The Ethanol Production Process (Dry-Mill)
Source: Renewable Fuels Association (RFA)
1. In the dry-mill ethanol process, the corn kernels are first ground into a flour, or
meal, and mixed with water in cookers to form a slurry, called mash.
14
2. In the cooking system, the action of heat liquefies the starch in the corn, and enzymes
are added to break down the starch to fermentable sugars.
3. The cooked mash is then cooled and pumped to the fermenters where yeast is added. The
action of the yeast converts the sugars in the mash into ethanol.
4. The fermented mash is pumped to the distillation system where the ethanol is separated
from the non-fermentable solids (the stillage) and water is removed to concentrate the ethanol to a
strength of 190-proof (95% ethanol).
5. The ethanol is further concentrated in a molecular sieve dehydrator to a strength of
200-proof (99+% ethanol), to produce fuel-grade ethanol which is then denatured (rendered unfit for
human consumption) with gasoline and transferred to storage tanks.
6. The stillage from the distillation system is sent through a centrifuge that separates
the coarse grain from the solubles. The solubles are then concentrated in an evaporator system.
The resulting material, condensed distillers solubles or syrup, is mixed with the coarse grain
from the centrifuge and then dried to produce dried distillers grains with solubles, a high
quality, and nutritious livestock feed. Some of the distillers grains may bypass the final drying
stage and be sold as wet distillers grains with solubles.
Thermal Oxidation
Ethanol plants such as ours may produce odors in the production of ethanol and its primary
co-product, distillers dried grains with solubles and distillers wet grains, which some people may
find unpleasant. We intend to eliminate odors by routing dryer emissions through a thermal
oxidizer. Based upon materials and information from ICM Inc., we expect thermal oxidation to
significantly reduce any unpleasant odors caused by the ethanol and distillers grains manufacturing
process. We expect thermal oxidation, which burns emissions, will eliminate a significant amount
of the volatile organic carbon compounds in emissions that cause odor
in the drying process and allow us to meet the applicable permitting requirements. We also expect this addition to the
ethanol plant to reduce the risk of possible nuisance claims and any related negative public
reaction against us.
General Ethanol Demand and Supply
Ethanol is ethyl alcohol, a fuel component made primarily from corn and various other grains,
and can be used as: (i) an octane enhancer in fuels; (ii) an oxygenated fuel additive for the
purpose of reducing ozone and carbon monoxide vehicle emissions; and (iii) a nonpetroleum-based
gasoline substitute. Approximately 95% of all ethanol is used in its primary form for blending
with unleaded gasoline and other fuel products. The implementation of the Federal Clean Air Act
has made ethanol fuels an important domestic renewable fuel additive. Used as a fuel oxygenate,
ethanol provides a means to control carbon monoxide emissions in large metropolitan areas. The
principal purchasers of ethanol are generally the wholesale gasoline marketer or blender.
Oxygenated gasoline is commonly referred to as reformulated gasoline.
According to the Renewable Fuels Association, the annual demand for fuel ethanol in the United
States reached a new high in 2005 of 4.26 billion gallons per year. In its report titled, Ethanol
Industry Outlook 2006, the Renewable Fuels Association stated that they anticipate the demand for
ethanol to remain strong. The passage of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) is
expected to provide the flexibility necessary to expand ethanol blending into higher blends of
ethanol such as E85, E diesel and fuel cell markets. In addition, the recent implementation of a
Renewable Fuels Standard contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was signed into law on
August 8, 2005, is expected to favorably impact the ethanol industry by enhancing both the
production and use of ethanol.
The provision of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 most likely to have the greatest impact on the
ethanol industry is the creation of a 7.5 billion gallon Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The RFS
will begin at 4 billion gallons in 2006, increasing to 7.5 billion gallons by 2012. The RFS is a
national flexible program that does not require that any renewable fuels be used in any particular
area or state, allowing refiners to use renewable fuel blends in those areas where it is most
cost-effective. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, RFS is expected to lead to about $6
billion in new investments in ethanol plants across the country. An increase in the number of new
plants will bring an increase in the supply of ethanol. Thus, while RFS may cause ethanol prices
to increase in the short term due to additional demand, future supply could exceed the demand for
ethanol. This would have a negative impact on our earnings. Alternatively, since the RFS begins
at 4 billion gallons in 2006 and national production is expected to exceed this amount, there could
be an oversupply until the RFS requirements exceed national production. This would have an
immediate adverse affect on our earnings. We face significant risks
related to the demand and supply of ethanol, as more fully detailed
in our RISK FACTORS section beginning on page 23.
On December 28, 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released interim rules
governing the implementation of the 2006 RFS requirement. The EPAs interim rule imposes a
collective compliance approach, which means the requirement for 2006 fuel use is determined in the
aggregate rather than on a refiner-by-refiner basis. The EPA adopted this approach for 2006
because current uncertainties regarding the RFS might result in unnecessarily high costs of
compliance if each party was required to independently comply. Although there is not a requirement
for individual parties to demonstrate compliance in 2006, the EPA found that increases in ethanol
production and projections for future demand indicate that the 2006 volume is likely to be met.
However, in the unlikely event that the RFS is not met in 2006, the EPA expects to adjust the
volume requirement in 2007 to cover the deficit. There are no other consequences for failure to
collectively meet the 2006 standard. The EPA expects to promulgate more comprehensive regulations
by August 8, 2006, but the interim rules and collective compliance approach are expected to apply
for the entire 2006 calendar year. In 2007 and subsequent years, the EPA expects to
15
specifically identify liable parties, determine the applicable RFS, and develop a credit trading
program. Further, the standards for compliance, record-keeping and reporting are expected to be
clarified.
The following shows the RFS created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005:
Source: American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE)
According to the Renewable Fuels Association, the supply of domestically produced ethanol is
at an all-time high. The RFA stated that in 2005, 95 ethanol plants located in 19 states annually
produce a record 4.26 billion gallons, a 20% increase from 2004 and 62% increase from 2000. As of
May 2006, there were 97 ethanol plants with an initial capacity of nearly 4.5 billion gallons and
35 new plants and 9 major expansions were under construction, representing an additional 2.2
billion gallons of production capacity within the next 18 months.
Ethanol supply is also affected by ethanol produced or processed in certain countries in South
and Central America and the Caribbean region United States demand for imported ethanol has risen
recently due to supply issues in certain parts of the United States as MTBE usage is being reduced
and replaced with ethanol. A portion of the ethanol produced in these countries is eligible for
tariff reduction or elimination upon importation to the United States under a program known as the
Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). Large ethanol producers, such as Cargill, have expressed
interest in building dehydration plants in participating Caribbean Basin countries, such as Costa
Rica, Jamaica and El Salvador, which would convert ethanol into fuel-grade ethanol for shipment to
the United States. Ethanol imported from Caribbean Basin countries may be a less expensive
alternative to domestically produced ethanol. According to the United States International Trade
Commission, the 2005 CBI import quota was 240.4 million gallons of ethanol and the 2006 CBI import
quota is 268.1 million gallons of ethanol. Legislation has been introduced in the Senate that
would limit the transshipment of ethanol through the CBI. However, there is no assurance or
guarantee that such legislation will be introduced or that it will be successfully passed.
Federal Ethanol Supports
Historically, ethanol sales have also been favorably affected by the Clean Air Act amendments
of 1990, particularly the Federal Oxygen Program which became effective November 1, 1992. The
Federal Oxygen Program requires the sale of oxygenated motor fuels during the winter months in
certain major metropolitan areas to reduce carbon monoxide pollution. Ethanol use has increased
due to a second Clean Air Act program, the Reformulated Gasoline Program. This program became
effective January 1, 1995, and requires the sale of reformulated gasoline in nine major urban areas
to reduce pollutants, including those that contribute to ground level ozone, better known as smog.
The two major oxygenates added to reformulated gasoline pursuant to these programs are methyl
tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and ethanol. However, MTBE has contributed to groundwater
contamination and has been banned from use by many states. Although the Energy Policy Act of 2005
did not impose a national ban of MTBE, its failure to include liability protection for
manufacturers of MTBE is expected to result in refiners and blenders using ethanol as an oxygenate
rather than MTBE to satisfy the reformulated gasoline oxygenate requirement. While this may create
increased demand in the short term, we do not expect this to have a long term impact on the demand
for ethanol as such Act repeals the Clean Air Acts 2% oxygenate requirement for reformulated
gasoline immediately in California and 270 days after enactment elsewhere.
The governments regulation of the environment changes constantly. It is possible that more
stringent federal or state environmental rules or regulations could be adopted, which could
increase our operating costs and
16
expenses. It is also possible that federal or state environmental rules or regulations could be
adopted that could have an adverse affect on the use of ethanol. For example, changes in the
environmental regulations regarding ethanols use due to currently unknown effects on the
environment could have an adverse affect on the ethanol industry. Furthermore, plant operations
likely will be governed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA
regulations may change such that the costs of the operation of the plant may increase. Any of
these regulatory factors may result in higher costs or other materially adverse conditions
affecting our operations, cash flows and financial performance.
The use of ethanol as an alternative fuel source has been aided by federal tax policy. On
October 22, 2004, President Bush signed H.R. 4520, which contained the Volumetric Ethanol Excise
Tax Credit (VEETC) and amended the federal excise tax structure effective as of January 1, 2005.
Prior to VEETC, ethanol-blended fuel was taxed at a lower rate than regular gasoline (13.2 cents on
a 10% blend). Under VEETC, the ethanol excise tax exemption has been eliminated, thereby allowing
the full federal excise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon to be collected on all reformulated gasoline
and allocated to the highway trust fund. This is expected to add approximately $1.4 billion to the
highway trust fund revenue annually. In place of the exemption, the bill creates a new volumetric
ethanol excise tax credit of 5.1 cents per gallon of gasoline blended with 10% ethanol. Refiners
and gasoline blenders apply for this credit on the same tax form as before, only it is a credit
from general revenue, not the highway trust fund. Based on volume, the VEETC is expected to allow
much greater refinery flexibility in blending ethanol since it makes the tax credit available on
all ethanol blended with all gasoline, diesel and ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE), including
ethanol in E-85 and the E-20 in Minnesota. The VEETC is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 expands who qualifies for the small ethanol producer tax credit.
Historically, small ethanol producers were allowed a 10-cents per-gallon production income tax
credit on up to 15 million gallons of production annually. The size of the plant eligible for the
tax credit was limited to 30 million gallons. Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the size
limitation on the production capacity for small ethanol producers increases from 30 million to 60
million gallons. Because we expect our production to be less than the production limits of 60
million gallons a year, we expect to be eligible for the credit.
In addition, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 creates a new tax credit that permits taxpayers to
claim a 30% credit (up to $30,000) for the cost of installing clean-fuel vehicle refueling
equipment, such as an E85 fuel pump, to be used in a trade or business of the taxpayer or installed
at the principal residence of the taxpayer. Under the provision, clean fuels are any fuel of at
least 85% of the volume of which consists of ethanol, natural gas, compressed natural gas,
liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and hydrogen and any mixture of diesel fuel and
biodiesel containing at least 20% biodiesel. The provision is effective for equipment placed in
service after December 31, 2005 and before January 1, 2010. While it is unclear how this credit
will affect the demand for ethanol in the short term, we expect it will help raise consumer
awareness of alternative sources of fuel and could positively impact future demand for ethanol.
The ethanol industry and our business depend upon continuation of the federal ethanol supports
discussed above. These incentives have supported a market for ethanol that might disappear without
the incentives. Alternatively, the incentives may be continued at lower levels than currently
exist. The elimination or reduction of such federal ethanol supports would make it more costly for
us to sell our ethanol and would likely reduce our net income.
North Dakota Ethanol Supports
Fuel Tax Incentive Program
We
have received written assurance from the North Dakota Department of
Commerce that our plant will qualify for North Dakotas fuel tax
fund incentive program once ethanol production begins. Ethanol plants
constructed after July 31, 2003 are eligible for incentives. Under the program, each fiscal
quarter eligible ethanol plants may receive a production incentive based on the average North
Dakota price per bushel of corn received by farmers during the quarter, as established by the North
Dakota agricultural statistics service, and the average North Dakota rack price per gallon of
ethanol during the quarter, as compiled by AXXIS Petroleum. Because we cannot predict the future
prices of corn and ethanol, we cannot predict whether we will receive any funds in the future. The
incentive received is calculated by using the sum arrived at for the corn price average and for the
ethanol price averages as calculated in number 1 and number 2 below:
17
1
. Corn Price:
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a.
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For every cent that the average quarterly price per bushel
of corn exceeds $1.80, the state shall add to the amounts
payable under the program $.001 multiplied by the number of
gallons of ethanol produced by the facility during the
quarter.
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b.
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If the average quarterly price per bushel of corn is
exactly $1.80, the state shall not add anything to the
amount payable under the program.
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c.
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For every cent that the average quarterly price per bushel
of corn is below $1.80, the state shall subtract from the
amounts payable under the program $.001 multiplied by the
number of gallons of ethanol produced by the facility
during the quarter.
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2.
Ethanol Price:
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a.
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For every cent that the average quarterly rack price per
gallon of ethanol is above $1.30, the state shall subtract
from the amounts payable under the program $.002 multiplied
by the number of gallons of ethanol produced by the
facility during the quarter.
|
|
|
b.
|
|
If the average quarterly price per gallon of ethanol is
exactly $1.30, the state shall not add anything to the
amount payable under the program.
|
|
|
c.
|
|
For every cent that the average quarterly rack price per
gallon of ethanol is below $1.30, the state shall add to
the amounts payable under the program $.002 multiplied by
the number of gallons of ethanol produced by the facility
during the quarter.
|
Under the program, no facility may receive payments in excess of $10 million. If corn prices
are low compared to historical averages and ethanol prices are high compared to historical
averages, we will receive little or no funds from this program.
Tax Credit For Investors
In
addition, we believe our investors are eligible for a tax credit against North Dakota state income
tax liability. On May 3, 2004, we were approved for the North Dakota
Seed Capital Investment Tax Credit. In 2005, North Dakota revised its
tax incentive programs and adopted the Agricultural Commodity
Processing Facility Investment Tax Credit. We were grandfathered
into the new program and do not need to meet the new conditions to
qualify for the tax credit. The amount of credit for which a taxpayer may be eligible is 30% of the amount
invested by the taxpayer in a qualified business during the taxable year.
The maximum annual credit a taxpayer may receive is $50,000 and no taxpayer may obtain more
than $250,000 in credits over any combination of taxable years. In addition, a taxpayer may claim
no more than 50% of the credit in a single year and the amount of the credit allowed for any
taxable year may not exceed 50% of the tax liability, as otherwise determined. Credits may carry
forward for up to five years after the taxable year in which the investment was made.
Our Primary Competition
We will be in direct competition with numerous other ethanol producers, many of whom have
greater resources than we do. We also expect that additional ethanol producers will enter the
market if the demand for
18
ethanol continues to increase. Our plant will compete with other ethanol
producers on the basis of cost and price. Ethanol is a commodity product, like corn, which means
our ethanol plant competes with other ethanol producers on the basis of price and, to a lesser
extent, delivery service. We believe we will be able to compete favorably with other ethanol
producers due to the cost of coal relative to natural gas. Currently
only one other North Dakota ethanol plant uses coal. We expect there
will be three total sometime current in 2007. There are currently two
coal-fired ethanol plants in all of Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and
Wisconsin, only 4% (3 of 69) of our competitors in these five
states use coal instead of natural gas. In addition, we expect that the site
selected for our plant will be accessible to multiple modes of transportation, such as railroad and
highways, which may reduce our cost of sales.
According to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), during the last 20 years, ethanol
production capacity in the United States has grown from almost nothing to an estimated 4.2 billion
gallons per year. Plans to construct new plants or to expand existing plants have been announced
which would increase capacity by approximately 2.2 billion gallons per year. This increase in
capacity is likely to continue in the future. We cannot determine the affect of this type of an
increase upon the demand or price of ethanol.
The
ethanol industry has grown to approximately 101 production facilities in the United States
according to the RFA. The largest ethanol producers include Abengoa Bioenergy Corp., Archer Daniels
Midland (ADM), Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc., Cargill, Inc., New Energy Corp. and VeraSun
Energy Corporation, all of which are capable of producing more ethanol than we expect to produce.
ADM recently announced its plan to add approximately 500 million gallons per year of additional
ethanol production capacity in the United States. ADM is currently the largest ethanol producer in
the United States and controls a significant portion of the ethanol market. ADMs plan to produce
an additional 500 million gallons of ethanol per year will strengthen its position in the ethanol
industry and cause a significant increase in domestic ethanol supply. In addition, there are
several regional entities recently formed, or in the process of formation, of similar size and with
similar resources to ours. North Dakota currently has two ethanol plants producing an aggregate of
35 million gallons of ethanol per year. In addition, there are several ethanol plants in or near
to North Dakota under construction or in the planning stage.
The following table identifies most of the producers in the United States along with their
production capacities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
Under Construction/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capacity
|
|
|
Expansions
|
|
Company
|
|
Location
|
|
Feedstock
|
|
(mmgy)
|
|
|
(mmgy)
|
|
Abengoa Bioenergy Corp.
|
|
York, NE
|
|
Corn/milo
|
|
|
55
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Colwich, KS
|
|
|
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portales, NM
|
|
|
|
|
30
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ravenna, NE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
88
|
|
ACE Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Stanley, WI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
39
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adkins Energy, LLC*
|
|
Lena, IL
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advanced Bioenergy
|
|
Fairmont, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100
|
|
AGP*
|
|
Hastings, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
|
|
|
Agra Resources Coop. d.b.a. EXOL*
|
|
Albert Lea, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
40
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
Agri-Energy, LLC*
|
|
Luverne, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
21
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alchem Ltd. LLLP
|
|
Grafton, ND
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
10.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Al-Corn Clean Fuel*
|
|
Claremont, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
35
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amaizing Energy, LLC*
|
|
Denison, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
Archer Daniels Midland
|
|
Decatur, IL
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
1,070
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cedar Rapids, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinton, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Columbus, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marshall, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peoria, IL
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wallhalla, ND
|
|
Corn/barley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ASAlliances Biofuels, LLC
|
|
Albion, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
Linden, IN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
Bloomingburg, OH
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100
|
|
Aventine Renewable Energy, LLC
|
|
Pekin, IL
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
57
|
|
|
|
Aurora, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
Badger State Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Monroe, WI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
|
|
|
Big River Resources, LLC*
|
|
West Burlington, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blue Flint Ethanol
|
|
Underwood, ND
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50
|
|
Broin Enterprises, Inc.
|
|
Scotland, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bushmills Ethanol, Inc.*
|
|
Atwater, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cargill, Inc.
|
|
Blair, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
85
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eddyville, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
35
|
|
|
|
|
|
Central Indiana Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Marion, IN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
|
Central MN Ethanol Coop*
|
|
Little Falls, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
21.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Central Wisconsin Alcohol
|
|
Plover, WI
|
|
Seed corn
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chief Ethanol
|
|
Hastings, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
62
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co.*
|
|
Benson, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commonwealth Agri-Energy, LLC*
|
|
Hopkinsville, KY
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
33
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conestoga Energy Partners
|
|
Garden City, KS
|
|
Corn/milo
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
Corn, LP*
|
|
Goldfield, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cornhusker Energy Lexington, LLC
|
|
Lexington, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
|
19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
Under Construction/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capacity
|
|
|
Expansions
|
|
Company
|
|
Location
|
|
Feedstock
|
|
(mmgy)
|
|
|
(mmgy)
|
|
Corn Plus, LLP*
|
|
Winnebago, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
44
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dakota Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Wentworth, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
DENCO, LLC*
|
|
Morris, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
21.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
E3 Biofuels
|
|
Mead, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24
|
|
East Kansas Agri-Energy, LLC*
|
|
Garnett, KS
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
35
|
|
|
|
|
|
ESE Alcohol Inc.
|
|
Leoti, KS
|
|
Seed corn
|
|
|
1.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ethanol2000, LLP*
|
|
Bingham Lake, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
32
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frontier Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Gowrie, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
60
|
|
|
|
|
|
Front Range Energy, LLC
|
|
Windsor, CO
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glacial Lakes Energy, LLC*
|
|
Watertown, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
Global Ethanol/Midwest Grain Processors
|
|
Lakota, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
95
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riga, MI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
57
|
|
Golden Cheese Company of California*
|
|
Corona, CA
|
|
Cheese whey
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Golden Grain Energy, LLC*
|
|
Mason City, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
60
|
|
|
|
50
|
|
Golden Triangle Energy, LLC*
|
|
Craig, MO
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grain Processing Corp.
|
|
Muscatine, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
|
Granite Falls Energy, LLC
|
|
Granite Falls, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great Plains Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Chancellor, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
Green Plains Renewable Energy
|
|
Shenandoah, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50
|
|
Hawkeye Renewables, LLC
|
|
Iowa Falls, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fairbank, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heartland Corn Products*
|
|
Winthrop, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
36
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heartland Grain Fuels, LP*
|
|
Aberdeen, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Huron, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
18
|
|
Heron Lake BioEnergy, LLC
|
|
Heron Lake, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50
|
|
Horizon Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Jewell, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
60
|
|
|
|
|
|
Husker Ag, LLC*
|
|
Plainview, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
26.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Illinois River Energy, LLC
|
|
Rochelle, IL
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50
|
|
Iowa Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Hanlontown, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
Iroquois Bio-Energy Company, LLC
|
|
Rensselaer, IN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
|
James Valley Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Groton, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
KAAPA Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Minden, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
Land O Lakes*
|
|
Melrose, MN
|
|
Cheese whey
|
|
|
2.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lincolnland Agri-Energy, LLC*
|
|
Palestine, IL
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lincolnway Energy, LLC*
|
|
Nevada, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liquid Resources of Ohio
|
|
Medina, OH
|
|
Waste Beverage
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
Little Sioux Corn Processors, LP*
|
|
Marcus, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
|
|
|
Merrick/Coors
|
|
Golden, CO
|
|
Waste beer
|
|
|
1.5
|
|
|
|
1.5
|
|
MGP Ingredients, Inc.
|
|
Pekin, IL
|
|
Corn/wheat starch
|
|
|
78
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Atchison, KS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michigan Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Caro, MI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mid America Agri Products/Wheatland
|
|
Madrid, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
44
|
|
Mid-Missouri Energy, Inc.*
|
|
Malta Bend, MO
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
|
|
|
Midwest Renewable Energy, LLC
|
|
Sutherland, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
Under Construction/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capacity
|
|
|
Expansions
|
|
Company
|
|
Location
|
|
Feedstock
|
|
(mmgy)
|
|
|
(mmgy)
|
|
Millennium Ethanol
|
|
Marion, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100
|
|
Minnesota Energy*
|
|
Buffalo Lake, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
18
|
|
|
|
|
|
Missouri Ethanol
|
|
Laddonia, MO
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
45
|
|
New Energy Corp.
|
|
South Bend, IN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
102
|
|
|
|
|
|
North Country Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Rosholt, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northeast Missouri Grain, LLC*
|
|
Macon, MO
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Lights Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Big Stone City, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northstar Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Lake Crystal, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otter Creek Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Ashton, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
55
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific Ethanol
|
|
Madera, CA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
35
|
|
Panhandle Energies of Dumas, LP
|
|
Dumas, TX
|
|
Corn/Grain Sorghum
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30
|
|
Parallel Products
|
|
Louisville, KY
|
|
Beverage waste
|
|
|
5.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Cucamonga, CA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Permeate Refining
|
|
Hopkinton, IA
|
|
Sugars & starches
|
|
|
1.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Phoenix Biofuels
|
|
Goshen, CA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pinal Energy, LLC
|
|
Maricopa, AZ
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
Pine Lake Corn Processors, LLC*
|
|
Steamboat Rock, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pinnacle Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Corning, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
60
|
|
Platte Valley Fuel Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Central City, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prairie Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Loomis, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
60
|
|
Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, LLC
|
|
Phillipsburg, KS
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
|
Pro-Corn, LLC*
|
|
Preston, MN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quad-County Corn Processors*
|
|
Galva, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
27
|
|
|
|
|
|
Red Trail Energy, LLC
|
|
Richardton, ND
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50
|
|
Redfield Energy, LLC
|
|
Redfield, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50
|
|
Reeve Agri-Energy
|
|
Garden City, KS
|
|
Corn/milo
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
Siouxland Energy & Livestock Coop*
|
|
Sioux Center, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
Siouxland Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Jackson, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50
|
|
Sioux River Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Hudson, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
55
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sterling Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Sterling, CO
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tall Corn Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Coon Rapids, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tate & Lyle
|
|
Loudon, TN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC
|
|
Albion, MI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
The Andersons Clymers Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Clymers, IN
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
110
|
|
Trenton Agri Products, LLC
|
|
Trenton, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
35
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
United WI Grain Producers, LLC*
|
|
Friesland, WI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
|
|
|
US BioEnergy Corp.
|
|
Albert City, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
Lake Odessa, MI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
45
|
|
U.S. Energy Partners, LLC
|
|
Russell, KS
|
|
Milo/wheat starch
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
|
|
|
Utica Energy, LLC
|
|
Oshkosh, WI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
|
|
|
Val-E Ethanol, LLC
|
|
Ord, NE
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
45
|
|
VeraSun Energy Corporation
|
|
Aurora, SD
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
230
|
|
|
|
110
|
|
|
|
Ft. Dodge, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Charles City, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
Under Construction/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capacity
|
|
|
Expansions
|
|
Company
|
|
Location
|
|
Feedstock
|
|
(mmgy)
|
|
|
(mmgy)
|
|
Voyager Ethanol, LLC*
|
|
Emmetsburg, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
|
|
|
Western Plains Energy, LLC*
|
|
Campus, KS
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
|
|
|
Western Wisconsin Renewable Energy, LLC*
|
|
Boyceville, WI
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
|
Wind Gap Farms
|
|
Baconton, GA
|
|
Brewery waste
|
|
|
0.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wyoming Ethanol
|
|
Torrington, WY
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Xethanol BioFuels, LLC
|
|
Blairstown, IA
|
|
Corn
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Current Capacity at
101 ethanol biorefineries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4817.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Under Construction (34)/Expansions (7)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2222.5
|
|
Total Capacity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7040.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
farmer-owned
Updated: June 23, 2006
|
In addition to our domestic competition, we will face competition in the ethanol industry from
international suppliers of ethanol, including, but necessary limited to, Brazil and Caribbean Basin
countries that produce ethanol
22
from sugarcane and import it into the United States. Recently,
ethanol imports have increased as MTBE has been phased out in parts of the United States, most
notably the eastern United States. While we do not believe that this recent trend will continue as
domestic ethanol is supplied to these states, imported ethanol may continue to be a viable
competitor for our, and all domestic ethanol producers.
Competition from Alternative Fuel Additives
Alternative fuels, gasoline oxygenates and ethanol production methods are continually under
development by ethanol and oil companies with far greater resources. The major oil companies have
significantly greater resources than we have to develop alternative products and to influence
legislation and public perception of ethanol. New ethanol products or methods of ethanol
production developed by larger and better-financed competitors could provide them with competitive
advantages and harm our business.
RISK FACTORS
Risks Related to Red Trail Energy, LLC as a Development-Stage Company
We
have no operating history, and have never generated revenues and may
never be able to generate revenues.
We
were formed in July 2003 and have no history of operations. As a
result, investors will be unable to rely on historical data regarding
our operations as a possible indicator of future success. Investors
should not assume past performance of other ethanol plants will be
achieved by our Company. We have never generated revenues and may
never do so. If we cannot do so, our business and the value of your
investment would suffer.
We may
not be able to effectively manage plant construction, which could
cause delays and hinder our ability to generate revenue
We cannot provide assurance
that we can manage our plant construction effectively and properly staff operations when
construction is completed, and any failure to manage these tasks effectively could delay the
commencement of plant operations. A construction delay or delay in commencing operations will
further delay our ability to generate revenue and satisfy our debt obligations.
We
have no operating history, which could result in errors in management
and operations causing a reduction in the value of your investment.
We were
recently formed and have no history of operations. We cannot provide
assurance that we can manage start-up effectively and properly staff
operations, and any failure to manage our start-up effectively could
delay the commencement of plant operations. A delay in start-up
operations is likely to further delay our ability to generate revenue
and satisfy our debt obligations. We anticipate a period of
significant growth, involving the construction and start-up of
operations of the plant. This period of growth and the start-up of
the plant are likely to be a substantial challenge to us. If we fail
to manage start-up effectively, you could lose all or a substantial
part of your investment.
We have little to no experience in the ethanol industry, which may affect our ability to build and
operate the ethanol plant.
We are presently, and are likely for some time to continue to be, dependent upon our founding
members, some of whom also serve as our governors and executive officers. Most of these
individuals are experienced in business generally but the majority have very little or no
experience in organizing, building and operating an ethanol plant and governing and operating a
public company. Many of our governors have no expertise in the ethanol industry. In addition,
certain governors on our board are presently engaged in business and other activities which impose
substantial demand on the time and attention of such governors.
We will depend on Fagen, Inc. for expertise in plant construction and any loss of this relationship
could cause us delay and added expense, placing us at a competitive disadvantage.
We will be dependent on our relationship with Fagen, Inc. and its employees. Any loss of this
relationship with Fagen, Inc., particularly during the construction and start-up period for the
plant, may prevent us from commencing operations and result in the failure of our business. The
time and expense of locating new contractors would result in unforeseen expenses and delays.
Unforeseen expenses and delays may reduce our ability to generate revenue and profitability and
significantly damage our competitive position in the ethanol industry.
We will depend on GreenWay Consulting, LLC for expertise in the ethanol industry and operation of
our plant and any loss of this relationship could cause us delay and added expense, placing us at a
competitive disadvantage.
We will be dependent on our relationship with GreenWay Consulting, LLC and its employees, one
of whom serves as our General Manager. Any loss of this relationship with GreenWay Consulting,
LLC, particularly during the construction and start-up period for the plant, may prevent us from
commencing operations and may result in the failure of our business. The time and expense of
locating new consultants would result in unforeseen expenses and delays. Unforeseen expenses and
delays may reduce our ability to generate revenue and profitability and significantly damage our
competitive position in the ethanol industry.
Our lack of business diversification could result in the devaluation of our units if our revenues
from our primary products decrease.
We expect our business to solely consist of ethanol and distillers grains production and
sales. We will not have any other lines of business or other sources of revenue if we are unable
to complete the construction and operation of the plant. Our lack of business diversification
could cause you to lose all or some of your investment if
we are unable to generate revenues through the production and sales of ethanol and distillers
grains since we do not expect to have any other lines of business or alternative revenue sources.
23
We have a history of losses and may not ever operate profitably.
For
the period of July 16, 2003 (inception) through
March 31, 2006, we incurred an
accumulated net loss of approximately $2,085,000. We will continue to incur significant losses
until we successfully complete construction and commence operations of the plant. There is no
assurance that we will be successful in our efforts to build and operate an ethanol plant. Even if
we successfully meet all of these objectives and begin operations at the ethanol plant, there is no
assurance that we will be able to operate profitably.
Our business may suffer due to decisions made by our Board of Governors and, until the plant is
built, your only recourse to replace these governors will be through amendment to our Member
Control Agreement.
Our Member Control Agreement provides that the initial Board of Governors will serve until the
first annual or special meeting of the members following commencement of substantial operations of
the ethanol plant. If our project suffers delays due to financing or construction, our initial
Board of Governors could serve for an extended period of time. In that event, your only recourse
to replace these governors would be through an amendment to our Member Control Agreement which
could be difficult to accomplish.
Risks Related to Our Financing Plan
Present and future loan agreements with lenders may hinder our ability to operate the business by
imposing restrictive loan covenants which could delay or prohibit us from making cash distributions
to our unit holders.
Our debt load and the service requirements necessary to implement our business plan will
result in substantial debt service requirements. All of our assets
are used to secure our existing senior debt. Our debt load and service requirements could have
important consequences which could hinder our ability to operate, including our ability to:
|
|
|
Incur additional indebtedness;
|
|
|
|
|
Make capital expenditures or enter into lease arrangements in excess of prescribed thresholds;
|
|
|
|
|
Make distributions to unit holders, or redeem or repurchase units;
|
|
|
|
|
Meet operating expenses;
|
|
|
|
|
Make certain types of investments;
|
|
|
|
|
Create liens on our assets;
|
|
|
|
|
Utilize the proceeds of assets sales; and
|
|
|
|
|
Merge or consolidate or dispose of all, or substantially all, of our assets.
|
In the event that we are unable to pay our debt service obligations, our creditors could force
us to reduce or eliminate distributions to unit holders (even for tax purposes), or reduce or
eliminate needed capital expenditures. If we default on our loan
obligations, it is possible that we could be forced to sell assets, seek
to obtain additional equity or refinance or restructure all or a portion of our debt. In the event
that we would be unable to refinance our indebtedness or raise funds through asset sales, sales of
equity or otherwise, our ability to operate our plant would be greatly affected and we may be
forced to liquidate.
Many
of our credit agreements have floating rate interest terms and if
interest rates were to rise significantly, it would increase our debt
burden and harm our ability to make a profit.
A
portion of the interest expense under our construction loan
agreement, lines of credit and subordinated debt agreements are based
on a floating rate interest. This means that if interest rates were
to rise, the interest rate we would have to pay on these loans would
also rise and we would owe more money under our loan agreements.
Because we have significant debt outstanding and we cannot control
interest rates, we may be required to pay more in interest rate
expense than we estimated if rates were to increase significantly.
Based on current interest rates, we expect that interest expense
under our loan agreement, including fixed interest rates and floating
interest rates, will total approximately $20,498,000 for the
five year terms of the debt agreements, including approximately $9,305,000 for
the floating rate interest loans. A significant increase in interest
expenses would reduce our profits and could hurt the value of your
investment.
Risks Related to Construction of the Ethanol Plant
We depend on Fagen, Inc. and ICM Inc. to continue building our ethanol plant and their failure to
perform could force us to abandon business, hinder our ability to operate profitably or decrease
the value of your investment.
We are highly dependent upon Fagen, Inc. and ICM Inc. for their work related to the ongoing
construction of our plant. Fagen, Inc. and ICM Inc. and their affiliates, may have a conflict of
interest with us because Fagen, Inc., ICM Inc. and their employees or agents are involved as
owners, creditors and in other capacities with other ethanol plants in the United States. We
cannot require Fagen, Inc. or ICM Inc. to devote their full time attention to our activities. As a
result, Fagen, Inc. and ICM Inc. may have, or come to have, a conflict of interest in allocating
personnel, materials and other resources to our plant.
24
We may need to increase cost estimates for construction of the ethanol plant, and such increase
could result in devaluation of our units if plant construction requires additional capital.
We anticipate that Fagen, Inc. will construct the plant for a contract price, based on the
plans and specifications in the lump sum design-build agreement. We have based our capital needs
on a design for the plant that will cost approximately $76,000,000 with additional start-up and
development costs of approximately $23,000,000 for a total project completion cost of approximately
$99,000,000. This price includes construction period interest. There is no assurance that the
final cost of the plant will not be higher due to higher than
anticipated steel, cement and/or labor costs. There is no assurance that there will not be design
changes or cost overruns associated with the construction of the plant. Any
significant increase in the estimated construction cost of the plant could delay our ability to
generate revenues and reduce the value of your units because our revenue stream may not be able to
adequately support the increased costs and expense attributable to increased construction costs and
additional capital may be required in order to meet such costs.
Construction delays could result in devaluation of our units if our production and sale of ethanol
and its co-products are similarly delayed.
We currently expect our plant to be operating by November 2006, however, construction projects
often involve delays related to obtaining permits, construction delays due to weather conditions, or other
events that delay the construction schedule.
In addition, changes in political administrations at
the federal, state or local level may result in policy changes towards ethanol or this project,
which could cause construction and operation delays. If it takes longer to construct the plant
than we anticipate, it would delay our ability to generate revenue and make it difficult for us to
meet our debt service obligations. This could reduce the value of our business.
Defects in plant construction could hurt our business if our plant does not produce ethanol and its
co-products as anticipated.
There is no assurance that defects in materials and/or workmanship in the plant will not
occur. Under the terms of the design-build agreement with Fagen, Inc., they have warranted that
the material and equipment furnished to build the plant will be new, of good quality, and free from
material defects in material or workmanship at the time of delivery. Such defects could delay the commencement of operations of the plant or, if such
defects are discovered after operations have commenced, this could cause us to halt or discontinue
the plants operation. Halting or discontinuing plant operations could delay our ability to
generate revenues and reduce the value of our units.
The plant site may have unknown environmental problems that could be expensive and time consuming
to correct, which may delay or halt plant construction and delay our ability to generate revenue.
There can be no
assurance that we will not encounter hazardous environmental conditions that may delay the
construction of the plant. We do not believe that Fagen, Inc. would be responsible for any
hazardous environmental conditions encountered at the plant site. If we receive notice
of a hazardous environmental condition, we may be required to correct the condition prior to
continuing construction. The presence of a hazardous environmental condition will likely delay
construction of the plant and may require significant expenditure of our resources to correct the
condition. In addition, Fagen, Inc. is entitled to an adjustment in price and time of performance
if it has been adversely affected by the hazardous environmental condition. If we encounter any
hazardous environmental conditions during construction that require time or money to correct, such
event could delay our ability to generate revenues.
Risks Related to our Business
Changes in the prices of corn, ethanol and distillers grains can be volatile and these changes will
significantly impact our financial performance and the value of your investment.
Our results of operations and financial condition will be significantly affected by the cost
and supply of corn and by the selling price for ethanol and distillers grains. Changes in the
price and supply of these commodities are subject to and determined by market forces over which we
have no control. Higher corn prices will produce lower profit margins. If we experience a
sustained price increase in the cost of corn, our profit margins may significantly decrease or be
eliminated. In addition, the price of ethanol may decline in the future. If we experience a
sustained price decreases in ethanol sales, our profit margins may decrease or be eliminated.
Generally, higher corn prices will produce lower profit margins. This is especially true if
market conditions do not allow us to pass through increased corn costs to our customers. There is
no assurance that we will be able to pass through higher corn prices. If a period of high corn
prices were to be sustained for some time, such pricing may reduce our ability to generate revenues
because of the higher cost of operating.
25
Our revenues will be exclusively dependent on the market prices for ethanol and distillers
grains. These prices can be volatile as a result of a number of
factors. These factors include:
overall supply and demand,
price of gasoline,
level of government support and
availability
and price of competing products.
For instance, the price of ethanol tends to increase
as the price of gasoline increases, and the price of ethanol tends to decrease as the price of
gasoline decreases. Ethanol prices have increased dramatically
recently. According to Chicago Board of Trade, the daily Chicago cash
price per gallon of ethanol has risen from just under $1.25 in June
2003 to over $3.25 in July 2006. We do not expect these trends to
continue. Any lowering of gasoline prices will likely also lead to lower prices for
ethanol, which may reduce revenues.
We believe that ethanol production is expanding rapidly at this time. Increased production of
ethanol may lead to lower prices. The increased production of ethanol could have other adverse
effects. For example, the increased production could lead to increased supplies of co-products
from the production of ethanol, such as distillers grains. Those increased supplies could outpace
demand, which would lead to lower prices for those co-products. Also, the increased production of
ethanol could result in increased demand for corn. This could result in higher prices for corn and
corn production, creating lower profits. There can be no assurance as to the price of ethanol or
distillers grains in the future. Any downward changes in the price of ethanol and/or distillers
grains may result in less income, which would decrease our revenues.
Our
business is subject to seasonal fluctuations.
Our
operating results are influenced by seasonal fluctuations in the
price of our primary operating inputs, corn and the price of our
primary product, ethanol. The spot price of corn tends to rise during
the spring planting season in May and June and tends to decrease
during the fall harvest in October and November. In addition, our
ethanol prices are substantially correlated with the price of
unleaded gasoline especially in connection with what we anticipate
will be our indexed gas-plus sales contracts. The price of unleaded
gasoline tends to rise during each of the summer and winter. Given
our lack of operating history, we do not know yet how these seasonal
fluctuations will affect our results over time.
We engage in hedging transactions and other price mitigation strategies that could harm our
results.
In an attempt to partially offset the effects of volatility of ethanol prices and corn costs,
we may enter into contracts to supply a portion of our ethanol production or purchase a portion of
our corn requirements on a forward basis and also engage in other hedging transactions involving
exchange-traded futures and options contracts for corn from time to time. The price of unleaded
gasoline also affects the price we may receive for our ethanol under indexed contracts. The
financial statement impact of these activities will be dependent upon, among other things, the
prices involved and our ability to sell sufficient products to use all of the corn for which we may
have futures contracts. Hedging arrangements also will expose us to the risk of financial loss in
situations where the other party to the hedging contract defaults on its contract or, in the case
of exchange-traded contracts, where there is a change in the expected differential between the
underlying price in the hedging agreement and the actual prices paid or
26
received by us. Hedging activities can themselves result in losses when a position is purchased in
a declining market or a position is sold in a rising market. A hedge position is often settled in
the same time frame as the physical commodity is either purchased (corn) or sold (ethanol).
Hedging losses may be offset by a decreased cash price for corn and an increased cash price for
ethanol. We can not assure you that we will not experience hedging losses in the future. We also
intend to vary the amount of hedging or other price mitigation strategies we undertake, and we may
choose not to engage in hedging transactions at all. As a result, our results of operations and
financial position may be adversely affected by increases in the price of corn or decreases in the
price of ethanol or unleaded gasoline.
Our ability to successfully operate is dependent on the availability of electricity at anticipated
prices.
Adequate electricity is critical to plant operations. Our existing agreement to obtain
electricity is subject to price fluctuations based on market conditions over which we have no
control. Market conditions in our buying market have tended to be
stable over the past five years, both in terms of supply and demand
and price. However, there can be no assurance this trend will
continue and that we will not face supply and price pressures that
could negatively impact our business. As a result, our ability to make a profit may decline.
Our ability to successfully operate is dependent on the availability of lignite coal as the primary
fuel to operate our plant.
We anticipate that the entire plant will consume approximately 133,000 tons of lignite coal
per year or 375 tons per day. We have entered into a contract with General Industries, Inc. d/b/a
Center Coal Company for the purchase and delivery of coal and ash removal. Despite that agreement,
there is no assurance that General Industries will be able to deliver all of the coal we will need
for our operations on a timely basis without disruptions. Any failures or disruptions in the
delivery of coal will force us to either reduce or stop operations completely until we have
obtained either a new supply of coal or an alternative energy supply, such as natural gas. Any
disruption in our operations may result in a loss of revenue. In addition, we may be unable to
find an alternative energy source sufficient to supply our operations or at prices that are
acceptable.
Our
ability to successfully operate is dependent on the availability of
water at anticipated prices.
Adequate
water supplies are critical to plant operations. Our contract with our water supplier is subject to price
adjustments and termination in certain events. In the event we are
unable to obtain adequate water at reasonable prices, we would be
required to reduce or cease operations until an alternative source is
identified. In such an event, we may be unable to obtain the
necessary water from a new supplier at reasonable prices or in
sufficient supply. If we are forced to curtain or cease our
operations, or are forced to pay higher than expected prices, our
ability to make a profit would decline.
We are subject to environmental regulations related to disposal of coal fly ash that may add
additional costs to our operations.
According to ICM, Inc., our plant is expected to produce approximately 37.5 tons of coal fly
ash per day as a result of the burning process of the coal used to provide the power to our plant.
We are required to dispose of this coal fly ash in a licensed disposal facility. Our coal delivery
provider is required under the terms of the coal delivery contract to remove and dispose of all of
our coal fly ash. In the event our coal provider is unable or unwilling to continue with this
contract, we will have to seek alternative methods of disposing of the coal fly ash that our plant
will produce, which we may be unable to find or find at an economically feasible cost.
In addition, we believe that federal and state environmental regulations related to operating
a coal fired plant may be increasing and that any increased regulatory compliance requirements may
negatively impact our operations and profitability.
We will depend on others for sales of our products, which may place us at a competitive
disadvantage and reduce profitability.
We have contracted with Renewable Products Marketing Group, LLC to market all of the ethanol
we plan to produce. We currently expect to do our own wet distillers grains marketing by selling
locally to livestock markets in approximately the 50 miles surrounding our plant. We have
contracted with Commodity Specialist Company to market all of the dry distillers grains we produce.
As a result, we are dependent on our ethanol broker and our dry distillers grains broker. If
either of the ethanol or distillers grains broker breaches their contract or does not have the
ability, for financial or other reasons, to market all of the ethanol or distillers grains we
produce, we will not have any readily available means to sell our products. Our lack of a sales
force and reliance on third parties to sell and market our products may place us at a competitive
disadvantage. Our failure to sell all of our ethanol and dry distillers grains may result in less
income from sales, reducing our revenue stream.
27
Changes and advances in ethanol production technology could require us to incur costs to update our
ethanol plant or could otherwise hinder our ability to compete in the ethanol industry or operate
profitably.
Advances and changes in the technology of ethanol production are expected to occur. Such
advances and changes may make the ethanol production technology installed in our plant less
desirable or obsolete. These advances could also allow our competitors to produce ethanol at a
lower cost than us. If our competitors develop, obtain or
license technology that is superior to ours or that makes our technology obsolete, we may be
required to incur significant costs to enhance or acquire new technology so that our ethanol
production remains competitive. Alternatively, we may be required to seek third-party licenses,
which could also result in significant expenditures. We cannot guarantee or assure you that
third-party licenses will be available or, once obtained, will continue to be available on
commercially reasonable terms, if at all. These costs could negatively impact our financial
performance by increasing our operating costs and reducing our net income.
We currently have a limited number of full-time employees and will face challenges to hiring
qualified employees capable of implementing our plan of operations, which may hinder our ability to
conduct our operations and reduce our ability to operate profitably.
We currently employ only two full-time employees, both of whom are engaged in administrative
functions. In order to implement our plan of operations and operate the plant, we will need to
hire up to an additional 40 qualified employees. Some of these additional employees will need to
be skilled in ethanol and distillers grains production technologies and we may have difficulty in
identifying, hiring and retaining such employees. Our success will depend in part on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel at a
competitive wage and benefit level. We must hire qualified managers, accounting and other
personnel. We operate in a rural area with low unemployment. There is no assurance that we will
be successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel at a wage and benefit structure at or
below those we have assumed in our project. If we are unsuccessful in this regard, we may not be
competitive with other ethanol plants which could increase our operating costs and decrease our
revenues and profits. In addition, we need to identify, hire and
retain supervisory, marketing and other management-level employees. We may have difficulty in
doing so and this also may hinder our ability to operate.
Our executive officers and governors lack significant experience in financial accounting and
preparation of reports under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange
Act.).
None of our executive officers or governors has ever served as such with a company that is
required to file reports under the Exchange Act as we will be required to do. As a result, we may
not be able or qualified to efficiently and correctly deal with our financial accounting issues and
preparation of the Exchange Act reports.
Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest
Our governors and executive officers have other business and management responsibilities which may
cause conflicts of interest, including working with other ethanol plants and in the allocation of
their time and services to our project.
Some of our governors and executive officers are involved in third party ethanol-related
projects that might compete against the ethanol and co-products produced by our plant. Our
governors may also provide goods or services to us or our contractors
or buy our ethanol co-products. We have not adopted a board
policy restricting such potential conflicts of interests at this time.
In addition, our governors and executive officers have other management responsibilities and
business interests apart from our project. These responsibilities include, but may not be limited
to, being the owner and operator of non-affiliated business that our governors and executive
officers derive the majority of their income from and for which they devote most of their time. We
generally expect that each governor attend our monthly board meetings, either in person or by
telephone, and attend any special board meetings in the same manner. Historically, our board
meetings have lasted between three and six hours each, not including any preparation time before
the meeting. Our executive officers, when we begin operations, will be expected to devote
significantly more time to our business, but we expect that GreenWay will provide most of our
management expertise and work under the terms of their management contract with us. We currently
have a board policy that generally requires the removal of any governor that fails to attend a
certain number of meetings in a six-month period. Therefore, our governors and executive officers
may experience conflicts of interest in allocating their time and services between us and their
other business responsibilities. In addition, conflicts of interest may arise because the
governors and executive officers, either individually or collectively, hold a substantial
percentage of the units because of their position to substantially influence our business and
management.
We may have conflicting interests with GreenWay Consulting, LLC which could cause GreenWay
Consulting, LLC to put its interests ahead of ours.
GreenWay Consulting, LLC has and continues to advise our governors and has been, and is
expected to be, involved in substantially all material aspects of our formation, capital formation
and operations. In addition, Mick Miller, our General Manager, is an employee of GreenWay
Consulting, LLC. Consequently, the terms and conditions of any future agreements and
understandings with GreenWay Consulting, LLC may not be as favorable to us as they could be if they
were to be obtained from other third parties. In addition, because
of the extensive role that GreenWay Consulting, LLC has in the construction and operation of the
plant, it may be difficult or impossible for us to enforce claims that we may have against GreenWay
Consulting, LLC. Such conflicts of interest may reduce our profitability.
Risks Related to Ethanol Industry
Our business is not diversified.
Our success depends largely upon our ability to operate our ethanol plant profitably. We do
not have any other lines of business or other sources of revenue if we are unable to operate our
ethanol plant and manufacture ethanol and distillers grains. If economic or political factors
adversely affect the market for ethanol, we have no other line of business to fall back on. Our
business would also be significantly harmed if our ethanol plant could not operate at full capacity
for any extended period of time.
Competition from the advancement of alternative fuels may lessen the demand for ethanol and
negatively impact our profitability, which could reduce the value of your investment.
Alternative fuels, gasoline oxygenates and ethanol production methods are continually under
development. A number of automotive, industrial and power generation manufacturers are developing
more efficient engines, hybrid engines and alternative clean power systems using fuel cells or
clean burning gaseous fuels. Vehicle manufacturers have
developed and continue to work to improve hybrid technology, which powers vehicles by engines that
utilize both electric and conventional gasoline fuel sources. In the future, the emerging fuel
cell industry may offer a technological option to address increasing worldwide energy costs, the
long-term availability of petroleum reserves and environmental concerns. Fuel cell industry participants are currently targeting the
transportation, stationary power and portable power markets in order to decrease fuel costs, lessen
dependence on crude oil and reduce harmful emissions. If the fuel cell and hydrogen industries
continue to expand and gain broad acceptance, and hydrogen becomes readily available to consumers
for motor vehicle use, we may not be able to compete effectively. This additional competition
could reduce the demand for ethanol, which would negatively impact our profitability.
28
Corn-based ethanol may compete with cellulose-based ethanol in the future, which could make it more
difficult for us to produce ethanol on a cost-effective basis, which could reduce the value of your
investment.
Most ethanol is currently produced from corn and other raw grains, such as milo or sorghum,
especially in the Midwest. The current trend in ethanol production research is to develop an
efficient method of producing ethanol from cellulose-based biomass, such as agricultural waste,
forest residue, municipal solid waste and energy crops. This trend is driven by the fact that
cellulose-based biomass is generally cheaper than corn, and producing ethanol from cellulose-based
biomass would create opportunities to produce ethanol in areas which are unable to grow corn.
We believe that new
conversion technologies are being developed that might be competitive with current production
technologies sometime in the future. If an efficient method of producing ethanol from
cellulose-based biomass is developed, we may not be able to compete effectively. It may not be
cost-effective to convert the ethanol plant we are proposing into a plant which will use
cellulose-based biomass to produce ethanol. If we are unable to produce ethanol as
cost-effectively as cellulose-based producers, our ability to generate revenue will be negatively
impacted.
As domestic ethanol production continues to grow, ethanol supply may exceed demand causing ethanol
prices to decline and the value of your investment to be reduced.
The number of ethanol plants being developed and constructed in the United States continues to
increase at a rapid pace. As these plants begin operations, we expect domestic ethanol production
to significantly increase. If the demand for ethanol does not grow at the same pace as increases
in supply, we would expect the price for ethanol to decline. Declining ethanol prices will result
in lower revenues and may reduce or eliminate profits.
Consumer resistance to the use of ethanol based on the belief that ethanol is expensive, adds to
air pollution, harms engines and takes more energy to produce than it contributes may affect the
demand for ethanol, which could affect our ability to market our product.
According to popular media, certain individuals believe that the use of ethanol will have a
negative impact on prices at the pump. Many also believe that ethanol adds to air pollution and
harms car and truck engines. Still other consumers believe that the process of producing ethanol
actually uses more fossil energy, such as oil and natural gas, than the amount of ethanol that is
produced. These consumer beliefs could potentially be wide-spread. If consumers choose not to buy
ethanol, it would affect the demand for the ethanol we produce which could lower demand for our
product and negatively affect our profitability.
Competition from ethanol imported from Caribbean basin countries may be a less expensive
alternative to our ethanol, which would cause us to lose market share.
A portion of the ethanol produced or processed in certain countries in Central America and the
Caribbean region is eligible for tariff reduction or elimination upon importation to the United
States under a program known as the Caribbean Basin Initiative. Large ethanol producers, such as
Cargill, Inc. have expressed interest in building dehydration plants in participating Caribbean
Basin countries, such as El Salvador, which would convert ethanol into fuel-grade ethanol for
shipment to the United States. Ethanol imported from Caribbean Basin countries may be a less
expensive alternative to domestically produced ethanol. Competition from ethanol imported from
Caribbean Basin countries may affect our ability to sell our ethanol profitably.
Competition from ethanol imported from Brazil may be a less expensive alternative to our ethanol,
which would cause us to lose market share.
Brazil is currently the worlds second largest producer and the largest exporter of ethanol.
In Brazil, ethanol is produced primarily from sugarcane, which is also used to produce food-grade
sugar. Brazil experienced a dramatic increase in ethanol production and trade in 2004 and 2005,
exporting approximately 90 million gallons to the United States
in 2004 and 65 million gallons to
the United States in 2005 according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. Ethanol imported
from Brazil may be a less expensive alternative to domestically produced ethanol, which is
primarily made from corn, even though United States tariffs increase the price. United States oil
refineries may increase imports of Brazilian ethanol in 2006 as MTBE use decreases in the United
States and supply chain problems with domestic ethanol delivery are resolved. Tariffs presently
protecting United States ethanol producers may be reduced or eliminated. Competition from ethanol
imported from Brazil may affect our ability to sell our ethanol profitably.
29
Risks Related to Federal Regulation and Governmental Action
Loss of, or ineligibility for, favorable tax benefits for ethanol production could hinder our
ability to operate at a profit and reduce the value of your investment.
The ethanol industry and our business are assisted by various federal ethanol tax incentives,
including those included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The provision of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 likely to have the greatest impact on the ethanol industry is the creation of a 7.5 billion
gallon Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The RFS will begin at 4 billion gallons in 2006, increasing
to 7.5 billion gallons by 2012. The RFS helps support a market for ethanol that might disappear
without this incentive. The elimination or reduction of tax incentives to the ethanol industry
could reduce the market for ethanol, which could reduce prices and our revenues by making it more
costly or difficult for us to produce and sell ethanol. If the federal tax incentives are
eliminated or sharply curtailed, we believe that a decreased demand for ethanol will result, which
could result in the failure of our business.
Another important provision involves an expansion in the definition of who qualifies as a
small ethanol producer. Historically, small ethanol producers were allowed a 10-cents per-gallon
production income tax credit on up to 15 million gallons of production annually. The size of the
plant eligible for the tax credit was limited to 30 million gallons. Under the Energy Policy Act
of 2005, the size limitation on the production capacity for small ethanol producers increases from
30 million to 60 million gallons. Because our plant will have a capacity to annually produce 50
million gallons of ethanol, we expect to qualify for this tax credit, but if this provision is
changed in the future or if we exceed our expected production capacity by over 10 million gallons
per year, the loss of this tax credit could harm the value of your investment. .
A change in environmental regulations or violations thereof could result in the devaluation of our
units and a reduction in the value of your investment.
We will be subject to extensive air, water and other environmental regulations and we will
need to obtain a number of environmental permits to construct and
operate the plant. If for any reason any of these permits are not granted, construction costs
for the plant may increase, or construction may be delayed.
Because our plant will utilize lignite coal as its primary energy source, we are subject to a
number of environmental regulations that require us to add scrubbers and other methods to reduce
emissions from the burning of coal. If our safeguards fail or are ineffective, we might be subject
to significant fines and penalties, including a shut-down of the plant to remedy these failures.
Remedying any coal-based environmental problems may cost significant money and halt or reduce plant
operations. Any significant fine or reduction in plant operations would harm our business.
Additionally, environmental laws and regulations, both at the federal and state level, are
subject to change and changes can be made retroactively. Consequently, even if we have the proper
permits at the present time, we may be required to invest or spend considerable resources to comply
with future environmental regulations or new or modified interpretations of those regulations,
which may reduce our profitability. Please see our discussion
entitled Regulatory Permits on page 11 for more
information.
Risks Related to Taxes
Income Taxes
We are a limited liability company and, subject to complying with certain safe harbor
provisions to avoid being classified as a publicly traded partnership, we expect to be taxed as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes. Our Member Control Agreement provides that no member
shall transfer any unit if, in the determination of the board, such transfer would cause us to be
treated as a publicly traded partnership, and any transfer of unit(s) not approved by the Board of
Governors or that would result in a violation of the restrictions in the agreement would be null
and void. In addition, as a condition precedent to any transfer of units, we have the right under
the Member Control Agreement to seek an opinion of counsel that such transfer will not cause us to
be treated as a publicly traded partnership. As a non-publicly traded partnership we are a
pass-through entity and not subject to income tax at the company level. Our income is passed
through to our members. If we become a publicly traded partnership we will be taxed as a C
Corporation. We believe this would be harmful to us and to our members because we would
cease to be a pass-through entity. We would be subject to income tax at the company level and
members would also be subject to income tax on distributions they receive from us. This would have
the affect of lowering our after-tax income and amount available for distributions to members and
cash available to pay debt obligations and for operations.
30
We expect to be treated as a partnership for income tax purposes. As such, we will pay no tax
at the company level and members will pay tax on their proportionate share of our net income. The
income tax liability associated with a members share of net income could exceed any cash
distribution the member receives from us. If a member does not receive cash distributions sufficient to
pay his or her tax liability associated with his or her respective
share of our income, he or she will be forced to
pay his or her income tax liability associated with his or her respective units out of other personal funds.
North Dakota Fuel Tax Incentive Program
We expect to qualify for North Dakotas fuel tax incentive program. See Item 1. Business
and Item 2. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation.
Ethanol plants constructed after July 31, 2003 are eligible for these incentives. However, because
the incentives are dependent upon future prices for ethanol and corn, we may not qualify for the
incentives and such failure to qualify could reduce our net income.
Risks Related to the Units
No public trading market exists for our units and we do not anticipate the creation of such a
market, which means that it will be difficult for unit holders to liquidate their investment
.
There is currently no established public trading market for our units and an active trading
market will not develop. To maintain partnership tax status, unit holders may not trade the units
on an established securities market or readily trade the units on a secondary market (or the
substantial equivalent thereof). We, therefore, will not apply for listing on any securities
exchange or on the NASDAQ Stock Market. As a result, unit holders will not be able to readily sell
their units
.
We have placed significant restrictions on transferability of the units, limiting a unit holders
ability to withdraw from the Company.
The units are subject to substantial transfer restrictions pursuant to our Member Control
Agreement and tax and securities laws. This means that unit holders will not be able to easily
liquidate their units and may have to assume the risks of investments in us for an indefinite
period of time. Transfers will only be permitted in the following circumstances:
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Transfers by gift to the members descendants;
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Transfers upon the death of a member;
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Certain other transfers provided that for the applicable tax year, the transfers in the aggregate
do not exceed 2% of the total outstanding units; and
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Transfers that comply with the qualifying matching service requirements, if any is established.
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31
There is no assurance that a unit holder will receive cash distributions which could result in a
unit holder receiving little or no return on his or her investment
.
Distributions are payable at the sole discretion of our Board of Governors, subject to the
provisions of the North Dakota Limited Liability Company Act, our Member Control Agreement and the
requirements of our creditors. We do not know the amount of cash that we will generate, if any,
once we begin operations. Cash distributions are not assured, and we may never be in a position to
make distributions. Our Board may elect to retain future profits to provide operational financing
for the plant, debt retirement and possible plant expansion or the construction of additional
plants. This means that unit holders may receive little or no return on their investment and be
unable to liquidate their investment due to transfer restrictions and lack of a public trading
market.
Our units were not valued based on any independent objective criteria, but rather by the amount of
funding required to build our plant.
For our North Dakota intrastate offering and our initial seed capital round, we determined the
offering price per unit to be $1.00. This determination was based solely on the capitalization
requirements necessary to fund our construction and start-up activities. We did not rely upon any
independent valuation, book value or other valuation criteria. Therefore, our outstanding units
may be worth less than what they were sold for.
Our governors and managers will not be liable for any breach of their fiduciary duty, except as
provided under North Dakota law.
Under North Dakota law, no governor or manager will be liable for any of the Companys debts,
obligations or liabilities merely because he or she is a governor or manager. In addition, our
operating agreement contains an indemnification provision which requires us to indemnify any
governor or manager to the extent required or permitted by North Dakota Statutes, Section 10-32-99,
as amended from time to time, or as required or permitted by other provisions of law.
32
ITEM 2. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following tables set forth our selected historical financial and other information as of
the dates and for the periods indicated.
Our
selected historical balance sheet information as of March 31, 2006,
December 31, 2005, March 31, 2005, December 31, 2004, and December 31, 2003 are derived
from our balance sheets. Our selected historical statement of
operations information for the quarters ended March 31, 2006 and 2005,
the years ended December 31, 2005, December 31, 2004, December 31, 2003 and the period from
inception (July 16, 2003) to March 31, 2006 are derived from our statements of
operations.
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Inception
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(July 16, 2003)
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2003
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2004
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2005
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March 31, 2005
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March 31, 2006
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to
March 31, 2006
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Statements of Operations Data:
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Revenues
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$
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$
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$
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$
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Operating Expenses
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420,137
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433,345
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2,087,808
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109,545
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156,235
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3,097,525
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Operating Loss
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(420,137
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)
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(433,345
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)
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(2,087,808
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)
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(109,545
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)
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(156,235
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)
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(3,097,525
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)
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Other Income, net
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147,004
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360,204
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113,563
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544,731
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1,051,939
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Net Income (Loss)
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(420,137
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)
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(286,341
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)
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(1,727,604
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)
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4,018
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388,496
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(2,045,586
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)
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Weighted Average Units
Outstanding
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1,335,690
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3,591,180
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24,393,980
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3,600,000
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37,340,846
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13,949,890
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Net Income
(Loss) Per Unit
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(0.31
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)
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(0.08
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)
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(0.07
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)
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.00
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.01
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(0.15
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)
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2003
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2004
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2005
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March 31, 2005
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March 31, 2006
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Balance Sheet Data:
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Cash and Equivalents
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$
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809,493
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$
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15,848,783
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$
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19,043,811
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25,403,151
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12,747,134
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Total Assets
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$
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826,771
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$
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16,417,515
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$
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36,972,579
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25,925,172
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44,763,034
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Total Current Liabilities
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$
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60,146
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$
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15,867,168
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$
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8,258,885
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176,671
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8,941,389
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Members Equity
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$
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1,186,763
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$
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550,347
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$
|
28,713,694
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25,748,501
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|
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35,821,645
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33
MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATION
Except for the historical information, this Form 10 Registration Statement contains
forward-looking statements. Such statements consist of any statement other than a recitation of historical facts
and can be identified by words such as may, expect, anticipate, estimate, hopes,
believes, continue, intends, seeks, contemplates, suggests, envisions or the negative
thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements
represent our expectations or beliefs concerning future events, including statements regarding
future construction timetable, future sales, future profit percentages and other results of
operations, the continuation of historical trends, the sufficiency of cash balances and cash
generated from operating and financing activities for our future liquidity and capital resource
needs, and the effects of any regulatory changes. We caution you that any forward-looking
statements made in this registration statement or in other reports filed by us with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the SEC) are qualified by certain risks and other important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements,
including developments relating to the following:
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The availability and adequacy of our cash flow to meet its requirements,
including payment of loans;
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Economic, competitive, demographic, business and other conditions in our local,
regional and national markets;
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Changes or developments in laws, regulations or taxes in the ethanol,
agricultural or energy industries;
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Actions taken or not taken by third parties, including our suppliers and
competitors, as well as legislative, regulatory, judicial and other governmental
authorities;
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Competition in the ethanol industry;
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The loss of any license or permit;
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The loss of our plant due to casualty, weather, mechanical failure or any
extended or extraordinary maintenance or inspection that may be required;
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Changes in our business strategy, capital to support capital improvements and
development; and
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Other factors discussed under the section entitled RISK FACTORS or elsewhere
in this document.
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You should read this document completely and with the understanding that actual future results
may be materially different from what we expect. The forward-looking statements contained in this
document have been compiled as of the date of this document and should be evaluated with
consideration of any changes occurring after the date of this document. Except as required under
federal securities laws and SEC rules and regulations, we will not update forward-looking
statements even though our situation may change in the future.
Application of Critical Accounting Policies
Accounting policies, methods and estimates are an integral part of our consolidated financial
statements and are based upon managements current judgments. Certain accounting policies, methods
and estimates are particularly important because of their significance to the financial statements.
Note 1 of the Notes to Financial Statements includes a summary of the accounting policies and
methods we use. The following is a discussion of what we believe to
be the most critical of these policies and methods.
Accounting Estimates
We used estimates and assumptions in preparing our financial statements in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles. Those estimates and assumptions affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the
reported revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
34
Cash and Equivalents
We consider all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or
less to be cash equivalents. The carrying value of cash and equivalents approximates the fair
value.
We maintain our accounts at primarily three financial institutions. At times throughout the
year, our cash and equivalents balances may exceed amounts insured by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation. At December 31,2005, our deposits exceeded insurance coverage by
approximately $18.9 million.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment is stated at the lower of cost or estimated fair value. Assets that
are still undergoing development and have not been placed into service are shown on our balance
sheet as construction in progress and are not depreciated. Once assets are placed in service,
depreciation is provided over estimated useful lives by use of the straight-line method.
Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred; major improvements and betterments are
capitalized.
We have incurred substantial consulting, permitting, and other pre-construction services
related to building its plant facilities. Due to the substantial uncertainties regarding our
ability to proceed with the ultimate facility construction until we had raised debt and equity
financing, prior to 2005, we expensed these pre-construction costs as incurred.
Debt Issuance Costs
Debt issuance costs will be amortized over the term of the related debt by use
of the effective interest method. If any other method is used it could change the
income of the Company.
Deferred Offering Costs
We defer the costs incurred to raise equity financing until the financing occurs. At such
time as the issuance of new equity occurs, these costs will be netted against the proceeds
received; or if the financing does not occur, they will be expensed. If the Company had not
reached their equity financing, they would have incurred an additional $107,315 of expenses.
Income Taxes
We are treated as a partnership for federal and state income tax purposes and generally
do not incur income taxes. Instead, our earnings losses are included in the income tax
returns of the members. Therefore, no provision or liability for federal or state income
taxes has been included in the financial statements.
Organizational and Start Up Costs
We expense all organizational and start up costs as incurred.
Derivative Instruments
We have derivative instruments in the form of interest rate swaps in an agreement associated
with bank financing. Market value adjustments and net settlements related to these agreements
are charged to interest expense. Significant increases in the variable rate could greatly
affect the operations of the Company.
Results of Operations
We
are a development stage company with no operations, sales or revenues
as of March 31, 2006. We intend to engage in the production and sale of fuel grade ethanol once our plant is
operational, expected to be November 2006. We expect to be able to processed approximately
eighteen million bushels of corn into approximately fifty million gallons of ethanol. In addition,
we intend to sell distillers grains, a principal co-product of the ethanol production process,
which we will sell as distillers modified wet grains and distillers dried grains.
35
The following table shows revenues, operating expenses and other items in our statements of
income for the quarters ended March 31, 2006 and 2005, the years ended
December 31, 2005, 2004, 2003 and inception (July 16, 2003)
to March 31, 2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inception
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(July 16, 2003)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
|
|
2003
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
March 31, 2005
|
|
|
March 31, 2006
|
|
2006
|
|
Statements of
Operations Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Expenses
|
|
|
|
420,137
|
|
|
|
433,345
|
|
|
|
2,087,808
|
|
|
|
109,545
|
|
|
|
156,235
|
|
|
3,097,525
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Loss
|
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
(433,345
|
)
|
|
|
(2,087,808
|
)
|
|
|
(109,545
|
)
|
|
|
(156,235
|
)
|
|
(3,097,525
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Income, net
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
147,004
|
|
|
|
360,204
|
|
|
|
113,563
|
|
|
|
544,731
|
|
|
1,051,939
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Income(Loss)
|
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
(286,341
|
)
|
|
|
(1,727,604
|
)
|
|
|
4,018
|
|
|
|
388,496
|
|
|
(2,045,586
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted Average
Units Outstanding
|
|
|
|
1,335,690
|
|
|
|
3,591,180
|
|
|
|
24,393,980
|
|
|
|
3,600,000
|
|
|
|
37,340,846
|
|
|
13,949,890
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Income (Loss)
Per Unit
|
|
|
|
(0.31
|
)
|
|
|
(0.08
|
)
|
|
|
(0.07
|
)
|
|
|
.00
|
|
|
|
.01
|
|
|
(0.15
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
March 31, 2005
|
|
|
March 31, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
Balance Sheet Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and Equivalents
|
|
|
$
|
809,493
|
|
|
$
|
15,848,783
|
|
|
$
|
19,043,811
|
|
|
|
25,403,151
|
|
|
|
12,747,134
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
|
$
|
826,771
|
|
|
$
|
16,417,515
|
|
|
$
|
36,972,579
|
|
|
|
25,925,172
|
|
|
|
44,763,034
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Current Liabilities
|
|
|
$
|
60,146
|
|
|
$
|
15,867,168
|
|
|
$
|
8,258,885
|
|
|
|
176,671
|
|
|
|
8,941,389
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Members Equity
|
|
|
$
|
1,186,763
|
|
|
$
|
550,347
|
|
|
$
|
28,713,694
|
|
|
|
25,748,501
|
|
|
|
35,821,645
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
We
had no sales or revenue for the quarters ended March 31, 2006 and 2005, the years ended 2005, 2004, 2003 or for the period from
inception (July 16, 2003) to March 31, 2006.
Cost of Sales
We
had no costs of sales for the quarters ended March 31, 2006 and 2005, the years ended 2005, 2004, 2003 or for the period from
inception (July 16, 2003) to March 31, 2006.
Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses were approximately $2,088,000, $433,000 and
$420,000 for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003,
respectively.
Our operating expenses increased by approximately $1,655,000 or 382%
for 2005 over 2004 and increased by approximately $13,000 or 3% for 2004 over 2003.
These increases for both 2005 versus 2004 and 2004 versus 2003 were due primarily to
costs associated with starting construction on our plant, professional and consulting fees,
including the 2005 payment due to Green Way in excess
of $1,500,000 under our consulting agreement related to their work
through Phase I and other general operating expenses. In 2005, our material operating expenses were: 1)
approximately $1,500,000 related to consulting fees paid to Green Way; 2) approximately
$177,000 related to salaries; 3) approximately $84,000 related to marketing expenses; 4)
approximately $77,000 related to office and insurance expenses; and 5) approximately $70,000
related to financing fees related to our loan with First National Bank. In 2004, our material
operating expenses were: 1) approximately $105,000 in payments to our coordinator;
2) approximately $90,000 related to financing fees and accounting expenses;
3) approximately $78,000 for permitting activities;
4) approximately $46,000 related to marketing expenses; and
5) approximately $33,000 in consulting fees. In 2003, our material operating expenses were:
1) approximately $200,000 in consulting fees to Green Way;
2) approximately $87,000 for permitting activities;
3) approximately $65,000 in consulting fees; and
4) approximately $52,000 in payments to our project coordinator.
Our operating expenses were approximately $156,000 and $110,000 for
the quarters ended March 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively. Our operating expenses increased by approximately $46,000 or 43%.
This increase is primarily due to costs associated with starting construction on our plant,
professional and consulting fees. In the quarter ended March 31, 2006, our material operating
expenses were: 1) approximately $69,000 related to legal fees; 2) approximately $19,000 related
to professional fees;
3) approximately $17,000 related to salaries; and
4) approximately $14,000 related to consulting fees. In the quarter ended March 31, 2005,
our material operating expenses were: 1) approximately $49,000 related to marketing our
company; 2) approximately $17,000 for project coordinator; and 3) approximately
$14,000 in consulting services.
We believe that our operating expenses will increase significantly in 2006 as a result of the
completion of our plant, expected in November 2006, the preparation and training for the
commencement of operations, and the registration of the membership
units with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
36
Other Income, Net
Interest expense was approximately $278,000, $0 and $0 for the years
ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Interest expense
increased resulting from the recognition of a derivative loss in connection with our
interest rate swap contract which was entered into to effectively fix the interest rate of
approximately $27,600,000 of our future debt.
Interest income was approximately $588,000, $47,000 and $0 for the
years ended December 31, 2005,
2004 and 2003, respectively. Interest income
increased due to interest earned on the equity raised from member investments. Interest income
was approximately $545,000 and $63,000 for the quarters ended March
31, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Interest income increased due to and the recognition of a derivative gain in connection with our
interest rate
swap contract which was entered into to effectively fix the interest rate of approximately
$27,600,000 of our future debt. We do not expect to receive any significant interest income
in 2006 other than possible recognition of gain in connection with our interest rate swap
contract.
Grant income was approximately $50,000, $100,000 and $0 for the years
ended December 31, 2005,
2004 and 2003,
respectively.
Grant income was approximately $0 and $50,000 for the quarters ended March 31, 2006 and 2005,
respectively.
Grant income relates to the grant we were awarded from Ag Products Utilization
Council in the amount of $150,000.
Plan of Operations Until Start-Up of Ethanol Plant
We expect the project will cost approximately $99,000,000 to complete. This includes
approximately $76,000,000 to build the plant and an additional $23,000,000 in other capital
expenditures and working capital. We are still in the development and construction phase, and
until the proposed ethanol plant is operational, we will generate no revenue. We anticipate that
accumulated losses will continue to increase until the ethanol plant is operational.
We expect to spend at least the next 12 months focused on plant construction and start-up
operations. During this time, we expect to finalize the construction phase within budget, hire and
train all plant personnel and operate the plant at the anticipated 50 million gallon per year
production capacity efficiently. As of the date of this filing, we have already paid approximately
$45,000,000 to Fagen, Inc. our construction company, related to the construction of our plant. We
expect to spend approximately $31,000,000 in the next 12 months to complete construction.
Project Capitalization
Between September 2003 and January 2004, we raised $1,200,000 in our seed capital offering and
an additional $36,717,724 from the sale of our units in a North Dakota-only registered offering
from March 30, 2004 to March 1, 2006. In addition, on December 16, 2005, we closed on a
construction loan agreement with First National Bank of Omaha of $59,712,000, which includes
$55,211,740 for construction costs, a revolving line of credit of $3,500,000 and a Letter of Credit
up to $1,000,000. We also closed on three subordinated debt agreements, one each with Fagen,
GreenWay and ICM. The subordinated debt agreements are for up to $1,000,000, $1,525,000 and
$3,000,000 respectively, and are subordinated in full to the construction loan agreement.
Site Acquisition and Development
On March 22, 2004, January 13, 2005 and July 11, 2005, we acquired a total of approximately
135 acres of land just east of Richardton, North Dakota as the site for our plant. We paid
approximately $302,000 for the site. Plant construction commenced on the site in October 2005 in
accordance with a Lump Sum Design-Build Agreement with Fagen, Inc
Plant Construction and Start-Up of Plant Operations
We expect to complete construction of the plant and commence operations in November 2006. We
believe we have sufficient cash on hand to cover construction and related start-up costs necessary
to make the plant operational. We estimate that we will need approximately $76,000,000 to
construct the plant and a total of approximately $23,000,000 to cover all capital expenditures
necessary to complete the project, make the plant operational and produce revenue.
37
Trends and Factors that May Affect Future Operating Results
Ethanol Supports
We expect to receive significant benefits from federal and state statutes, regulations and
programs. The trend at the governmental level appears to be to continue to try to provide economic
support to the ethanol industry. Notwithstanding the above, changes to federal and state statutes,
regulations or programs could have an adverse effect on our business. Recent federal legislation,
however, has benefited the ethanol industry. In 2005, the Energy Policy Act was passed which
contained a new support program, the RFS, which requires fuel refiners to use a certain minimum
amount of renewable fuels (including ethanol) which will rise to 7.5 billion gallons by 2012. The
Energy Policy Act also provides a small producer credit allowing qualifying producers to deduct
from their federal income taxes $0.10 per gallon for the first 15 million gallons of ethanol
produced in a given year. The VEETC, which provides a volumetric ethanol excise tax credit of 5.1
cents per gallon of ethanol blended at 10%, also encourages refiners and gasoline blenders to use
ethanol.
Clean air standards mandated by federal agencies continue to require major population centers
to blend ethanol into their gasoline supplies as an oxygenate, in order to reduce harmful
emissions. These mandates have been challenged legally in certain metropolitan areas. We could be
significantly and adversely impacted by an unsuccessful outcome in this litigation, or by the
removal of or adverse changes to these standards.
Competition and Product Demand
Ethanol demand in the United States in 2005 was approximately equal to ethanol production in
the United States in 2005 at 4.3 billion gallons, according to the RFA. Plans to construction new
ethanol plants or expand existing plants have been announced which would increase ethanol
production (if all plants and expansions are completed) to approximately 6.3 billion gallons.
Ethanol demand is influenced primarily by its cost in relation to availability and cost of
gasoline and other octane enhancing products, and also by availability of alternative oxygenates
(where oxygenated fuels are required). The dramatic increase in gasoline prices in 2005 has
increased demand for ethanol as a fuel extender, as the net cost of ethanol to blenders became less
than unblended gasoline. With continued strong oil prices in 2006, and a corresponding increase in
gasoline pricing, ethanol has become a much more competitive product in the marketplace. While a
similarly dramatic decrease in the price of oil would have a negative effect on ethanol demand,
such a decrease is not currently anticipated by most industry analysts. This increasing interest
in ethanol could result in additional demand for ethanol and also additional production capacity
being planned and built. The Renewable Fuels Association is predicting an additional two billion
gallons of ethanol production in the next 14 months. This additional production will come both
from new plants already under construction and existing plants that are currently expanding.
Demand for ethanol may also increase as a result of increased consumption of E85 fuel. E85
fuel is a blend of 70% to 85% ethanol and gasoline. According to the Energy Information
Administration, E85 consumption is projected to increase from a national total of 11 million
gallons in 2003 to 47 million gallons in 2025. E85 is used as an aviation fuel and as a hydrogen
source for fuel cells. In the United States, there are approximately 3 million flexible fuel
vehicles capable of operating on E85 and 650 retail stations supplying it. Automakers have
indicated plans to produce an estimated 2 million more flexible fuel vehicles per year.
Negative publicity received by a competing oxygenate of ethanol, MTBE, in California and other
states has also affected ethanol demand. Based on the discovery of MTBE in local water supplies,
then California Governor Gray Davis issued an executive order in March of 1999 calling for the
elimination of MTBE from California gasoline supplies by December 31, 2002. Other states have also
legislated restrictions on the use of MTBE on the basis that the environmental risk of its use
outweighs the air quality benefit. Under the provisions of the Federal 1990 Clean Air Act,
gasoline used in certain air quality non-attainment areas must contain a certain oxygen content
during the wintertime months of September through March. Ethanol and MTBE are the two most common
oxygenates. When MTBE use is limited, ethanol demand and usage will be substantially increased.
The east coast areas of New York and Connecticut began using ethanol blended gasoline as of January
1, 2005, thus further increasing demand. The continued enforcement of the oxygenate standard could
have a significant positive impact on ethanol demand. The replacement of MTBE with ethanol in
California, Connecticut and New York will require approximately 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol each
year to be consumed in those areas.
38
Nationally, there is also a movement to eliminate MTBE. In addition to individual states
which have restricted its use, federal legislation (as discussed above) has been proposed which has
focused on a compromise solution which would phase out MTBE, eliminate the oxygen requirement of
the Clean Air Act, and replace it with a renewable fuels content requirement that gradually
increases over the next several years. If this solution were adopted, we believe that it would
significantly increase the demand for ethanol over this time period. In short, current law is
favorable to ethanol in that it requires oxygenate blending. If MTBE usage is reduced and the law
is not changed, or if the oxygen requirement is replaced with a similar renewable fuels
requirement, the ethanol industry stands to see stronger demand. Conversely, the elimination of
the oxygen requirement without adopting a renewable fuels requirement (or other similar incentive
for ethanol blending) could have a significantly negative impact on both ethanol demand and
pricing.
Commodity Prices
Corn
Our primary grain feedstock will be corn. The cost of corn is dependent upon factors that are
generally unrelated to those affecting the price of ethanol. Corn prices generally vary with
international and regional grain supplies, and can be significantly affected by weather, planting
and carryout projections, government programs, exports, and other international and regional market
conditions.
Due to the significant expansion of the ethanol industry, corn futures have recently started
to respond to this new demand. This trend is likely to continue but certainly is not the only
factor. Factors such as USDA estimates of acres planted, corn yield increases per acre, export
demand and domestic usage also have significant effects on the corn market. Ultimately, weather
has and will probably continue to weigh the heaviest on the corn market. Current USDA estimates
show a two billion bushel excess supply of corn from 2005. This large amount of excess corn should
help limit the volatility of, and increases in, corn prices well into the 2006 spring planting
season. Then other factors such as acres planted and weather could start to have more of an impact
and lead to potentially volatile and higher corn prices.
Coal
Lignite coal is also an important input commodity to our manufacturing process. We estimate
that our lignite coal usage will be approximately 3.5% of our annual
total production cost, based on a price per ton of
$18.28, based on our ten year Coal supply agreement. We
will use lignite coal to produce ethanol and to dry our distillers grains products to moisture
contents at which they can be stored for long periods of time, and can be transported greater
distances.
We expect to purchase coal from Western North Dakota. In 2004, according to the United States
Energy Information Agency, North Dakota produced 29,943,000 tons of lignite and 30,775,000 tons in
2003. Coal supply is not expected to be a problem, as North Dakota and reserves in the Unites
States are plentiful and expected to last, even with increased demand, for greater than the
expected lifespan of our plant. Coal availability is subject to various factors including demand
from United States and international customers, governmental regulation and environment and safety
issues.
Recently, the price of lignite coal has risen along with other energy sources. Coal prices
are considerably higher than the 10-year average, due to increased economic and industrial activity
in the United States and internationally, most notably China. We assume that there will be
continued volatility in the lignite coal markets. Any ongoing increases in the price of lignite
coal will increase our cost of production and may negatively impact our future profit margins.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
As
of March 31, 2006, we had total assets of approximately $44,763,000 consisting primarily
of cash and equivalents financing costs and construction in progress.
As of March 31, 2006, we had current
liabilities of approximately $8,941,000 consisting primarily of accounts payable related to the
construction of the plant. Total members equity as of March 31,
2006, was approximately
$35,822,000 consisting primarily of member contributions, net of accumulated losses. Since our
inception, we have generated no revenue from operations. From our inception to
39
March 31,
2006, we have an accumulated net loss of approximately $2,046,000 consisting
primarily of start-up business costs.
As
of March 31, 2006, we had material commitments related to our construction agreement with
Fagen in the amount of approximately $76,000,000 and remaining material commitments related to our
consulting agreement with GreenWay in the amount of approximately
$1,550,000. As of March 31, 2006, we paid approximately $18,909,000 to Fagen from the proceeds from our equity financings.
Based on our cash on hand as of the date hereof, including the loan proceeds available to us as
described above, we believe that we will have adequate cash reserves and available lines of credit
after construction is completed and payment of the remaining amounts to GreenWay so that we can
fund our operations and service our debt until such time as we receive revenues from sales of our
ethanol and co-products.
As of the date hereof, we have expended all funds from our equity financings. All of these
proceeds were devoted to our construction expenses and general operating expenses. Current and
remaining operating expenses, including all remaining construction costs will be paid for with the
proceeds from our loan agreements. We anticipate that we have
sufficient funds available from our loan agreements to meet our working capital requirements
for the next 12 months.
Recent unregistered sales of securities
Based on our business plan and current construction cost estimates, we believe the total
project will cost approximately $99,000,000. We raised $1,200,000 in our seed capital offering and
approximately an additional $36,714,700 from our North Dakota only offering.
Between September 2003 and January 2004, we received the proceeds from our seed capital offering
and between March 2004 and March 2006, we received the proceeds from our North Dakota only
offering. In April 2004, we closed on the minimum offering amount and on March 2006, we closed the
offering.
Construction Loan Agreements
In December 2005, we entered into a construction loan agreement with a bank providing for a
total credit facility of approximately $59,712,000 for the purpose of funding the construction of
the plant. The construction loan agreement requires us to maintain certain financial ratios and
meet certain non-financial covenants. The loan agreement is secured by substantially all of our
assets and includes the terms as described below.
Construction Loan
The construction loan agreement provides for a construction loan for up to an amount of
approximately $55,212,000 with a loan termination date of April 16, 2007. Interest is to be
charged at a rate of 3.4% over LIBOR, which totaled 8.2% at
March 31, 2006. The agreement
calls for interest only payments to be made every three months beginning March 2006 through the
loan termination date.
At the loan termination date, all principal and unpaid interest will be paid out through three
term notes each with specific interest rates and payment terms as described in the construction
loan agreement.
The first of the three notes is a Fixed Rate Note in the amount of approximately $27,606,000
with interest payments made on a quarterly basis and charged at fixed rate of 3.0% over LIBOR on
the date of the construction loan termination date. Principal payments are to be made quarterly
according to repayment terms of the construction loan agreement, generally beginning at
approximately $470,000 and increasing to $653,000 per quarter, from April 2007 to October 2011,
with a final principal payment of approximately 17,000,000 at January 2012.
The second term note is referred to as the Variable Rate Note and is in the amount of
approximately $17,606,000. Interest will be charged at a variable rate of 3.4% over the
three-month LIBOR rate.
The third term note, the Long-Term Revolving Note, in the amount of approximately $10,000,000,
will be charged interest at a variable rate of 3.4% over the one-month LIBOR rate. The agreement
calls for payments of approximately $1,005,000 to be made each quarter with amounts allocated to
the term notes in the following manner: 1) to accrued interest on the Long-Term Revolving Note, 2)
to accrued interest on the Variable Rate Note, and 3) to the principal balance on the Variable Rate
Note.
All unpaid amounts on the three term notes are due and payable in April 2012. There were no
outstanding borrowings on the construction loan at March 31, 2006.
We
are subject to a number of covenants and restrictions in connection with this loan,
including:
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providing the bank with current and
accurate financial statements;
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maintaining certain financial ratios,
minimum net worth, and working capital;
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maintaining adequate insurance;
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make or allow to be made, any
signficant change in our business or tax structure; and
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limiting our ability to make
distributions to members.
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The
construction loan agreement also contains a number of events of
default, which if any of which were to occur, would give the bank
certain rights, including, but not limited to:
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declaring all the debt owed to the
bank immediately due and payable; and
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taking possession of all of our
assets, including any contract rights.
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The bank could then sell all
of our assets or business and apply any proceeds to repay their
loans. We would continue to be liable to repay any loan amounts still
outstanding.
Revolving Line of Credit
We entered into a $3,500,000 line of credit agreement with a bank, subject to certain
borrowing base limitations, through December 2006. Interest is payable quarterly and charged on
all borrowings at a rate of 3.4% over LIBOR, which totaled 8.2% at
March 31, 2006. There were
no outstanding borrowings at March 31, 2006.
Interest Rate Swap Agreement
The construction loan agreement provides for us to enter into interest rate swap contracts for
up to approximately $2,800,000. In December 2005, we entered into an interest rate swap
transaction that effectively fixes the interest rate at 8.08% on approximately $27.6 million of any
outstanding principal of the construction loan. The interest rate swap was not designated as
either a cash flow or fair value hedge. Market value adjustments and
40
net
settlements are charged to interest expense. For the quarter ended
March 31, 2006 and the year ended December 31, 2005, there
were no net settlements, and market value adjustments increased
interest income by approximately $404,000 and increased interest expense by approximately
$278,000, respectively.
Letters of Credit
The construction loan agreement provides for up to $1,000,000 in letters of credit with the
bank to be used for any future line of credit requested by a supplier
to the plant. All letters of credit are due and payable at the loan
termination date in April 2007.
The construction loan agreement provides for us to pay a quarterly commitment fee of 2.25% of all
outstanding letters of credit. At March 31, 2006, there were no outstanding letters of credit.
Subordinated Debt
As part of the construction loan agreement, we entered into three separate subordinated debt
agreements totaling approximately $5,525,000. Interest is charged at a rate of 2.0% over the
Variable Rate Note interest rate and is due and payable subject to approval by the Senior Lender,
the bank. Interest is compounding with any unpaid interest converted to principal. Amounts will
be due and payable in full in April 2012. There were no amounts
outstanding at March 31, 2006
as subordinated debt agreements are not in effect until amounts are
withdrawn on the construction loan.
To date we have spent approximately $45,000,000 in construction and related costs on the plant
construction. We anticipate that capital expenditures for the remainder of 2006 will be
approximately $31,000,000 to complete our plant. We do not anticipate any other material
expenditures over the next year.
Grants
We have been awarded
a grant from Ag Products Utilization Council grant in the amount of
$150,000 which was used in 2005 and 2004 for general business expenses, including legal and
accounting. We also received a grant from the North Dakota Lignite Council in the amount of
$350,000. This grant requires a portion of the proceeds to be repaid over a
period of 10 years at $22,000 per year and the remainder to be
forgiven upon the fulfillment of certain conditions.
Fuel Tax Incentive Program
We expect to qualify for North Dakotas fuel tax fund incentive program. Ethanol plants
constructed after July 31, 2003 are eligible for incentives. Under the program, each fiscal
quarter eligible ethanol plants may receive a production incentive based on the average North
Dakota price per bushel of corn received by farmers during the quarter, as established by the North
Dakota agricultural statistics service, and the average North Dakota rack price per gallon of
ethanol during the quarter, as compiled by AXXIS petroleum. Because we cannot predict the future
prices of corn and ethanol, we cannot predict whether we will receive any funds in the future. The
incentive received is calculated by using the sum arrived at for the corn price average and for the
ethanol price averages as calculated in number 1 and number 2 below:
1. Corn Price:
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a.
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For every cent that the average quarterly price per bushel
of corn exceeds $1.80, the state shall add to the amounts
payable under the program $.001 multiplied by the number of
gallons of ethanol produced by the facility during the
quarter.
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b.
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If the average quarterly price per bushel of corn is
exactly $1.80, the state shall not add anything to the
amount payable under the program.
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|
c.
|
|
For every cent that the average quarterly price per bushel
of corn is below $1.80, the state shall subtract from the
amounts payable under the program $.001 multiplied by the
number of gallons of ethanol produced by the facility
during the quarter.
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41
2.
Ethanol Price:
|
a.
|
|
For every cent that the average quarterly rack price per
gallon of ethanol is above $1.30, the state shall subtract
from the amounts payable under the program $.002 multiplied
by the number of gallons of ethanol produced by the
facility during the quarter.
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|
|
b.
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|
If the average quarterly price per gallon of ethanol is
exactly $1.30, the state shall not add anything to the
amount payable under the program.
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|
|
c.
|
|
For every cent that the average quarterly rack price per
gallon of ethanol is below $1.30, the state shall add to
the amounts payable under the program $.002 multiplied by
the number of gallons of ethanol produced by the facility
during the quarter.
|
Under the program, no facility may receive payments in excess of $10 million. If corn prices
are low compared to historical averages and ethanol prices are high compared to historical
averages, we will receive little or no funds from this program.
In addition, our investors may be eligible for a tax credit against North Dakota state income
tax liability. The amount of credit for which a taxpayer may be eligible is 30% of the amount
invested by the taxpayer in a qualified business during the taxable year. Under the code section,
a qualified business is a business that:
|
a.
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Is incorporated or organized in North Dakota after December 31, 2000, for the primary purpose of
processing and marketing agricultural commodities capable of being raised in North Dakota;
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|
b.
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Has been certified by the North Dakota Securities Commissioner to be in compliance under the
securities laws of North Dakota;
|
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|
c.
|
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Has an agricultural commodity processing facility, or intends to locate one, in North Dakota; and
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|
d.
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Is among the first 10 businesses that meet these requirements.
|
The maximum annual credit a taxpayer may receive is $50,000 and no taxpayer may obtain more
than $250,000 in credits over any combination of taxable years. In addition, a taxpayer may claim
no more than 50% of the credit in a single year and the amount of the credit allowed for any
taxable year may not exceed 50% of the tax liability, as otherwise determined. Credits may carry
forward for up to five years after the taxable year in which the investment was made. We may not
be able to meet the requirements of a through d above. If we dont meet the requirements of a
qualified business, you will not be eligible for a tax credit.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have not entered into any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely
to have a current or future affect on our financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of
operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors.
Contractual Obligations
We
have the following contractual obligations as of March 31, 2006:
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|
|
Payments Due by Period
|
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|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
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More than 5
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|
Contractual Obligations
|
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Total
|
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Less than 1 year
|
|
|
1-3 Years
|
|
|
Years
|
|
Purchase Option
(1)
|
|
$
|
76,000,000
|
|
|
$
|
31,000,000
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
Total contractual obligations
|
|
$
|
76,000,000
|
|
|
$
|
31,000,000
|
|
|
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0
|
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0
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|
|
|
(1)
|
|
Relates to our contract with Fagen. As of the date of this filing, we have
already paid approximately $45,000,000.
|
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2004, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 151, Inventory Costs an amendment of
ARB No. 43 (FAS 151), which is the result of its efforts to converge U.S. accounting standards
for inventories with International Accounting Standards. FAS No. 151 requires idle facility
expenses, freight, handling costs, and
42
wasted material (spoilage) costs to be recognized as
current-period charges. It also requires that allocation of fixed production overheads to the
costs of conversion be based on the normal capacity of the production facilities. FAS No. 151 will
be effective for inventory costs incurred during fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. The
adoption of FAS 151 will have no impact on the Companys consolidated financial position, results
of operations or cash flows.
In
December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 123R,
Share-Based Payment. SFAS No 123R is a revision
of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation. Among other items, SFAS 123R requires
companies to recognize the cost of employee services received in
exchange for awards of equity instruments, based on the grant date
fair value of those awards, in the financial statements. While
SFAS 123R permits entities to continue to use an option pricing
model such as the Black-Scholes model currently used by the Company,
the standard also permits the use of a lattice model. The
Company will be required to adopt SFAS 123R during its interim
reporting period beginning January 1, 2006. The Company does not
believe that the adoption of SFAS 123R will have a significant
effect on its operations or financial position.
In May 2005, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error
Correctionsa replacement of APB Opinion No. 20 and FASB Statement No. 3 (FAS 154). FAS 154
replaces APB Opinion No. 20, Accounting Changes and FAS No. 3 Reporting Accounting Changes in
Interim Financial Statements, and changes the requirements for the accounting for and reporting of
a change in accounting principle. FAS 154 may require restatement of prior period financial
statements for certain changes in accounting principles. The retroactive application of a change
in accounting principle should be limited to the direct effect of the change. Changes in
depreciation, amortization or depletion methods should be accounted for as a change in accounting
estimate. Corrections of accounting errors will be accounted for under the guidance contained in
APB Opinion No. 20. The effective date of this new pronouncement is for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 2005 and prospective application is required. The Company does not expect the
adoption of FAS 154 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
We do not expect that the adoption of other recent accounting pronouncements will have a
material impact on our financial statements.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Our operations will be exposed to market risks primarily as a result of changes in interest
rates and commodity prices. We do not intend to use derivative financial instruments for
speculative or trading purposes.
Interest Rate Risk
We expect to be exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates when we begin to draw
upon our existing debt facilities. While we have no outstanding debt
as of March 31, 2006 or as
of the date hereof, we expect that we will incur significant debt in the near future are
construction on our plant proceeds and we need additional capital. Exposure to interest rate risk
results from holding our credit agreements. The specifics of each credit agreement are discussed
in greater detail in the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation in this document.
We expect to use debt to finance a significant amount of our expenditures in 2006. These
agreements will expose us to market risk related to changes in interest rates.
Commodity Price Risk
We also expect to be exposed to market risk from changes in commodity prices. Exposure to
commodity price risk results from our dependence on corn and coal in the ethanol production
process, and the sale of ethanol. We will seek to minimize the risks from fluctuations in the
prices of corn through the use of hedging instruments. In practice, as markets move, we will
actively manage our risk and adjust hedging strategies as appropriate. Although we believe our
hedge positions will accomplish an economic hedge against our future purchases, they likely will
not qualify for hedge accounting, which would match the gain or loss on our hedge positions to the
specific commodity purchase being hedged. We intend to use fair value accounting for our hedge
positions, which means as the current market price of our hedge positions changes, the gains and
losses are immediately recognized in our cost of sales. For example, we would generally expect
that a 10% increase in the cash price of corn would produce a $100,000 increase in the fair value
of our derivative instruments. Whereas a 10% decrease in the cash price of corn would likely
produce a $100,000 decrease in the fair value of our derivatives.
The immediate recognition of hedging gains and losses under fair value accounting can cause
net income to be volatile from quarter to quarter due to the timing of the change in value of the
derivative instruments relative to the cost and use of the commodity
being hedged. As of March 31, 2006, we had no derivative instruments for
43
corn and ethanol. There are several variables that
could affect the extent to which our derivative instruments are impacted by price fluctuations in
the cost of corn or ethanol. However, it is likely that commodity cash prices will have the
greatest impact on the derivatives instruments with delivery dates nearest the current cash price.
To manage our corn price risk, our hedging strategy will be designed to establish a price
ceiling for our corn purchases. We intend to take a net long position on our exchange traded
futures and options contracts, which should allow us to offset increases or decreases in the market
price of corn. The upper limit of loss on our futures contracts will be the difference between the
futures price and the cash market price of corn at the time of the execution of the contract. The
upper limit of loss on our exchange traded and over-the-counter option contracts will be limited to
the amount of the premium we paid for the option.
We estimate that our expected corn usage will be approximately 18 million bushels per year for
the production of 50 million gallons of ethanol. As of today, we have no cash, futures, and option
contract price protection for our expected corn usage through December 31, 2006. Once we commence
operations, we intend to contract for price protection for our corn usage. As corn prices move in
reaction to market trends and information, our income statement will be affected depending on the
impact such market movements have on the value of our derivative instruments. Depending on market
movements, crop prospects and weather, these price protection positions may cause immediate adverse
effects but are expected to produce long-term positive growth for the Company.
We intend to manage our ethanol price risk by setting a hedging strategy designed to establish
a price floor for our ethanol sales. At present, the price of ethanol has increased. In the
future, we may not be able to sell ethanol at a favorable price relative to gasoline prices, we
also may not be able to sell ethanol at prices equal to or more than our current price. This would
limit our ability to offset our costs of production.
To manage our ethanol price risk, Renewable Products Marketing Group will have a percentage of
our future production gallons contracted through fixed price contracts, ethanol rack hedges and gas
plus hedges. We communicate closely with Renewable Products Marketing Group to ensure that they
are not over marketing our groups ethanol volume by updating them continuously on the estimated
startup date for our operation which is currently November 2006. As ethanol prices move in
reaction to market trends and information, our income statement will be affected depending on the
impact such market movements have on the value of our derivative instruments. Depending on energy
market movements, crop prospects and weather, any price protection positions may cause short-term
adverse effects but are expected to produce long-term positive growth for the Company.
To manage our coal price risk, we entered into a Coal Purchase Agreement with our supplier to
supply us with coal, fixing the price at which we purchase coal. The price of coal has risen
substantially over the last several months and our strategy is to purchase coal based on our
operating assumptions once the plant is operational..
ITEM 3. PROPERTIES
The plant will be located just east of the city limits of Richardton, North Dakota, and just
north and east of entrance/exit ramps to Highway I-94. The plant complex will be situated inside a
footprint of approximately 25 acres of land which is part of an approximately 135 acre parcel which
we acquired ownership of in 2004 and 2005. Included in the immediate campus area of the plant will
be perimeter roads, buildings, tanks and equipment. A small administration building and parking
area will be located 400 feet from the plant complex and will utilize an additional acre of land
within the approximately 135 acre parcel. We believe that our plant complex and property will be
sufficient for our operations in the foreseeable future.
44
ITEM 4.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
As of the date of this Form 10, our holders of 5% of more of our membership units own
membership units, based on 40,373,970 membership units outstanding, as follows:
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Name and Address of
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Amount and Nature
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Title of Class
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Beneficial Owner
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of Beneficial Owner
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Percent of Class
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Class A Membership Units
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Bachmeier Farms
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2,620,000
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(1)
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6.49
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%
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3150 136
th
Avenue NE
Baldwin, ND 58521
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Class A Membership Units
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Mark Erickson
3516 Falcon Drive SE
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2,249,000
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(2)
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5.57
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%
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Mandan, ND 58554
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Total: 4,869,000
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Total 12.06%
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(1)
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Bachmeier Farms is a Partnership, whose partners have direct beneficial ownership of all of
the membership units.
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(2)
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|
Mark Erickson has direct beneficial ownership of all of the membership units.
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As of the date of this Form 10, our governors and executive officers own membership units,
based on 40,373,970 membership units outstanding, as follows:
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|
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Name of
|
|
Amount and Nature
|
|
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Title of Class
|
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Beneficial Owner
|
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of Beneficial Owner
|
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Percent of Class
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Class A Membership Units
|
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Ambrose Hoff
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270,000
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(1)
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|
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*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
William A. Price
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|
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805,000
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(2)
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|
|
1.99
|
%
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
William DuToit
|
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|
160,000
|
(3)
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|
|
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*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Ron Aberle
|
|
|
372,920
|
(4)
|
|
|
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*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Mike Appert
|
|
|
1,020,000
|
(5)
|
|
|
2.53
|
%
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Jody Hoff
|
|
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742,850
|
(6)
|
|
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1.84
|
%
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Grant Hoovestol
|
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526,650
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(7)
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|
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1.30
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%
|
Class A Membership Units
|
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Troy Jangula
|
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500,000
|
(8)
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1.24
|
%
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Tim Gross
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440,000
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(9)
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1.09
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%
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
William Cornatzer
|
|
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350,000
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(10)
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|
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*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Kenny Meier
|
|
|
310,000
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(11)
|
|
|
|
*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Marlyn Richter
|
|
|
160,000
|
(12)
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|
|
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*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Fred Braun
|
|
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97,056
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(13)
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|
|
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*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Don Streifel
|
|
|
95,000
|
(14)
|
|
|
|
*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Duane Zent
|
|
|
57,000
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(15)
|
|
|
|
*
|
Class A Membership Units
|
|
Mick Miller
|
|
|
55,000
|
(16)
|
|
|
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*
|
All executive
officers and governors as a group (16
persons)
|
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Total: 5,961,476
|
|
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Total: 14.76
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
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Designates less than one percent ownership.
|
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(1)
|
|
Includes 250,000 Units held jointly with Mr. Hoffs spouse, 10,000 Units held beneficially in
his IRA account and 10,000 Units held directly by Mr. Hoffs spouse.
|
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(2)
|
|
Includes 300,000 Units which Mr. Price owns jointly with his brother, 100,000 Units held
jointly with his brother and mother, and 10,000 Units which Mr. Prices owns jointly with his
spouse. Additionally, 395,000 Units are held by Missouri River Feeders LLP of which Mr. Price
is a partner and the President.
|
|
(3)
|
|
Includes 100,000 Units which Mr. DuToit holds beneficially in his IRA account and 60,000
Units he holds jointly with his spouse.
|
|
(4)
|
|
Includes 160,000 Units held jointly with Mr. Aberles spouse and 12,920 held beneficially in
Mr. Aberles IRA account. Additionally, 200,000 Units are held by Aberle Farms of which Mr.
Aberle is a partner and of which he disclaims beneficial ownership.
|
|
(5)
|
|
Includes 300,000 Units owned directly, 300,000 Units which Mr. Appert owns jointly with his
spouse and 100,000 units held directly by his son which Mr. Appert disclaims beneficial
ownership. Additionally, 160,000 Units are held by Appert Acres, Inc., of which Mr. Appert is
a partial owner and of which Mr. Appert disclaims beneficial ownership and 160,000 Units are
held by Appert Farms, Inc., of which Mr. Appert is a partial owner and of which Mr. Appert
disclaims beneficial ownership.
|
|
(6)
|
|
Includes 17,500 Units owned jointly with Mr. Hoffs spouse, 14,000 held individually, 10,000
Units held jointly with Trent Schneider and 10,000 held beneficially in Mr. Hoffs IRA
account. Additionally, 691,350
Units are held by Richardton Investments, LLC, of which Mr. Hoff is a partial owner and of
which Mr. Hoff disclaims beneficial ownership.
|
|
(7)
|
|
All 526,650 Units are held by March Madness, LLC, of which Mr. Hoovestol is an owner and a
governor.
|
|
(8)
|
|
Includes 200,000 Units held individually, 150,000 Units which Mr. Jangula holds jointly with
his spouse and 150,000 Units issued in the name of Four Star Farm Services Inc. of which Mr.
Jangula is a partial owner and of which Mr. Jangula disclaims beneficial ownership.
|
45
|
|
|
(9)
|
|
All 440,000 Units are held by Mr. Gross individually.
|
|
(10)
|
|
300,000 Units are held beneficially by Dr. Cornatzer in the William E. Cornatzer MD Target
Benefit Plan and 50,000 Units are held jointly with his spouse.
|
|
(11)
|
|
270,000 Units are held jointly by Mr. Meier with his spouse, 20,000 Units are held jointly
with his son and 20,000 Units are held jointly with his daughter.
|
|
(12)
|
|
Includes 15,000 Units held jointly with Mr. Richters spouse and 145,000 Units held by
Richter Farms LLP of which Mr. Richter is a partner and of which Mr. Richter disclaims
beneficial ownership.
|
|
(13)
|
|
63,000 Units are held jointly with Mr. Brauns spouse, 17,000 are held individually and
17,056 are held by Mr. Brauns wife in her IRA account, of which Mr. Braun disclaims
beneficial ownership.
|
|
(14)
|
|
All Units are held jointly with Mr. Streifels spouse.
|
|
(15)
|
|
All Units are held jointly with Mr. Zents spouse.
|
|
(16)
|
|
All Units are held by Mr. Miller individually.
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ITEM 5. GOVERNORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Our Member Control Agreement provides that our Board of Governors is comprised of at least
seven members. Currently our Board consists of 15 Governors. At our first Annual Meeting of
Members after the plant is operational, our Board size will be reduced to seven Governors. At such
time, we will adopt a staggered board of governors, where two governors shall serve for one year,
two governors shall serve for two years, and three governors shall serve for three years. The
successors for each group of governors shall be elected for a three-year term and at that point.
Each governor position is designated as either Group I (serving one year), Group II (serving two
years) and Group III (serving three years). None of our governors or executive officers has any
experience working with financial accounting and preparation of reports under the Exchange Act.
Identification of Governors, Executive Officers and Significant Employees
The following table shows the governors and executive officers of Red Trail Energy, LLC as of
the date of this Form 10:
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Governor
|
|
Office
|
Ambrose R. Hoff
|
|
President and Governor
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William A. Price
|
|
Vice President and Governor
|
William N. DuToit
|
|
Treasurer and Governor
|
Ron Aberle
|
|
Interim Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Governor
|
Jody Hoff
|
|
Governor
|
Mike Appert
|
|
Governor
|
Jody Hoff
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Governor
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Grant Hoovestol
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Governor
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Troy Jangula
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Governor
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Tim Gross
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Governor
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William Cornatzer
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Governor
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Kenny Meier
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Governor
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Marlyn Richter
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Governor
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Fred Braun
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Governor
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Don Streifel
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Governor
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Duane Zent
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Governor
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Mick
Miller
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General Manager
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Business Experience of Governors and Executive Officers
The following is a brief description of the business experience and background of our
executive officers and governors. Generally, our governors and executive officers have little
experience in building, operating and
managing an ethanol plant or in marketing, selling and distributing ethanol distillers grains. No
company mentioned in these descriptions is publicly traded or required to file reports with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
46
Ambrose Hoff, President, Governor
, Age 55, 2461 81
st
Avenue Southwest, Hebron,
North Dakota, 58638
Mr. Hoff has been our Chief Executive Officer since inception. Mr. Hoff has authority over
our day-to-day operations, supervises our General Manager and presides over our board of governors
meetings. Since March 1987 to the present, Mr. Hoff has been president of Stone Mill, Inc., a
grain processing plant in Richardton, North Dakota. Beginning in January 2002 through the present,
Mr. Hoff has also served as chief executive officer of Amber Waves, Inc., a manufacturing facility
in Richardton, North Dakota. Currently and since December 2003, Mr. Hoff has been Vice President
and an active board member of Richardton Development Company, a consulting company for
development-stage ethanol enterprises located out of Richardton, North Dakota. Approximately 70%
of Mr. Hoffs time is devoted to Stone Mill, Inc.; 13% to Amber Waves, Inc.; only 2% is devoted to
Richardton Development Company; and the remaining 15% is devoted to management and board of
directors matters for the Company.
Mr. Hoff has served as our President and as a Governor since our inception.
Mr. Ambrose Hoff is the father of Mr. Jody Hoff.
William A. Price, Vice President, Governor
, Age 43, 2273 River Road, Price, North Dakota, 58530
Since January, 1983, Mr. Price has been the managing partner of Price Cattle Ranch LLP, a
cattle operation located in Price, North Dakota and the managing partner of Missouri River Feeders
LLP, a feedlot and diversified farm since May, 1998, also located in Price, North Dakota. Mr.
Price devotes 90% of his time to his cattle and farming enterprises and 10% to the Company.
Mr. Price has served as Vice President and as a Governor since our inception.
William N. DuToit, Treasurer, Governor
, Age 64, 10775 Chokecherry Drive, Bismarck, North Dakota,
58503
Mr. DuToit retired from the banking business in September 2004. Recently, in January 2006, he
became the chief financial officer of Charmark International LLC, a limited liability company that
provides seed capital and other start up services for ethanol plants, to which Mr. DuToit devotes
20% of this time. From October 1993 through September, 2004, Mr. DuToit was the Branch President
for Bremer Corporation of Saint Paul, Minnesota, a banking institution. Prior to Bremer
Corporation of Saint Paul, from January 1983 through September 1993, he was the Bank President of
64 MM Independent Bank. Mr. DuToit devotes about 10% of his time providing services as treasurer
and as a board member to the Company.
Mr. DuToit has served as Treasurer and as a Governor since our inception.
Ronald D. Aberle, Secretary, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Governor
, Age 43, 2300
158
th
Street Northeast, Menoken, North Dakota, 58558
Since January, 1997 Mr. Aberle has been the owner and managing partner of a diversified farm
and ranch which, in May, 2000, added an RV campground to the enterprise. Mr. Aberle devotes 90% of
his time to his farming and campground enterprises and 10% to interim chief financial officer and
governor duties for the Company.
Mr. Aberle has served as a Governor since our inception, has served as Secretary since March
22, 2006 and has served as our Interim Chief Financial Officer since July 13, 2006.
Mike Appert, Governor
, Age 37, 755 Highway 34, Hazelton, North Dakota, 58544
Mr. Appert has been the owner and President of Appert Acres, Inc., from March 1993 to the
present. Appert Acres, Inc. is a corn, soybean, sunflowers and small grains farming operation in
Hazelton, North Dakota. Mr. Appert is also currently and has been since March 1993, chief financial
officer of Appert Farms, Inc., a farming operation located in Hazelton, North Dakota, as well as
operating a Mycogen Seeds Dealership in Hazelton, North Dakota, since October 2000 to the
present.
Mr. Appert served as secretary from inception to March 22, 2006 when he resigned his position
to be appointed to our Audit Committee and has been a Governor since our inception.
47
Jody Hoff, Governor
, Age 33, 8601 Highway 10 East, Richardton, North Dakota, 58652
Since July 2001, Mr. Hoff has been a Mechanical Engineer registered with the State of North
Dakota. Since January 2002 to the present, Mr. Hoff has been a partner, Vice President, Chief
Engineer and Head of Operations of Amber Waves, Inc., a manufacturing facility located in
Richardton, North Dakota.
Mr. Hoff has served as a Governor since our inception and is a member of our Audit Committee.
Mr. Jody Hoff is the son of Mr. Ambrose Hoff.
Grant Hoovestol, Governor
, Age 45, 345 Cherry Court, West Fargo, North Dakota, 58078
Currently
and since October 2000, Mr. Hoovestol has owned and operated Great Plains Tower
Properties, a property rental company located in West Fargo, North Dakota. Additionally, since
January 2001 to the present, he has owned and operated Autotronics Unlimited located in West Fargo,
North Dakota. Mr. Hoovestol is also currently an owner of multiple rental properties in North
Dakota.
Mr. Hoovestol has been a Governor since our inception.
Troy Jangula, Governor
, Age 35, 701 Western Avenue, Hazelton, North Dakota, 58544
Currently and since February 2001, Mr. Jangula has been the owner and operator of Four Star
Farm Service Inc., which is a custom farming and application business based in Hazelton, North
Dakota. In addition, since March 1995 through the present, has operated a small grains and row
crop farm in Hazelton , North Dakota.
Mr. Jangula has served as a Governor since our inception.
Tim Gross, Governor
, Age 49, 6331 26
th
Avenue Southeast, Kintyre, North Dakota, 58549
Mr. Gross has operated, since May 1974 to the present, a grains, corn and sunflowers farm in
Kintyre, North Dakota. In addition to his farming background, Mr. Gross was President of Gross
Construction Company, located in Kintyre, North Dakota, from September 1978 to December 2001.
Mr. Gross has served as a Governor since our inception.
William E. Cornatzer, M.D., Governor
, Age 50, 400 Restful Drive, Bismarck, North Dakota, 58503
Dr. Cornatzer is currently, and has been since July 1985, a practicing physician in Bismarck
and Dickinson, North Dakota. In addition, presently and since February 1992, he has owned farms in
Oliver County and Burleigh County, North Dakota.
Dr. Cornatzer has served as a Governor since our inception.
Kenny Meier, Governor
, Age 45, 3511 Highway Three, Steel, North Dakota, 58482
Mr. Meier currently is and has been since January 1980 the owner and operator of Meier Farms
located in Steele, North Dakota.
Mr. Meier has served as a Governor since our inception.
Marlyn Richter, Governor
, Age 46, 14251 76
th
Avenue Southeast, Menoken, North Dakota,
58558
Mr. Richter is the third-generation owner, operator and General Manager of Richter Farms, LLP
and has been since June 1997. Richter Farms, LLP is a combination dairy, feedlot, ranching and
farming enterprise in Menoken, North Dakota. Presently and since January 1995, Mr. Richter has
also been a supervisor of the Burleigh County Soil Conservation District. Additionally, he
currently serves, and has since June 1999, on the Telfer Township and Telfer/Boyd/Missouri Zoning
Boards.
Mr. Richter has served as a Governor since our inception.
Mick
Miller, General Manager, Age 28, 2097 Entzel Drive North, Mandan, North Dakota, 58554.
Mr. Miller
is currently and has been since June of 2005 the General Manager for
the Company. Prior to joining the Company, he worked for Diversified
Energy Company LLC (DENCO), an ethanol plant in Morris, Minnesota beginning
in September 1999. At DENCO, Mr. Miller was Operations Supervisor from
July 2000 through May 2002 and Plant Manager from May 2002 to June
2005. Mr. Miller is currently and has been since September 2002
the Vice President of Operations for GreenWay Consulting, LLC. He has
served since May 2005 to the present on the Advisory Board for the
Process Plant Technology Program at Bismarck State College in
Bismarck, North Dakota. Mr. Miller devotes 95% of his time to the
Company and 5% of his time to GreenWay Consulting LLC.
48
Fred J. Braun, Governor
, Age 55, P.O. Box 1, Richardton, North Dakota, 58652
Mr. Braun is currently retired. He served as Postmaster for the United States Postal Services
from July 1978 to January 2005. He is active in the Richardton, North Dakota Volunteer Fire
Department, currently serving in the role as Chairman, having been appointed in December 2001, and
also as a fire fighter since March 1994.
Donald Streifel, Governor
, Age 61, 1076 Highway 83 Southwest, Washburn, North Dakota, 58577
Mr. Streifel currently, and has since March 1977, operates a grains, wheat, corn, soybeans and
pinto bean farm. He also currently, and has since October 1984, operates the Painted Woods
Insurance Agency. During the months of October through April in 1987 through 1990, he was a loan
officer at the Bank of North Dakota, using the summer months to sow his farm crops. From October
1967 through October 1984 he worked for the Farmers Home Administration as a County Supervisor.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
We established an audit committee consisting of three independent board members, Jody Hoff,
Fred Braun and Mike Appert. We do not have a financial expert on our board or audit committees.
We are not required to have an audit committee because we are not a listed issuer as defined in
Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Significant Consultants
GreenWay Consulting, LLC
We have entered into agreements with GreenWay Consulting, LLC (GreenWay) to manage our
start-up and construction, as well as to provide management services once our plant is operational.
We negotiated this agreement with GreenWay when neither GreenWay nor
any affiliate of GreenWay held any interest in or position with Red
Trail Energy. Gerald Bachmeier, the chief manager of GreenWay, is
also a partner in Bachmeier Farms, a holder of 6.49% of our currently
outstanding units. Pursuant to the Development Services Agreement dated December 17, 2003, GreenWay manages our
project development, plant construction and initial plant operations through startup, for a total
price of $3,050,000. Pursuant to the Management Agreement dated December 17, 2003, upon
commencement of operation of the plant, GreenWay will provide us with operations management,
including a general manager and a plant manager, at our plant for $200,000 per year, plus
reimbursement of these managers salaries and benefits, expected to exceed $100,000 per year. In
addition, we are obligated to pay GreenWay 4% of our pre-tax income, once the plant is in compliance with the engineers
performance standard, except for the reimbursement of the salary and
benefits of the General Manager and Plant Manager, which began in June 2006. There is a five-year term for
the Management Agreement.
Our
general manager, Mick Miller, manages our day-to-day operations.
ITEM 6. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Ambrose
Hoff is our Chief Executive Officer and has not received any compensation since
inception. We do not expect to compensate Mr. Hoff for his work.
The following table summarized the compensation earned by our Chief Executive Officer
and each of the other four most highly compensated executive officers in 2005, and for the years
indicated below.
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Annual Compensation
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Long-Term Compensation
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Securities
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Name and Principal
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Fiscal
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Restricted
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Underlying
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LTIP
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All Other
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Position
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Year
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Salary
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Bonus
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Other
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Stock Awards
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Options/SARS
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Payout
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Compensation
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Ambrose Hoff
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2005
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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Chief Executive
Officer
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2006
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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Mick Miller
(1)
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2005
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$
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130,000
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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General Manager
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2006
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$
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130,000
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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(1)
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Mr. Miller is currently compensated pursuant to our Development Services Agreement
with Greenway Consulting and will be compensated pursuant to our Management Agreement with Greenway
Consulting once plant operations commence.
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ITEM 7. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Since our inception, we have engaged in transactions with related parties. Such transactions
included the purchase of 3,600,000 membership units by our governors at inception for a total of
$1,200,000 or .33 per unit. Some of these original governors have
since resigned. Since then, we have not engaged in any
other related party transaction.
Conflicts of
interest may arise in the future as a result of the relationships between and among our members,
executive officers, governors and their affiliates, although our executive officers and governors
have fiduciary duties to us. We did not have a committee of independent governors or members or an
otherwise disinterested body to consider these transactions or arrangements that could have
resulted from conflicts of interest. We expect our Audit Committee to consider these transactions
in the future. Our Member Control Agreement permits us to enter into agreements with governors,
executive officers, members and their affiliates, provided that any such transactions are on terms
no more favorable to the governors, executive officers, members or their affiliates than generally
afforded to non-affiliated parties in a similar transaction. A majority of our governors who are
disinterested in such a transaction must approve the transaction and, acting as fiduciaries,
conclude that it is in our best interest.
At
the start of our project in September 2003, we granted our then project coordinator an option to purchase a total of
62,500 units from us as part of compensation for his work as Project Coordinator. In January 2006,
he purchased these units at $.10 per unit, for total consideration of
$6,250. As of January 2006, he is no longer involved with our
company.
49
ITEM 8. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The Company is not subject to any material legal proceedings or claims.
ITEM 9. MARKET PRICE OF AND DIVIDENDS ON THE REGISTRANTS
COMMON EQUITY AND OTHER MEMBER MATTERS
Market Information
There is no established trading market for our membership units. To maintain our partnership
tax status, members may not trade their membership units on an established securities market or
readily trade the membership units on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof).
All transfers are subject to a determination that the transfer will not cause us to be deemed a
publicly traded partnership.
We have restricted the ability of our members to transfer their membership units in our Member
Control Agreement. To help ensure that a secondary market does not develop, our Member Control
Agreement prohibits transfers without the approval of our Board of Governors. The Board of
Governors will not approve transfers unless they fall within safe harbors contained in the
publicly traded partnership rules under the Internal Revenue Code and the related rules and
regulations, as amended (the Tax Code), which include: (a) transfers by gift, (b) transfer upon
death of a member, (c) transfers between certain family members, and (d) transfers that comply with
the qualifying matching service requirements. Any transfers of membership units in violation of
the publicly traded partnership rules or without the prior consent of the board will be invalid.
Under the Tax Code, a matching service is qualified only if it meets a number of specified
requirements, including a requirement that the service only displays quotes that do not commit any
person to buy or sell an interest at the quoted price (non-firm price quotes) or quotes that
express an interest in acquiring an interest without an accompanying price (nonbinding indications
of interest) and does not display quotes at which any person is committed to buy or sell an
interest at the quoted price (firm quotes). The Tax Code also imposes restrictions on the timing
of entering into binding agreements for the sale of membership units and the closing of the sale of
such units, and further requires that the sum of the percentage interests transferred during the
entitys tax year (excluding private transfers) cannot exceed 10% of the total interests in
partnership capital or profits. We are currently examining whether to adopt such a matching
service, but we have made no final decision.
There are no outstanding warrants or options to purchase, or securities convertible into, our
membership units. As of July 19, 2006, there are 40,373,970 membership units that are eligible for
sale pursuant to Rule 144, however, our Board of Governors has adopted a policy to restrict the
transfer of our membership units for twelve months beginning March 2006 and North Dakota has
restricted transfer of the units sold in the North Dakota registered offering for nine months from
the date of the last sale in North Dakota, which was March 2006. We have not agreed to register
any membership units under the Securities Act for sale by members or that is being, or has been
publicly proposed to be, publicly offered by us.
Holders
As
of March 31, 2006, there were approximately 736 unit holders of the Companys membership
units determined by an examination of the Companys transfer
book. As of July 19, 2006, there were
792 unit holders of the Companys membership units determined by an examination of the Companys
transfer book.
Distributions
As
of March 31, 2006, we had not made any distributions and we do not anticipate doing so
until the plant is operational and generating profit and is able to do so pursuant to the terms of
our construction loan agreement.
We will make a public announcement of any distribution to members which have been approved by
our Board of Governors within the 60-day period prior to the commencement of the calendar trimester
in which the record date for the distribution would occur. The calendar trimester commencement
dates are December 1, April 1, and September 1, and the announcement by us would include both the
future record date for the distribution and the amount per membership unit of such distribution.
50
Our senior lender, First National Bank of Omaha, N.A., (First National Bank) must approve
any distributions as required under our loan agreements with First National Bank.
Any distributions are payable at the discretion of our Board of Governors, subject to the
provisions of the North Dakota Limited Liability Company Act, and our Member Control Agreement.
The Board of Governors has no obligation to distribute profits, if any, to members, and there can
be no assurance as to our ability to declare or pay distributions in the future. In addition, the
terms of the permanent debt financing agreements we entered into with First National Bank place
certain restrictions on our ability to makes distributions.
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
We currently have no equity compensation plan. On September 2003 we issued an option to
purchase 62,500 membership units to Frank Kirschenheiter in connection with his work as out project
coordinator at $.10 per unit exercise price. On January 9, 2006, Mr. Kirschenheiter exercised the
option in full and received 62,500 membership units. This plan was approved by the Board of
Governors, but not by the members. There is no registration rights agreement related to these
units and we do not intend to register them in the future.
Purchases of Equity Securities by Red Trail Energy
None.
ITEM 10. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES
Between September 2003 and December 2003, we sold 1,200,000 Class A Membership Units to our
seed capital investors at a price of $1.00 per unit and received aggregate proceeds of $1,200,000,
including subscriptions paid in January 2004. During January 2004, we conducted a three for one
unit split and issued an additional 2,400,000 Class A Membership Units to our seed capital
investors. In 2004 and 2005, we sold 29,998,266 Class A Membership Units to 736 investors at a
price of $1.00 per unit and received aggregate proceeds of $29,998,266. From January 2006 until we
closed the North Dakota only offering on March 1, 2006, we raised an additional $6,719,458 from the
sale of our Class A Membership Units to 56 investors at a price of $1.00 per unit. We claimed
exemption from federal registration with respect to our Class A Membership Unit sales due to the
application of Section 3(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933 (regarding intra-state offerings),
and state registration due to application of North Dakota Century Code Chapter 10-04. On January
09, 2006, we received $6,250 from Frank Kirschenheiter when he exercised an option granted to him
on August 1, 2003 in connection with his work done as a project coordinator and we issued to Mr.
Kirschenheiter 62,500 Class A Membership Units. The issuance of the Units was based on a Rule 701
federal exemption from registration. Between our seed capital round, the North Dakota only
offering and the option exercise, we sold 40,380,224 Class A Membership Units to 792 investors.
The recipients of securities in each such transaction represented their intention to acquire the
securities for investment only and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, any
distribution thereof, and appropriate legends were affixed to unit certificates and instruments
issued in such transactions. All recipients had adequate access, through their relationships with
us, to information about us. We used the proceeds from the sales of these securities to finance
our start-up activities.
ITEM 11. DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANTS SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED
We elected to organize as a limited liability company rather than a corporation because we
wish to qualify for partnership tax treatment for federal and state income tax purposes with our
earnings or losses passing through to our members and subject to taxation at the member level. As
a unit holder and a member of the limited liability company, an investor will be entitled to
certain economic rights, such as the right to the distributions that
accompany the units and to certain other rights, such as the right to vote at our member meetings.
In the event that an investors membership in the limited liability company later terminates, that
investor may continue to own units and retain economic rights such as the right to the
distributions. However, termination of the membership would result in the loss of other rights
such as the right to vote at our member meetings. At formation we elected a period of perpetual
duration.
51
Membership Units
Ownership rights in us are evidenced by units. There is one class of membership units in Red
Trail Energy, LLC and that is Class A Membership Units. Each unit represents a pro rata ownership
interest in our capital, profits, losses and distributions. Unit holders have the right to vote
and participate in our management as provided in the Member Control Agreement. We maintain a
membership register at our principal office setting forth the name, address, capital contribution
and number of units held by each member.
Restrictive Legend on Membership Certificate
We have placed and will continue to place restrictive legends on your membership certificate
or any other document evidencing ownership of our units. The language of the legend will be
similar to the following:
THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THE UNITS REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE IS RESTRICTED. SUCH UNITS MAY NOT
BE SOLD, ASSIGNED, OR TRANSFERRED, NOR WILL ANY ASSIGNEE, VENDEE, TRANSFEREE OR ENDORSEE THEREOF BE
RECOGNIZED AS HAVING ACQUIRED ANY SUCH UNITS FOR ANY PURPOSES, UNLESS AND TO THE EXTENT SUCH SALE,
TRANSFER, HYPOTHECATION OR ASSIGNMENT IS PERMITTED BY, AND IS COMPLETED IN STRICT ACCORDANCE WITH,
THE APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL LAW AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THE MEMBER CONTROL
AGREEMENT.
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE OR TRANSFERRED IN
THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND UNDER
APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH
TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND UNDER
APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
Voting Limitations
Each member is entitled to one vote per unit owned. Members may vote units in person or by
proxy at a meeting of the unit holders, on all matters coming before a member vote. Members have
cumulative voting rights, which means they may vote all or a portion of the units for less than all
of the Board of Governors candidates. As a result, members owning a minority of the outstanding
membership units may be able to elect board members by voting all of the units for one governor
candidate. Members do not have preemptive rights.
Our Member Control Agreement provides that our Board of Governors is comprised of at least
seven members. Currently our Board consists of 15 Governors. Our governors and members have the
right to call a special meeting of the members for certain purposes, including electing governors.
At our first Annual Meeting of Members after the plant is operational, our Board size will be
reduced to seven Governors if it has not already been reduced to seven members. At such time, we
will adopt a staggered board of governors, where two governors shall serve for one year, two
governors shall serve for two years, and three governors shall serve for three years. The
successors for each group of governors shall be elected for a three-year term and at that point,
one-third of the total number of governors will be elected by the members each year. Each governor
position is designated as either Group I (serving one year), Group II (serving two years) and Group
III (serving three years).
Loss of Membership Rights
Although we are managed by our governors, our Member Control Agreement provides that certain
transactions, such as amending our Member Control Agreement or dissolving the company, require
member approval. An investor in us is both a holder of units and a member of the limited liability
company at the time of acceptance of the investment. Each member has the following rights:
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To receive a share of our profits and losses;
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To receive distributions of our assets, if and when declared by our governors;
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To participate in the distribution of our assets in the event we are dissolved or liquidated;
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To access information concerning our business and affairs at our place of business; and
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52
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To vote on matters coming before a vote of the members.
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If you transfer your units, and the transfer is permitted by the Member Control Agreement, or
has been approved by the Board of Governors, then the transferee will be admitted as a substituted
member of Red Trail Energy, LLC only if the transferee:
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Agrees to be bound by our Member Control Agreement;
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Provides Red Trail Energy, LLC with an opinion of counsel that the transfer will not
violate any securities laws;
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Delivers, upon our request, any evidence of the authority such person or entity has to
become a member of Red Trail Energy, LLC; and
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Delivers, upon our request, any other materials needed to complete transferees transfer.
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The Board of Governors, in its discretion, may prohibit the transferee from becoming a member
if he or she does not comply with these requirements. The restrictive legend on our membership
certificates and the language of our Member Control Agreement will alert subsequent transferees of
our units as to the restrictions on transferability of our units and the events by which a member
may lose membership rights.
Distributions
Distributions are payable at the discretion of our Board of Governors, subject to the
provisions of the North Dakota Limited Liability Company Act, our Member Control Agreement and the
requirements of our creditors. Our board has no obligation to distribute profits, if any, to
members. We have not declared or paid any distributions on our units.
Unit holders are entitled to receive distributions of cash or property if and when a
distribution is declared by our governors. Distributions will be made to investors in proportion
to the number of units investors own as compared to all of our units that are then issued and
outstanding. Our governors have the sole authority to authorize distributions based on available
cash (after payment of expenses and resources), however, we will attempt to distribute an amount
approximating the additional federal and state income tax attributable to investors as a result of
profits allocated to investors.
We do not expect to generate revenues until the proposed plant is operational. After
operations of the proposed plant begin, subject to any loan covenants or restrictions with our
senior and subordinated lenders, we anticipate distributing a portion of our net cash flow to our
members in proportion to the units held and in accordance with our Member Control Agreement. By
net cash flow, we mean our gross cash proceeds received less any portion, as determined by our
Board of Governors in their sole discretion, used to pay or establish reserves for our expenses,
debt payments, capital improvements, replacements and contingencies. Our board may elect to retain
future profits to provide operational financing for the plant, debt retirement and possible plant
expansion.
We do not know the amount of cash that we will generate, if any, once we begin operations. At
the start, we will generate no revenues and do not expect to generate any operating revenue until
the proposed plant is operating fully. Cash distributions are not assured, and we may never be in
a position to make distributions. Whether we will be able to generate sufficient cash flow from
our business to make distributions to members will depend on numerous factors, including:
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Successful and timely completion of construction since we will not generate any revenue
until our plant is constructed and operational;
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Required principal and interest payments on any debt and compliance with applicable loan
covenants which will reduce the amount of cash available for distributions;
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Our ability to operate our plant at full capacity, which directly impacts our revenues;
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53
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Adjustments and amounts of cash set aside for reserves and unforeseen expenses; and
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State and federal regulations and subsidies, and support for ethanol generally, which
can impact our profitability and the cash available for distributions.
|
Capital Accounts and Contributions
The purchase price paid for our units constitutes a capital contribution for purposes of
becoming a unit holder and will be credited to your capital account. As a unit holder, your
capital account will be increased according to your share of our profits and other applicable items
of income or gain specially allocated to you pursuant to the special allocation rules described
below. In addition, we will increase your capital account for the amount of any of our liabilities
that are assumed by you or are secured by any property which we distribute to you. We will
decrease your capital account for your share of our losses and other applicable items of expenses
or losses specially allocated to you pursuant to the special allocation rules described below. We
will also decrease your capital account in an amount equal to the value of any property we
distribute to you. In addition, we will decrease your capital account for the amount of any of
your liabilities that are assumed by us or are secured by property you have contributed to us. In
the event you transfer your units and we have approved such transfer, then your capital account, to
the extent it relates to the units transferred, will be transferred to the transferee. Our Member
Control Agreement does not require you to make additional capital contributions to us. Interest
will not accrue on your capital contributions, and you have no right to withdraw or be repaid your
capital contributions made to us.
No member is liable, based solely on their ownership of our membership units, for capital
calls or assessment or for liabilities of the Company.
Allocation of Profits and Losses
Except as otherwise provided in the special allocation rules described below, profits and
losses that we recognize will be allocated to you in proportion to the number of units you hold.
Our profits and losses will be determined by our governors on either a daily, monthly, quarterly or
other basis permitted under the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and corresponding Treasury
Regulations.
Special Allocation Rules
The amount of profits and losses that we allocate to you is subject to a number of exceptions
referred to as special allocations. These include special allocations required by the Internal
Revenue Code, as amended, and Treasury Regulations aimed at highly leveraged limited liability
companies that allocate taxable losses in excess of a unit holders actual capital contributions.
Our Member Control Agreement also requires that our Board of Governors make offsetting special
allocations in any manner they deem appropriate and that, after such offsetting allocations are
made, each unit holders capital account balance is equal to the capital account balance that such
unit holder would have had if special allocations required by the Internal Revenue Code, as
amended, and Treasury Regulations were not made to such unit holders capital account.
Restrictions on Transfers of Units
The units will be subject to certain restrictions on transfers pursuant to our Member Control
Agreement. In addition, transfers of the units are restricted by federal and state securities
laws. The state of North Dakota has placed substantial restrictions on the transfer of our
membership units for nine months following the date of the closing of the North Dakota offering
which took place on March 1, 2006. The Board of Governors has also adopted a policy to restrict
the transfer of our membership units for 12 months from March 1, 2006.
We have restricted the ability to transfer units to ensure that Red Trail Energy, LLC is not
deemed a publicly traded partnership and thus taxed as a corporation. Under our Member Control
Agreement, no transfer may occur without the approval of the Board of Governors. The Board of
Governors will only permit transfers that fall within safe harbors contained in the publicly
traded partnership rules under the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, to include the following:
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Transfers by gift;
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|
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Transfers upon the death of a member;
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Transfers between certain family members; and
|
54
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Transfers that comply with the qualifying matching service requirements, if any is established.
|
Any transfer in violation of the publicly traded partnership requirements or our Member
Control Agreement will be null and void. Furthermore, there is no public or other market for these
securities. We do not anticipate such a market will develop.
The units are unsecured equity interests in Red Trail Energy, LLC and are subordinate in right
of payment to all of our current and future debt. In the event of our insolvency, liquidation,
dissolution or other winding up of our affairs, all of our debts, including winding-up expenses,
must be paid in full before any payment is made to the unit holders. There is no assurance that
there would be any remaining funds for distribution to the unit holders, after the payment of all
of our debts.
ITEM 12. INDEMNIFICATION OF GOVERNORS AND MANAGERS
Under North Dakota law, no governor or manager will be liable for any of the Companys debts,
obligations or liabilities merely because he or she is a governor or manager. In addition, our
Operating Agreement contains an indemnification provision which requires us to indemnify any
governor or manager to the extent required or permitted by North Dakota Statutes, Section 10-32-99,
as amended from time to time, or as required or permitted by other provisions of law. We have
obtained directors and executive officers liability and company coverage for the period April 1,
2006 to April 1, 2007 of $3,000,000 in the aggregate with a $25,000 deductible for an annual
premium of $10,000.
ITEM 13. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
See Item 15. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
ITEM 14. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH
ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Boulay, Heutmaker, Zibell & Co., P.L.L.P. is the Companys independent auditor at the present
time. The Company has had no disagreements with the reports issued by their auditors.
ITEM 15. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
55
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
C O N T E N T S
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Page
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1
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Audited Financial Statements
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6-17
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Unaudited Financial Statements
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Balance Sheet
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18
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Statement of Operations
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19
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Statement of Members Equity
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20
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Statement of Cash Flows
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21
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Notes to Financial Statements
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22-32
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board of Directors
Red Trail Energy, LLC
Richardton, North Dakota
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Red Trail Energy, LLC (a development stage company), as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and the related statements of operations, changes in members equity, and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 and for the period from inception (July 16, 2003) to December 31, 2005. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Companys management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Red Trail Energy, LLC, (a development stage company) as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 and for the period from inception (July 16, 2003) to December 31, 2005, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
/s/ Boulay,
Heutmaker, Zibell & Co. P.L.L.P.
Certified Public Accountants
Minneapolis, Minnesota
April 25, 2006 except for Note 9
for which the date is June 14, 2006
1
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Balance Sheet
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December 31,
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December 31,
|
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2005
|
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2004
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|
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ASSETS
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|
|
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|
|
|
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Current Assets
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Cash and equivalents
|
|
$
|
19,043,814
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|
$
|
136,347
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|
Restricted
cash
|
|
|
|
|
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|
15,712,436
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Prepaid expenses
|
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|
25,345
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Total current assets
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|
19,069,156
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|
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|
15,848,783
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|
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Property and Equipment
|
|
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|
|
|
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Land
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|
300,602
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|
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|
300,602
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Construction in progress
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|
16,647,583
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|
|
|
164,168
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Total property and equipment
|
|
|
16,948,185
|
|
|
|
464,770
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Debt issuance costs
|
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|
955,238
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|
|
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|
Deferred offering costs
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|
|
|
|
|
103,962
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Total other assets
|
|
|
955,238
|
|
|
|
103,962
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
$
|
36,972,579
|
|
|
$
|
16,417,515
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|
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LIABILITIES AND MEMBERS EQUITY
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|
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Current Liabilities
|
|
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|
|
|
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Accounts payable
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|
$
|
7,971,436
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|
|
$
|
153,184
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
|
9,497
|
|
|
|
1,548
|
|
Unit subscriptions held in escrow
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15,712,436
|
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Interest rate swap
|
|
|
277,952
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
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|
8,258,885
|
|
|
|
15,867,168
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Members Equity
|
|
|
28,713,694
|
|
|
|
550,347
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Liabilities and Members Equity
|
|
$
|
36,972,579
|
|
|
$
|
16,417,515
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of this Statement.
2
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Statement of Operations
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From Inception
|
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Year Ended
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Year Ended
|
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Period Ended
|
|
|
July 16, 2003
|
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December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
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to December 31,
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|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2003
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Expenses
|
|
|
2,087,808
|
|
|
|
433,345
|
|
|
|
420,137
|
|
|
|
2,941,290
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Loss
|
|
|
(2,087,808
|
)
|
|
|
(433,345
|
)
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
(2,941,290
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Income (Expense)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grant income
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
100,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
150,000
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(277,952
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(277,952
|
)
|
Interest income
|
|
|
588,156
|
|
|
|
47,004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
635,160
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total other income, net
|
|
|
360,204
|
|
|
|
147,004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
507,208
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Loss
|
|
$
|
(1,727,604
|
)
|
|
$
|
(286,341
|
)
|
|
$
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
$
|
(2,434,082
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted Average Units Outstanding
|
|
|
24,393,980
|
|
|
|
3,591,180
|
|
|
|
1,335,690
|
|
|
|
11,615,730
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Loss Per Unit
|
|
$
|
(0.07
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.08
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.31
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.21
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of this Statement.
3
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Statement of Changes in Members Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Additional
|
|
|
Units
|
|
|
Unearned
|
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
Members
|
|
|
|
Contributions
|
|
|
Paid in Capital
|
|
|
Subscribed
|
|
|
Compensation
|
|
|
Deficit
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
Balance Inception, July 16, 2003
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 3,600,000 units, $0.33 per unit, September 2003 -
December 2003, adjusted for 3 for 1 split in January 2004
|
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(33,550
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,166,450
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unit options issued - 62,500 units, $0.10 Per unit, September 2003
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(56,825
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization of unearned compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20,313
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20,313
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance December 31, 2003
|
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
(33,550
|
)
|
|
|
(36,512
|
)
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
766,626
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Collection of subscribed units
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
33,550
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
33,550
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization of unearned compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36,512
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36,512
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(286,341
|
)
|
|
|
(286,341
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance December 31, 2004
|
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(706,478
|
)
|
|
|
550,347
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 25,983,452 units, $1.00 per unit, April 6
|
|
|
25,983,452
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25,983,452
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 1,389,303 units, $1.00 per unit, April 6 - June 30
|
|
|
1,389,303
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,389,303
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 2,080,555 units, $1.00 per unit, July 1 - September 30
|
|
|
2,080,555
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,080,555
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 544,956 units, $1.00 per unit, Oct 1 - Dec 31
|
|
|
544,956
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
544,956
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Costs related to capital contributions
|
|
|
(107,315
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(107,315
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,727,604
|
)
|
|
|
(1,727,604
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance December 31, 2005
|
|
$
|
31,090,951
|
|
|
$
|
56,825
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
(2,434,082
|
)
|
|
$
|
28,713,694
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of this Statement.
4
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Statement of Cash Flows
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From Inception
|
|
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
Period Ended
|
|
|
July 16, 2003
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
to December 31,
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2003
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(1,727,604
|
)
|
|
$
|
(286,341
|
)
|
|
$
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
$
|
(2,434,082
|
)
|
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash
provided by (used in) operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization of unearned compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36,512
|
|
|
|
20,313
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
Market adjustment of interest rate swap
|
|
|
277,952
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
277,952
|
|
Changes in
assets and liabilities
|
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
(25,345
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(25,345
|
)
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
1,409,068
|
|
|
|
(37,715
|
)
|
|
|
57,229
|
|
|
|
1,428,582
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
|
7,949
|
|
|
|
(1,369
|
)
|
|
|
2,917
|
|
|
|
9,497
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in operating activities
|
|
|
(57,980
|
)
|
|
|
(288,913
|
)
|
|
|
(339,678
|
)
|
|
|
(686,571
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital expenditures
|
|
|
(10,558,969
|
)
|
|
|
(313,821
|
)
|
|
|
(17,279
|
)
|
|
|
(10,890,069
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(10,558,969
|
)
|
|
|
(313,821
|
)
|
|
|
(17,279
|
)
|
|
|
(10,890,069
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payments for deferred offering costs
|
|
|
(3,353
|
)
|
|
|
(103,962
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(107,315
|
)
|
Payments for debt issuance costs
|
|
|
(470,500
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(470,500
|
)
|
Proceeds from unit subscriptions
held in escrow
|
|
|
10,271,016
|
|
|
|
15,712,436
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25,983,452
|
|
Decrease (Increase)
in restricted cash
|
|
|
15,712,436
|
|
|
|
(15,712,436
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member
contributions
|
|
|
4,014,814
|
|
|
|
33,550
|
|
|
|
1,166,450
|
|
|
|
5,214,814
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
|
|
|
29,524,413
|
|
|
|
(70,412)
|
|
|
|
1,166,450
|
|
|
|
30,620,451
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Equivalents
|
|
|
18,907,464
|
|
|
|
(673,146
|
)
|
|
|
809,493
|
|
|
|
19,043,811
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and Equivalents Beginning of Period
|
|
|
136,347
|
|
|
|
809,493
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and Equivalents End of Period
|
|
$
|
19,043,811
|
|
|
$
|
136,347
|
|
|
$
|
809,493
|
|
|
$
|
19,043,811
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF NON-CASH INVESTING
AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Debt issuance costs included in accounts payable
|
|
$
|
484,738
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
484,738
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital expenditures included in accounts payable
|
|
$
|
5,924,446
|
|
|
$
|
133,670
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
5,924,446
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unit subscriptions held in escrow
converted to member contributions
|
|
$
|
25,983,452
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
27,227,754
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member unit subscriptions
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
33,550
|
|
|
$
|
33,550
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of restricted units
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
56,825
|
|
|
$
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of this Statement.
5
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Nature of Business
Red Trail Energy, LLC, (a North Dakota Limited Liability Company) was organized to pool investors
to build a 50 million gallon annual production ethanol plant near Richardton, North Dakota.
Construction began in 2005 with an anticipated completion date of November 2006. As of December
31, 2005, the Company is in the development stage with its efforts being principally devoted to
organizational activities and plant construction.
Fiscal Reporting Period
The Company adopted a fiscal year ending December 31 for reporting financial operations.
Accounting Estimates
Management uses estimates and assumptions in preparing these financial statements in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. Those estimates and assumptions affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the
reported revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash
and Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity of three months
or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying value of cash and equivalents approximates the fair
value.
The Company maintains its accounts at primarily three financial institutions. At times throughout
the year, the Companys cash and equivalents balances may exceed amounts insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation. At December 31, 2005 and 2004, the Companys deposits exceeded
insurance coverage by approximately $18.9 million and $15.7 million, respectively.
The
Company had legally restricted cash held in escrows of approximately $15.7 million and an offsetting liability for
subscriptions held in escrow at December 31, 2004. These funds were released from escrow once the
Company met their minimum equity drive which occurred in April 2005.
6
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment is stated at the lower
of cost or estimated fair value. Assets that are
still undergoing development and have not been placed into service
are shown on the Companys balance sheet as construction in progress and are
not depreciated. Once assets are
placed in service, depreciation is provided over their estimated useful lives by use of the
straight-line method. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred; major improvements and
betterments are capitalized.
The Company had incurred substantial consulting, permitting, and other pre-construction services
related to building its plant facilities. Due to the substantial uncertainties regarding the
Companys ability to proceed with the ultimate facility construction until the Company had raised
debt and equity financing, prior to 2005, the Company expensed these pre-construction costs as
incurred.
Debt Issuance Costs
Debt issuance costs will be amortized over the term of the related debt by use of the effective
interest method. Amortization will begin when the Company begins drawing on the related bank loan.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company defers the costs incurred to raise equity financing until that financing occurs. At
such time that the issuance of new equity occurs, these costs will be netted against the proceeds
received; or if the financing does not occur, they will be expensed.
Grants
The Company recognizes grant proceeds as other income for reimbursement of expenses incurred upon
complying with the conditions of the grant. For reimbursements of capital expenditures, the grants
are recognized as a reduction of the basis of the asset upon complying with the conditions of the
grant.
Grant income received for incremental expenses that otherwise would not have been incurred is
netted against the related expenses.
Income Taxes
The Company is treated as a partnership for federal and state income tax purposes and generally
does not incur income taxes. Instead, its earnings and losses are included in the income tax
returns of the members. Therefore, no provision or liability for federal or state income taxes has
been included in these financial statements.
7
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
Organizational and Start Up Costs
The Company expenses all organizational and start up costs as incurred.
Derivative Instruments
The Company has derivative instruments in the form of interest rate swaps in an agreement
associated with bank financing. Market value adjustments and net settlements related to these
agreements are charged to interest expense.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation utilizing the fair value recognition provisions
of SFAS No. 123. Under SFAS No. 123, stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date
based on the value of the award and is recognized as expense over the vesting period. Total
compensation cost recognized in income for stock-based compensation awards was approximately $0,
$36,500 and $20,300 for the years ending December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 respectively.
In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 123R,
Share-Based Payment. SFAS No 123R is a revision of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation Among other items, SFAS 123R requires companies to recognize the cost of employee
services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments, based on the grant date fair value
of those awards, in the financial statements. The effective date of SFAS 123R is the first interim
or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2005, although early adoption is allowed.
SFAS 123R permits companies to adopt its requirements using either a modified prospective method.
Under the modified prospective method, compensation cost is recognized in the financial
statements beginning with the effective date, based on the requirements of SFAS 123R for all
share-based payments granted after that date, and based on the requirements of SFAS 123 for all
unvested awards granted prior to the effective date of SFAS 123R. Under the modified
retrospective method, the requirements are the same as under the modified prospective method,
but also permits entities to restate financial statements of previous periods based on pro-forma
disclosures made in accordance with SFAS 123.
The Company currently utilizes a standard option pricing model, such as Black-Scholes, to measure
the fair value of stock options granted to employees. The following assumptions were used to
estimate the fair value of the options outstanding: Dividend yield and expected volatility of 0%,
risk free rate of 2%, and expected lives of 3 years.
While SFAS 123R permits entities to continue to use such a model, the standard also permits the use
of a lattice model. The Company will be required to adopt SFAS 123R during its interim reporting
8
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
period beginning January 1, 2006. The Company does not believe that the adoption of SFAS 123R will
have a significant effect on its results of operations or financial position.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
Management has reviewed recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements and does
not expect the implementation of these pronouncements to have a significant effect on the Companys
financial statements.
2. DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE
The Company was formed on July 16, 2003 to have a perpetual life. The Company was initially
capitalized by conducting a private placement with its founding members who were also its first
governors. The founding members contributed $1,200,000 ($1.00 per unit) of seed capital in
exchange for 1,200,000 Class A membership units. During January 2004, the Company approved a 3 for
1 split on these founding member units, effectively issuing 3,600,000 Class A membership units for
approximately $0.33 per unit. All references in the financial statements and notes to the number
of units outstanding and per unit amounts of the Companys
membership units reflect the effect of the
unit split for all periods presented. The proceeds from this offering were used to pay for
organizational, permitting, and other development costs.
Income and losses are allocated to all members based upon their respective percentage units held.
Only one class of membership units is outstanding or authorized. See Note 5 for further discussion
of members equity and rights of holders of membership units.
3. CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS
Amounts included in construction in progress as of December 31, 2005 and 2004 are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
Construction costs
|
|
$
|
15,516,973
|
|
|
$
|
163,668
|
|
Rail infrastructure and development
|
|
|
1,026,124
|
|
|
|
500
|
|
Water wells
|
|
|
4,678
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other costs
|
|
|
99,808
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
16,647,583
|
|
|
$
|
164,168
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
4. BANK FINANCING
In December 2005, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement with a bank providing for a total
credit facility of approximately $59,712,000 for the purpose of funding the construction of the
plant. The construction loan agreement provides for the Company to maintain certain financial
ratios and meet certain non-financial covenants. The loan agreement is secured by substantially all
of the assets of the Company and includes the terms as described below.
10
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
Construction Loan
The Credit Agreement provides for a construction loan for up to an amount of approximately
$55,212,000 with a loan termination date of April 16, 2007. Interest is to be charged at a rate of
3.4% over LIBOR, which totaled 7.77% at December 31, 2005. The agreement calls for interest only
payments to be made every three months beginning March 2006 through the loan termination date.
At the
loan termination date, all principal and unpaid interest will
be converted to three term
notes each with specific interest rates and payment terms as described in the construction loan
agreement.
The first of the three notes is a Fixed Rate Note in the amount of approximately $27,606,000 with
interest payments made on a quarterly basis and charged at fixed rate of 3.0% over LIBOR on the
date of the construction loan termination date. Principal payments are to be made quarterly
according to repayment terms of the construction loan agreement, generally beginning at
approximately $470,000 and increasing to $653,000 per quarter, from April 2007 to October 2011,
with a final principal payment of approximately $17,000,000 at January 2012.
The second term note is referred to as the Variable Rate Note and is in the amount of approximately
$17,606,000. Interest will be charged at a variable rate of 3.4% over the three-month LIBOR rate.
The third term note, the Long-Term Revolving Note, in the amount of approximately $10,000,000, will
be charged interest at a variable rate of 3.4% over the one-month LIBOR rate. The agreement calls
for payments of approximately $1,005,000 to be made each quarter with amounts allocated to the term
notes in the following manner: 1) to accrued interest on the Long-Term Revolving Note, 2) to
accrued interest on the Variable Rate Note, and 3) to the principal balance on the Variable Rate
Note.
All unpaid amounts on the three term notes are due and payable in April 2012. There were no
outstanding borrowings on the construction loan at December 31, 2005.
Revolving Line of Credit
The Company entered into a $3,500,000 line of credit agreement with their bank, subject to certain
borrowing base limitations, through December 2006. Interest is payable quarterly and charged on all
borrowings at a rate of 3.4% over LIBOR, which totaled 7.77% at December 31, 2005. There were no
outstanding borrowings at December 31, 2005.
11
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
Interest Rate Swap Agreement
The Credit Agreement provides for the Company to enter into interest rate swap contracts for up to
approximately $2.8 million. In December 2005, the Company entered into an interest rate swap
transaction that effectively fixes the interest rate at 8.08% on approximately 27.6 million of any
outstanding principal of the Fixed Rate Note. The interest rate swap was not designated as either
a cash flow or fair value hedge. For the year ended December 31, 2005, there were no net
settlements, and market value adjustments increased interest expense by approximately $278,000.
Letters of Credit
The Credit Agreement provides for up to $1,000,000 in letters of credit with the bank. All letters
of credit are due and payable at the loan termination date in April 2007. The agreement provides
for the Company to pay a quarterly commitment fee of 2.25% of all outstanding letters of credit. At
December 31, 2005, there were no outstanding letters of credit.
Subordinated Debt
As part of the Credit Agreement, the Company entered into three separate subordinated debt
agreements totaling approximately $5,525,000. Interest is charged at a rate of 2.0% over the
Variable Rate Note interest rate and is due and payable subject to approval by the Senior Lender,
the bank. Interest is compounding quarterly with any unpaid interest converted to principal.
Amounts will be due and payable in full in April 2012. There were no amounts outstanding at
December 31, 2005 as subordinated debt agreements are not in effect until amounts withdrawn on
construction loan.
5. MEMBERS EQUITY
The Company prepared and filed a Registration Statement with the State of North Dakota, during
fiscal 2004. The Offering was for up to 40,000,000 Class A membership units available for sale at
$1.00 per unit. The minimum purchase requirement was 10,000 units for a minimum investment of
$10,000. Thereafter, additional units were available for purchase in 1 unit increments for sale at
$1.00 per unit. The Company has one class of membership units with each unit representing a pro
rata ownership interest in the Companys capital, profits,
losses, and distributions.
Under the terms of its North Dakota
Registration Statement, the Company had until May 30, 2005 to both a) sell at least the minimum number of
units required to close the private offering of Class A
membership units and b) enter into an executed debt financing
commitment letter from a bank. Investments received were held in
escrow through April 6, 2005, at which point the Company had
raised the minimum required $25,000,000 in cash proceeds and obtained
the required executed debt financing commitment letter from a bank.
If the minimum offering and the debt financing commitment had not
been obtained, the amount held in escrow would have been refunded to
each subscriber with no interest earned.
The
escrowed funds received by the Company were held in a segregated bank
account, in the Companys name, until the initial offering was
closed on April 6, 2005. The Company reported the amounts in
their financial statements as restricted cash until
April 6, 2005, when the funds became available for general use.
Because no membership units were issued or issuable
until such a time as the Company met the minimum unit sales and bank
financing commitment requirements, the Company recorded a
corresponding liability for unit subscriptions held in
escrow. This liability represented amounts that would have been
returned to unit subscribers had the minimum offering and bank
commitment requirements not been met. Cash received subsequent to the
initial close on the minimum required unit sales were available for
use as received and as the respective membership units were issued.
As of December 31, 2005 and 2004, the Company had sold 29,998,266 and 15,712,536 Class A membership
units and received aggregate offering proceeds of $29,998,266 and $15,712,536, respectively.
Subsequent to year end, on March 1, 2006, the Company closed its offering with a total of
36,714,724 Class A membership units sold, and aggregate offering proceeds of $36,714,724. The
Company paid approximately $107,000 in costs of offering its membership units, which was offset
against the equity raised once the minimum required cash proceeds were received.
12
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
In August 2003, the Company granted an independent contractor an option to purchase up to 62,500
Class A membership units at $0.10 per unit. The options vest at the completion of the duties as
specified by the project coordinator agreement. At December 31, 2005 and 2004 there were 62,500
options outstanding, with weighted average values of approximately $0.91 per unit. In addition,
the options exercisable at December 31, 2005 and 2004, were 62,500 and 0, respectively, with
weighted average fair values of $0.91 and $0.00 per unit. Subsequent to December 31, 2005, these
options were exercised for a purchase of the full 62,500 units for aggregate proceeds of $6,250.
6. GRANTS
The Company has been awarded two grants. It has been awarded an Ag Products Utilization Council
grant in the amount of $150,000 to be used for general business expenses, including legal and
accounting. All proceeds from this grant were received in 2005 and 2004.
The Company also applied for a grant from the ND Lignite Council in the amount of $350,000. This
grant has provisions for a portion of the proceeds to be repaid over a period of 10 years at
$22,000 per year. The Company has not utilized this grant and no proceeds have been received from
it as of May 18, 2006.
7. INCOME TAXES
The differences between financial statement basis and tax basis of assets are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
Financial statement basis of assets
|
|
$
|
36,972,579
|
|
|
$
|
16,417,515
|
|
Plus: organization and start-up costs
|
|
|
2,941,290
|
|
|
|
868,431
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax basis of assets
|
|
$
|
39,913,869
|
|
|
$
|
17,285,946
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
The differences between the financial statement basis and tax basis of liabilities are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
Financial statement basis of liabilities
|
|
$
|
8,258,885
|
|
|
$
|
15,867,168
|
|
Less: Interest rate swap
|
|
|
(277,952
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax basis of liabilities
|
|
$
|
7,980,933
|
|
|
$
|
15,867,168
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Design Build Contract
The total cost of the project, including the construction of the ethanol plant and start-up
expenses, is expected to approximate $99,000,000. The Company signed a Design-Build Agreement with
Fagen, Inc. in September 2005, to design and build the ethanol plant at a total contract price of
approximately $76,000,000.
Land Contracts
In March 2004, the Company purchased approximately 42 acres of land from Burlington Northern Santa
Fe railroad to construct rail trackage intended to serve the new ethanol plant facility. The
purchase price totaled approximately $16,000.
In November 2003, the Company entered into an option with an unrelated third party to purchase
approximately 60 acres of land located near Richardton, ND. This option was entered into to enable
the Company to seek a developer to construct an ethanol fuel plant on this site. The Company paid
a non-refundable option deposit of $9,000. In November 2004, the Company exercised the option and
purchased approximately 68 acres for approximately $210,000, less the amount of the non-refundable
deposit.
In November 2003, the Company entered into a contract with an unrelated third party to have the
option to purchase approximately 25 acres of land adjacent to the aforementioned 68 acres for
purposes of constructing the ethanol fuel plant. The Company paid a non-refundable option deposit
of approximately $4,000. In November 2004, the Company exercised the option to purchase the
property for approximately $76,000, less the amount of the non-refundable deposit.
14
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
Consulting Contracts
In August 2003, the Company entered into a contract with an individual to provide project
coordination services for approximately $70,000 per year in connection with the construction of the
Companys plant. Either party may terminate this agreement upon default or thirty dates written
notice. In 2005, this individual became a member of the Company through the purchase of units
during 2005 and as a result of exercising options received under this consulting agreement in
January 2006. Total costs paid to this member totaled $70,000, $70,000 and $29,000 for the years
ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
In December 2003, the Company entered into a contract with a consulting firm to provide project
coordination and development services in connection with the design, construction and initial
operation of the Companys plant for $3,050,000. Either party upon a default of the other may
terminate this agreement.
In December 2003, the Company entered into a contract with a consulting firm to provide management
services related to the Companys plant. For these services, the Company will pay the consultant
$200,000 per year, reimburse the consultant for the salary and benefits of a General manager and
Plant manager, as well as pay 4% of the Companys pre-tax net
income, once the plant is in compliance with the engineers
performance standard, except for the reimbursement of the salary and
benefits of the General Manager and Plant Manager, which will begin
in June 2006. Either party may terminate
this agreement upon a default of the other after thirty days written notice.
Utility Agreements
The Company entered into a contract with West Plains Electric Cooperative, Inc. dated August 2005,
for the provision of electric power and energy to the Companys plant site. The agreement is
effective for five (5) years from August 2005, and thereafter for additional three (3) year terms
until terminated by either party giving to the other six (6) months notice in writing. The
agreement calls for a facility charge of $400 per month and an energy charge of $0.038 per kWh for
the first 400,000 kWh and $0.028 per kWh thereafter. In addition, there is an $8.00 per kW monthly
demand charge based on the highest recorded fifteen minute demand.
Marketing Agreements
The Company entered into a Distillers Grain Marketing Agreement with Commodity Specialist Company
(CSC) in March 2004, for the sale and purchase of distillers dried grains with solubles. The
contract is an all output contract with a term of one (1) year from start-up of production of the
plant and continuing thereafter until terminated by either party after ninety (90) days notice.
CSC receives a 2% fee based on the sales price per ton sold with a minimum fee of $1.35 per ton and
a maximum fee of $2.15 per ton.
15
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
The Company entered into an Ethanol Fuel Marketing Agreement in August 2005, with Renewable
Products Marketing Group, LLC (RPMG), which makes RPMG the Companys sole marketing representative
for the Companys entire ethanol product. The Agreement is a best good faith efforts agreement.
The term of the Agreement is twelve (12) months from the first day of the month that the Company
initially ships ethanol to RPMG, and at the termination of the initial twelve (12) month term, the
Agreement provides that the parties shall be at liberty to negotiate an extension of the
contract. The Company will pay RPMG $0.01 per gallon for each gallon of ethanol sold by RPMG.
Coal Purchase Contract
The Company entered into a contract in March 2004, with General Industries, Inc. d/b/a Center Coal
Company (CCC) for the purchase of lignite coal. The term of the contract is for ten (10) years
from the commencement date agreed upon by the parties. The Company will pay CCC $17.35 per ton of
coal delivered beginning in 2005 plus/minus a fuel adjustment amount for delivery costs. The price
per ton of coal delivered increases each year by approximately $0.05 per ton. The fuel adjustment
is based on the market price of fuel. The Company did not purchase any coal from CCC during 2005.
Grain Origination Contract
The Company entered into a grain origination contract with New Vision Coop (NVC) in April 2004, for
grain origination and related services. The term of the contract is three (3) years from its start
date, unless extended through an amendment. However, either party may cancel the contract by
providing sixty (60) days written notice to the other party. The Company shall pay NVC a
development fee of $25,000, upon completion of construction. Thereafter, the fee will be $0.005
per bushel for all grain delivered by rail, with no fee for grain transported by truck. Corn
procurement costs may be minimized through the use of corn futures, call options and put options.
The Company will pay NVC an incentive fee of 10% for profits earned through the use of these
financial instruments.
Rail Track Design
The Company entered into a railroad construction agreement with R & R Contracting, Inc. in November
2005. The agreement includes the engineering, site excavation, materials and track construction.
The track is expected to be completed by September 1, 2006. The total costs of the rail track will
be approximately $2,800,000. At December 31, 2005, the Company had made payments of approximately
$570,000.
16
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2005 and 2004
and for the years and periods ending
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
9. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
In February 2006, the Company entered into a Risk Management Agreement for Grain Procurement and
Byproduct Marketing with John Stewart & Associates (JSA). JSA will provide services in connection
with grain hedging, pricing and purchasing. The Company will pay $2,500 per month for these
services beginning no sooner than ninety days preceding plant startup. In addition, JSA will serve
as clearing broker for the Company and charge a fee of $15.00 per contract plus clearing and
exchange fees.
In March 2006, the Company entered into a ten year contract with Southwest Water Authority to
purchase raw water. The contract includes a renewal option for successive periods not to exceed
ten years. Additionally, the contract requires the Company to make an $80,000 prepayment to be
held in escrow for a minimum of three years after which $40,000 may be applied toward their water
bill. The base rate for raw water shall be $0.72 per each one thousand gallons of water. The base
rate may be adjusted annually by the State Water Commission.
In
May 2006, as a result of its March 2006 grant application
discussed in Note 6, the Company entered into a contract with the State of North Dakota through its
Industrial Commission for a Lignite Grant not to exceed $350,000. In order to receive the proceeds,
the Company must construct a 50 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant located in North Dakota that
utilizes clean lignite technologies in the production of ethanol. The Company must also provide the
Industrial Commission with specific reports in order to receive the funds. After the first year of
operation, the Company will be required to repay a portion of the proceeds in annual payments of
$22,000 over 10 years. These payments could increase based on the amount of lignite the Company is
using as a percentage of primary fuel.
In June 2006, the Company entered into an agreement with Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., (MDU) for
the construction and installation of a natural gas line. The agreement requires the Company to pay
$3,500 prior to the commencement of the installation and to maintain an irrevocable letter of
credit in the amount of $137,385 for a period of five years as a preliminary cost participation
requirement. If the volume of natural gas used by the Company exceeds volume projections, the
Company will earn a refund of the preliminary cost participation requirement and interest at 12%
annually.
17
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Balance Sheet
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Audited)
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and equivalents
|
|
$
|
12,747,134
|
|
|
$
|
19,043,811
|
|
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25,345
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
12,747,134
|
|
|
|
19,069,156
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property and Equipment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Land
|
|
|
300,602
|
|
|
|
300,602
|
|
Construction in progress
|
|
|
30,589,222
|
|
|
|
16,647,583
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total property and equipment
|
|
|
30,889,824
|
|
|
|
16,948,185
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Debt issuance costs
|
|
|
1,000,315
|
|
|
|
955,238
|
|
Market value interest rate swap
|
|
|
125,761
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total other assets
|
|
|
1,126,076
|
|
|
|
955,238
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
$
|
44,763,034
|
|
|
$
|
36,972,579
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND MEMBERS EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
$
|
8,928,097
|
|
|
$
|
7,971,436
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
|
13,292
|
|
|
|
9,497
|
|
Market value interest rate swap
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
277,952
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
8,941,389
|
|
|
|
8,258,885
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Members Equity
|
|
|
35,821,645
|
|
|
|
28,713,694
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Liabilities and Members Equity
|
|
$
|
44,763,034
|
|
|
$
|
36,972,579
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of this Statement.
18
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Statements of Operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From Inception
|
|
|
|
Qtr Ended
|
|
|
Qtr Ended
|
|
|
Year Ended
|
|
|
July 16, 2003
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
to March 31,
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Audited)
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Expenses
|
|
|
156,235
|
|
|
|
109,545
|
|
|
|
2,087,808
|
|
|
|
3,097,525
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Loss
|
|
|
(156,235
|
)
|
|
|
(109,545
|
)
|
|
|
(2,087,808
|
)
|
|
|
(3,097,525
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Income (Expense)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grant income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
150,000
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(277,952
|
)
|
|
|
(277,952
|
)
|
Interest income
|
|
|
544,731
|
|
|
|
63,563
|
|
|
|
588,156
|
|
|
|
1,179,891
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total other income, net
|
|
|
544,731
|
|
|
|
113,563
|
|
|
|
360,204
|
|
|
|
1,051,939
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Income (Loss)
|
|
$
|
388,496
|
|
|
$
|
4,018
|
|
|
$
|
(1,727,604
|
)
|
|
$
|
(2,045,586
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted Average Units Outstanding
|
|
|
37,340,846
|
|
|
|
3,600,000
|
|
|
|
24,393,980
|
|
|
|
13,949,890
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Income (Loss) Per Unit
|
|
$
|
0.01
|
|
|
$
|
0.00
|
|
|
$
|
(0.07
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.15
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of this Statement.
19
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Statement of Changes in Members Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Additional
|
|
|
Units
|
|
|
Unearned
|
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
Members
|
|
|
|
Contributions
|
|
|
Paid in Capital
|
|
|
Subscribed
|
|
|
Compensation
|
|
|
Deficit
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
Balance Inception, July 16, 2003
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 3,600,000 units, $0.33 per unit, September 2003,
adjusted for 3 for 1 split in January 2004
|
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(33,550
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,166,450
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted options issued - 62,500 units, $0.10 Per unit, September 2003
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(56,825
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization of unearned compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20,313
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20,313
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance December 31, 2003
|
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
(33,550
|
)
|
|
|
(36,512
|
)
|
|
|
(420,137
|
)
|
|
|
766,626
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Collection of subscribed units
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
33,550
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
33,550
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization of unearned compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36,512
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36,512
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(286,341
|
)
|
|
|
(286,341
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance December 31, 2004
|
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(706,478
|
)
|
|
|
550,347
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 25,983,452 units, $1.00 per unit, April 6
|
|
|
25,983,452
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25,983,452
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,018
|
|
|
|
4,018
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance March 31, 2005
|
|
|
27,183,452
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
(702,460
|
)
|
|
|
26,537,817
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 1,389,303 units, $1.00 per unit, April 6 - June 30
|
|
|
1,389,303
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,389,303
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 2,080,555 units, $1.00 per unit, July 1 - September 30
|
|
|
2,080,555
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,080,555
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 544,956 units, $1.00 per unit, Oct 1 - Dec 31
|
|
|
544,956
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
544,956
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Costs related to capital contributions
|
|
|
(107,315
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(107,315
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,731,622
|
)
|
|
|
(1,731,622
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance December 31, 2005
|
|
|
31,090,951
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
(2,434,082
|
)
|
|
|
28,713,694
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions - 6,713,205 units, $1.00 per unit, Jan 1 - Mar 31
|
|
|
6,713,205
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,713,205
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Units issued under option exercised - 62,500 units, $0.10 Per unit
|
|
|
6,250
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,250
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
388,496
|
|
|
|
388,496
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance March 31, 2006
|
|
$
|
37,810,406
|
|
|
$
|
56,825
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
(2,045,586
|
)
|
|
$
|
35,821,645
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of this Statement.
20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Statements of Cash Flows
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From Inception
|
|
|
|
Qtr Ended
|
|
|
Qtr Ended
|
|
|
July 16, 2003
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
to March 31,
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
$
|
388,496
|
|
|
$
|
4,018
|
|
|
$
|
(2,045,586
|
)
|
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash
provided by (used in) operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization of unearned compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
56,825
|
|
Market adjustment of interest rate swap
|
|
|
(403,713
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(125,761
|
)
|
Changes in assets and liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
25,345
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
(1,546,419
|
)
|
|
|
19,377
|
|
|
|
15,833
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
|
3,795
|
|
|
|
2,774
|
|
|
|
13,292
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
|
|
(1,532,496
|
)
|
|
|
26,169
|
|
|
|
(2,085,397
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital expenditures
|
|
|
(10,953,821
|
)
|
|
|
(2,463
|
)
|
|
|
(21,977,560
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(10,953,821
|
)
|
|
|
(2,463
|
)
|
|
|
(21,977,560
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payments for deferred offering costs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3,353
|
)
|
|
|
(107,315
|
)
|
Payments for debt issuance costs
|
|
|
(529,815
|
)
|
|
|
(55,000
|
)
|
|
|
(1,000,315
|
)
|
Proceeds for stock subscriptions held in escrow
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25,301,451
|
|
|
|
25,983,452
|
|
(Increase) in
restricted cash
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(25,301,451
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Member contributions
|
|
|
6,719,455
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,934,269
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash
provided by (used in) financing activities
|
|
|
6,189,640
|
|
|
|
(58,353
|
)
|
|
|
36,810,091
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Increase in Cash and Equivalents
|
|
|
(6,296,677
|
)
|
|
|
34,647
|
|
|
|
12,747,134
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and
Equivalents Beginning of Period
|
|
|
19,043,811
|
|
|
|
136,347
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and
Equivalents End of Period
|
|
$
|
12,747,134
|
|
|
$
|
101,700
|
|
|
$
|
12,747,134
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF NON-CASH INVESTING
AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Debt issuance costs included in accounts payable
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital expenditures included in accounts payable
|
|
$
|
8,912,264
|
|
|
$
|
133,459
|
|
|
$
|
8,912,264
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock subscriptions held in escrow
converted to member contributions
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
25,301,451
|
|
|
$
|
25,983,452
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member unit subscriptions
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
33,550
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of restricted shares
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
56,825
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of this Statement.
21
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Nature of Business
Red Trail Energy, LLC, (a North Dakota Limited Liability Company) was organized to pool investors
to build a 50 million gallon annual production ethanol plant near Richardton, North Dakota.
Construction began in 2005 with an anticipated completion date of November 2006. As of March 31,
2006, the Company is in the development stage with its efforts being principally devoted to
organizational activities and plant construction.
Fiscal Reporting Period
The Company adopted a fiscal year ending December 31 for reporting financial operations.
Accounting Estimates
Management uses estimates and assumptions in preparing these financial statements in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. Those estimates and assumptions affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the
reported revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity of three months
or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying value of cash and equivalents approximates the fair
value.
The Company maintains its accounts at primarily three financial institutions. At times throughout
the year, the Companys cash and equivalents balances may exceed amounts insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation. At March 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005, the Companys deposits
exceeded insurance coverage by approximately $12.7 million and $18.9 million, respectively.
The
Company had legally restricted cash held in escrows of approximately
$25.3 million and an offsetting liability for subscriptions
held in escrow at March 31, 2005. These funds were released from
escrow once the Company met their minimum equity drive which occurred
in April 2005.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment is stated at the lower of cost or estimated fair value. Once assets are
placed in service, depreciation is provided over their estimated useful lives by use of the
straight-line method. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred; major improvements and
betterments are capitalized.
The Company had incurred substantial consulting, permitting, and other pre-construction services
related to building its plant facilities. Due to the substantial uncertainties regarding the
Companys ability to proceed with the ultimate facility construction until the Company had raised
debt and equity financing, the Company expensed these pre-construction costs as incurred.
22
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
Debt Issuance Costs
Debt issuance costs will be amortized over the term of the related debt by use of the effective
interest method. Amortization will begin when the Company begins drawing on the related bank loan.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company defers the costs incurred to raise equity financing until that financing occurs. At
such time that the issuance of new equity occurs, these costs will be netted against the proceeds
received; or if the financing does not occur, they will be expensed. As of April 6, 2005, the
minimum equity has been raised and these costs have been netted against the proceeds received.
Grants
The Company recognizes grant proceeds as other income for reimbursement of expenses incurred upon
complying with the conditions of the grant. For reimbursements of capital expenditures, the grants
are recognized as a reduction of the basis of the asset upon complying with the conditions of the
grant.
Grant income received for incremental expenses that otherwise would not have been incurred is
netted against the related expenses.
Income Taxes
The Company is treated as a partnership for federal and state income tax purposes and generally
does not incur income taxes. Instead, its earnings and losses are included in the income tax
returns of the members. Therefore, no provision or liability for federal or state income taxes has
been included in these financial statements.
Organizational and Start Up Costs
The Company expenses all organizational and start up costs as incurred.
Derivative Instruments
The Company has derivative instruments in the form of interest rate swaps in an agreement
associated with bank financing. Market value adjustments and net settlements related to these
agreements are charged to interest expense.
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation utilizing the fair value recognition provisions
of SFAS No. 123. Under SFAS No. 123, stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date
based on the value of the award and is recognized as expense over the
vesting period. There was no stock-based compensation expense for the
quarters ended March 31, 2006 and March 31, 2005,
respectively.
In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 123R,
Share-Based Payment. SFAS No 123R is a revision of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation Among other items, SFAS 123R requires companies to recognize the cost of employee
services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments, based on the grant date fair value
of those awards, in the financial statements.
23
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
The effective date of SFAS 123R is the first interim or annual reporting period beginning after
December 15, 2005, although early adoption is allowed. SFAS 123R permits companies to adopt its
requirements using a modified prospective method. Under the modified prospective method,
compensation cost is recognized in the financial statements beginning with the effective date,
based on the requirements of SFAS 123R for all share-based payments granted after that date, and
based on the requirements of SFAS 123 for all unvested awards granted prior to the effective date
of SFAS 123R. Under the modified retrospective method, the requirements are the same as under the
modified prospective method, but also permits entities to restate financial statements of
previous periods based on pro-forma disclosures made in accordance with SFAS 123.
The Company currently utilizes a standard option pricing model, such as Black-Scholes, to measure
the fair value of stock options granted to employees. The following assumptions were used to
estimate the fair value of the options outstanding: Dividend yield and expected volatility of 0%,
risk free rate of 2%, and expected lives of 3 years.
While SFAS 123R permits entities to continue to
use such a model, the standard also permits the use
of a lattice model. The Company was required to adopt SFAS 123R during its interim reporting
period beginning January 1, 2006. Adoption of SFAS 123R as of
January 1, 2006 did not have any effect on the
Companys operations or financial position.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
Management has reviewed recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements and does
not expect the implementation of these pronouncements to have a significant effect on the Companys
financial statements.
2. DEVELOPMENT STAGE ENTERPRISE
The Company was formed on July 16, 2003 to have a perpetual life. The Company was initially
capitalized by conducting a private placement with its founding members who were also its first
governors. The founding members contributed $1,200,000 ($1.00 per unit) of seed capital in
exchange for 1,200,000 Class A membership units. During January 2004, the Company approved a 3 for
1 split on these founding member units, effectively issuing 3,600,000 Class A membership units for
approximately $0.33 per unit. All references in the financial statements and notes to the number
of units outstanding and per unit amounts of the Companys membership units reflect the effect of the
unit split for all periods presented. The proceeds from this offering were used to pay for
organizational, permitting, and other development costs.
Income and losses are allocated to all members based upon their respective percentage units held.
Only one class of membership units is outstanding or authorized. See Note 5 for further discussion
of members equity and rights of holders of membership units.
24
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
3. CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS
Amounts included in construction in progress as of March 31, 2006 and 2005 are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Construction costs
|
|
$
|
27,656,129
|
|
|
$
|
15,516,973
|
|
Rail infastructure and development
|
|
|
1,612,644
|
|
|
|
1,026,124
|
|
Water wells
|
|
|
4,730
|
|
|
|
4,678
|
|
Other costs
|
|
|
1,315,719
|
|
|
|
99,808
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
30,589,222
|
|
|
$
|
16,647,583
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4. BANK FINANCING
In December 2005, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement with a bank providing for a total
credit facility of approximately $59,712,000 for the purpose of funding the construction of the
plant. The construction loan agreement provides for the Company to maintain certain financial
ratios and meet certain non-financial covenants. The loan agreement is secured by substantially all
of the assets of the Company and includes the terms as described below.
Construction Loan
The Credit Agreement provides for a construction loan for up to an amount of approximately
$55,212,000 with a loan termination date of April 16, 2007. Interest is to be charged at a rate of
3.4% over LIBOR, which totaled 8.2% at March 31, 2006. The agreement calls for interest only
payments to be made every three months beginning March 2006 through the loan termination date. As
of March 31, 2006 there have been no advances on this loan.
At the loan termination date, all principal and unpaid interest will be converted to three term
notes each with specific interest rates and payment terms as described in the construction loan
agreement.
The first of the three notes is a Fixed Rate Note in the amount of approximately $27,606,000 with
interest payments made on a quarterly basis and charged at fixed rate of 3.0% over LIBOR on the
date of the construction loan termination date. Principal payments are to be made quarterly
according to repayment terms of the construction loan agreement, generally beginning at
approximately $470,000 and increasing to $653,000 per quarter, from April 2007 to October 2011,
with a final principal payment of approximately $17,000,000 at January 2012.
The second term note is referred to as the Variable Rate Note and is in the amount of approximately
$17,606,000. Interest will be charged at a variable rate of 3.4% over the three-month LIBOR rate.
25
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
The third term note, the Long-Term Revolving Note, in the amount of approximately $10,000,000, will
be charged interest at a variable rate of 3.4% over the one-month LIBOR rate. The agreement calls
for payments of approximately $1,005,000 to be made each quarter with amounts allocated to the term
notes in the following manner: 1) to accrued interest on the Long-Term Revolving Note, 2) to
accrued interest on the Variable Rate Note, and 3) to the principal balance on the Variable Rate
Note.
All unpaid amounts on the three term notes are due and payable in April 2012. There were no
outstanding borrowings on the construction loan at March 31, 2006.
Revolving Line of Credit
The Company entered into a $3,500,000 line of credit agreement with its bank, subject to certain
borrowing base limitations, through December 2006. Interest is payable quarterly and charged on all
borrowings at a rate of 3.4% over LIBOR, which totaled 8.2% at March 31, 2006. There were no
outstanding borrowings at March 31, 2006.
Interest Rate Swap Agreement
The Credit Agreement provides for the Company to enter into interest rate swap contracts for up to
approximately $2.8 million. In December 2005, the Company entered into an interest rate swap
transaction that effectively fixes the interest rate at 8.08% on approximately $27.6 million of any
outstanding principal of the Fixed Rate Note. The interest rate swap was not designated as either
a cash flow or fair value hedge. Market value adjustments and net settlements are charged to
interest expense. For the quarter ended March 31, 2006, there were no net settlements, and market
value adjustments increased interest income by approximately $403,713.
Letters of Credit
The Credit Agreement provides for up to $1,000,000 in letters of credit with the bank. All letters
of credit are due and payable at the loan termination date in April 2007. The agreement provides
for the Company to pay a quarterly commitment fee of 2.25% of all outstanding letters of credit. At
March 31, 2006, there were no outstanding letters of credit.
Subordinated Debt
As part of the Credit Agreement, the Company entered into three separate subordinated debt
agreements totaling approximately $5,525,000. Interest is charged at a rate of 2.0% over the
Variable Rate Note interest rate and is due and payable subject to approval by the Senior Lender,
the bank. Interest is compounding quarterly with any unpaid interest converted to principal.
Amounts will be due and payable in full in April 2012. There were no amounts outstanding at March
31, 2006 as subordinated debt agreements are not in effect until amounts are withdrawn on the
construction loan.
26
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
5. MEMBERS EQUITY
The Company prepared and filed a Registration Statement with the State of North Dakota, during
fiscal 2004. The Offering was for up to 40,000,000 Class A membership units available for sale at
$1.00 per unit. The minimum purchase requirement was 10,000 units for a minimum investment of
$10,000. Thereafter, additional units were available for purchase in 1 unit increments for sale at
$1.00 per unit. The Company has one class of membership units with each unit representing a pro
rata ownership interest in the Companys capital, profits, losses, and distributions.
Under the terms of its North Dakota Registration Statement, the Company had until May 30, 2005 to
both a) sell at least the minimum number of units required to close the private offering of Class A
membership units and b) enter into an executed debt financing commitment letter from a bank.
Investments received were held in escrow through April 6, 2005, at which point the Company had
raised the minimum required $25,000,000 in cash proceeds and obtained the required executed debt
financing commitment letter from a bank. If the minimum offering and the debt financing commitment
had not been obtained, the amount held in escrow would have been refunded to each subscriber with
no interest earned.
The escrowed funds received by the Company were held in a segregated bank account, in the Companys
name, until the initial offering was closed on April 6, 2005.
The Company reported the amounts in their financial statements as
restricted cash until April 6, 2005 when the funds
became available for general use. Because no membership
units were issued or issuable until such a time as the Company met the minimum unit sales and bank
financing commitment requirements, the Company recorded a corresponding liability for unit
subscriptions held in escrow. This liability represented amounts that would have been returned to unit
subscribers had the minimum offering and bank commitment requirements not been met. Cash received
subsequent to the initial close on the minimum required unit sales was available for use as
received and as the respective membership units were issued.
As of March 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005, the Company had sold 36,717,723 and 29,998,265 Class A
membership units and received aggregate offering proceeds of $36,717,723 and $29,998,265,
respectively. On March 1, 2006, the Company closed its offering with a total of 36,717,723 Class A
membership units sold, and aggregate offering proceeds of $36,717,723. The Company paid
approximately $107,000 in costs of offering its membership units, which was offset against the
equity raised once the minimum required cash proceeds were received.
In August 2003, the Company granted an independent contractor an option to purchase up to 62,500
Class A membership units at $0.10 per unit. The options vest at the completion of the duties as
specified by the project coordinator agreement. At March 31, 2006, these options have been
exercised for a purchase of the full 62,500 units for aggregate proceeds of $6,250.
27
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
6. GRANTS
The Company has been awarded two grants. It has been awarded an Ag Products Utilization Council
grant in the amount of $150,000 to be used for general business expenses, including legal and
accounting. All proceeds from this grant were received in 2005 and 2004.
The Company also received a grant from the ND Lignite Council in the amount of $350,000. This
grant has provisions for a portion of the proceeds to be repaid over a period of 10 years at
$22,000 per year. The Company has not utilized this grant and no proceeds have been received from
it as of March 31, 2006. See Note 9.
7. INCOME TAXES
The differences between financial statement basis and tax basis of assets are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, 2005
|
|
Financial statement basis of assets
|
|
$
|
36,972,579
|
|
Plus: organization and start-up costs
|
|
|
2,941,290
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax basis of assets
|
|
$
|
39,913,869
|
|
|
|
|
|
The differences between the financial statement basis and tax basis of liabilities are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, 2005
|
|
Financial statement basis of liabilities
|
|
$
|
8,258,885
|
|
Less: Interest rate swap
|
|
|
(277,952
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax basis of liabilities
|
|
$
|
7,980,933
|
|
|
|
|
|
8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Design Build Contract
The total cost of the project, including the construction of the ethanol plant and start-up
expenses, is expected to approximate $99,000,000. The Company signed a Design-Build Agreement with
Fagen, Inc. in September 2005, to design and build the ethanol plant at a total contract price of
approximately $76,000,000.
28
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
Land Contracts
In March 2004, the Company purchased approximately 42 acres of land from Burlington Northern Santa
Fe Railroad to construct rail track intended to serve the new ethanol plant facility. The purchase
price totaled approximately $16,000.
In November 2003, the Company entered into an option with an unrelated third party to purchase
approximately 60 acres of land located near Richardton, ND. This option was entered into to enable
the Company to seek a developer to construct an ethanol fuel plant on this site. The Company paid
a non-refundable option deposit of $9,000. In November 2004, the Company exercised the option and
purchased approximately 68 acres for approximately $210,000, less the amount of the non-refundable
deposit.
In November 2003, the Company entered into a contract with an unrelated third party to have the
option to purchase approximately 25 acres of land adjacent to the aforementioned 68 acres for
purposes of constructing the ethanol fuel plant. The Company paid a non-refundable option deposit
of approximately $4,000. In November 2004, the Company exercised the option to purchase the
property for approximately $76,000, less the amount of the non-refundable deposit.
Consulting Contracts
In August 2003, the Company entered into a contract with an individual to provide project
coordination services for approximately $70,000 per year in connection with the construction of the
Companys plant. Either party may terminate this agreement upon default or thirty dates written
notice. In 2005, this individual became a member of the Company through the purchase of units
during 2005 and as a result of exercising options received under this consulting agreement in
January 2006. Total costs paid to this member totaled $17,500 and $70,000 for the periods ended
March 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005, respectively.
In December 2003, the Company entered into a contract with a consulting firm to provide project
coordination and development services in connection with the design, construction and initial
operation of the Companys plant for $3,050,000. Either party upon a default of the other may
terminate this agreement.
In December 2003, the Company entered into a contract with a consulting firm to provide management
services related to the Companys plant. For these services, the Company will pay the consultant
$200,000 per year, reimburse the consultant for the salary and benefits of a General Manager and
Plant Manager, as well as pay 4% of the Companys pre-tax net income, once the plant is in
compliance with the engineers performance standard, except for the reimbursement of the salary and
benefits of the General Manager and Plant Manager, which will begin in June 2006. Either party may
terminate this agreement upon a default of the other after thirty days written notice.
29
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
In February 2006, the Company entered into a Risk Management Agreement for Grain Procurement and
Byproduct Marketing with John Stewart & Associates (JSA). JSA will provide services in connection
with grain hedging, pricing and purchasing. The Company will pay $2,500 per month for these
services beginning no sooner than ninety days preceding plant startup. In addition, JSA will serve
as clearing broker for the Company and charge a fee of $15.00 per contract plus clearing and
exchange fees.
Utility Agreements
The Company entered into a contract with West Plains Electric Cooperative, Inc. dated August 2005,
for the provision of electric power and energy to the Companys plant site. The agreement is
effective for five years from August 2005, and thereafter for additional three year terms until
terminated by either party giving to the other six months notice in writing. The agreement calls
for a facility charge of $400 per month and an energy charge of $0.038 per kWh for the first
400,000 kWh and $0.028 per kWh thereafter. In addition, there is an $8.00 per kW monthly demand
charge based on the highest recorded fifteen minute demand.
In March 2006, the Company entered into a ten year contract with Southwest Water Authority to
purchase raw water. The contract includes a renewal option for successive periods not to exceed
ten years. Additionally, the contract requires the Company to make an $80,000 prepayment to be
held in escrow for a minimum of three years after which $40,000 may be applied toward their water
bill. The base rate for raw water shall be $0.72 per each one thousand gallons of water. The base
rate may be adjusted annually by the State Water Commission.
Marketing Agreements
The Company entered into a Distillers Grain Marketing Agreement with Commodity Specialist Company
(CSC) in March 2004, for the sale and purchase of distillers dried grains. The contract is an all
output contract with a term of one (1) year from start-up of production of the plant and continuing
thereafter until terminated by either party after ninety (90) days notice. CSC receives a 2% fee
based on the sales price per ton sold with a minimum fee of $1.35 per ton and a maximum fee of
$2.15 per ton.
The Company entered into an Ethanol Fuel Marketing Agreement in August 2005, with Renewable
Products Marketing Group, LLC (RPMG), which makes RPMG the Companys sole marketing representative
for the Companys entire ethanol product. The Agreement is a best good faith efforts agreement.
The term of the Agreement is twelve (12) months from the first day of the month that the Company
initially ships ethanol to RPMG, and at the termination of the initial twelve (12) month term, the
Agreement provides that the parties shall be at liberty to negotiate an extension of the
contract. The Company will pay RPMG $0.01 per gallon for each gallon of ethanol sold by RPMG.
30
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
Coal Purchase Contract
The Company entered into a contract in March 2004, with General Industries, Inc. d/b/a Center Coal
Company (CCC) for the purchase of lignite coal. The term of the contract is for ten (10) years
from the commencement date agreed upon by the parties. The Company will pay CCC $17.35 per ton of
coal delivered beginning in 2005 plus/minus a fuel adjustment amount for delivery costs. The price
per ton of coal delivered increases each year by approximately $0.05 per ton. The fuel adjustment
is based on the market price of fuel. As of March 31, 2006, the Company has not purchased any coal
from CCC.
Grain Origination Contract
The Company entered into a grain origination contract with New Vision Coop (NVC) in April 2004, for
grain origination and related services. The term of the contract is three years from its start
date, unless extended through an amendment. However, either party may cancel the contract by
providing sixty (60) days written notice to the other party. The Company shall pay NVC a
development fee of $25,000, upon completion of construction. Thereafter, the fee will be $0.005
per bushel for all grain delivered by rail, with no fee for grain transported by truck. Corn
procurement costs may be minimized through the use of corn futures, call options and put options.
The Company will pay NVC an incentive fee of 10% for profits earned through the use of these
financial instruments.
Rail Track Design
The Company entered into a railroad construction agreement with R & R Contracting, Inc. in November
2005. The agreement includes the engineering, site excavation, materials and track construction.
The track is expected to be completed by September 2006. The total costs of the rail track will be
approximately $2,800,000. At March 31, 2006, the Company had made payments of approximately
$570,000.
9. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
In May 2006, the Company entered into a contract with the State of North Dakota through its
Industrial Commission for a Lignite Grant not to exceed $350,000. In order to receive the
proceeds, the Company must construct a 50 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant located in North
Dakota that utilizes clean lignite technologies in the production of ethanol. The Company must
also provide the Industrial Commission with specific reports in order to receive the funds. After
the first year of operation, the Company will be required to repay a portion of the proceeds in
annual payments of $22,000 over 10 years. These payments could increase based on the amount of
lignite the Company is using as a percentage of primary fuel.
31
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Financial Statements
March 31, 2006 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2005 (Audited)
In June 2006, the Company entered into an agreement with Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., (MDU) for
the construction and installation of a natural gas line. The agreement requires the Company to pay
$3,500 prior to the commencement of the installation and to maintain an irrevocable letter of
credit in the amount of $137,385 for a period of five years as a preliminary cost participation
requirement. If the volume of natural gas used by the Company exceeds volume projections, the
Company will earn a refund of the preliminary cost participation requirement and interest at 12%
annually.
32
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
|
|
|
|
|
|
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
|
|
|
Date: August 14, 2006
|
By:
|
/s/ Ambrose Hoff
|
|
|
|
|
Ambrose Hoff, President
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXHIBIT INDEX
|
|
|
Exhibit
No.
|
|
Document
|
3.1
|
|
Articles of Organization as filed
with the North Dakota Secretary of State on July 16, 2003*
|
|
|
|
3.2
|
|
Operating Agreement of Red Trail Energy, LLC*
|
|
|
|
4.1
|
|
Membership Unit Certificate Specimen*
|
|
|
|
4.2
|
|
Member Control Agreement of Red Trail Energy, LLC*
|
|
|
|
10.1
|
|
The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company Lease of Land for
Construction/Rehabilitation of Track made as of May 12, 2003 by and between The Burlington
Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company and Red Trail Energy, LLC*
|
|
|
|
10.2
|
|
Management Agreement made and entered into as of December 17, 2003 by and between Red
Trail Energy, LLC and GreenWay Consulting, LLC*
|
|
|
|
10.3
|
|
Development Services Agreement entered into as of December 17, 2003 by and between Red
Trail Energy, LLC and GreenWay Consulting, LLC*
|
|
|
|
10.4
|
|
The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company Real Estate Purchase and Sale
Agreement with Red Trail Energy, LLC dated January 14, 2004*
|
|
|
|
10.5
|
|
Distillers Grain Marketing Agreement entered into effective as of March 1, 2004 by Red
Trail Energy, LLC and Commodity Specialist Company*
|
|
|
|
10.6
|
|
Contract for Purchase of Coal made and entered into the 9
th
day of March, 2004
by and between Red Trail Energy, LLC and General Industries, Inc., d/b/a Center Coal
Company*
|
|
|
|
10.7
|
|
Grain Origination Contract effective April 1, 2004 between Red Trail Energy, LLC and New
Vision Coop*
|
|
|
|
10.8
|
|
Warranty Deed made as of January 13, 2005 between Victor Tormaschy and Lucille Tormaschy,
Husband and Wife, as Grantors and Red Trail Energy as Grantee*
|
|
|
|
10.9
|
|
Warranty Deed made as of July 11, 2005 between Neal C. Messer and Bonnie M. Messer,
Husband and Wife, as Grantors and Red Trail Energy as Grantee*
|
|
|
|
10.10
|
|
Agreement for Electric Service made the 18
th
day of August, 2005 by and between
West Plains Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Red Trail Energy, LLC*
|
|
|
|
10.11
|
|
Ethanol Fuel Marketing Agreement entered into the 18
th
day of August, 2005 by
and between Renewable Products Marketing Group, L.L.C. and Red Trail Energy, LLC*
|
|
|
|
10.12
|
|
Lump Sum Design-Build Agreement between Red Trail Energy,
LLC and Fagen, Inc. dated August
29, 2005**
|
|
|
|
10.13
|
|
Railroad Construction, Design, & Repair Contract made as of November 7, 2005 by and
between R & R Contracting, Inc. and Red Trail Energy, LLC*
|
|
|
|
10.14
|
|
Construction Loan Agreement dated as of the 16
th
day of December by and between
Red Trail Energy and First National Bank of Omaha*
|
|
|
|
10.15
|
|
Construction Note for $55,211,740.00 dated December 16, 2005 between Red Trail Energy, LLC
as Borrower and First National Bank of Omaha as Bank*
|
|
|
|
10.16
|
|
Revolving Promissory Notes for $3,500,000.00 dated December 16, 2005 between Red Trail
Energy, LLC as Borrower and First National Bank of Omaha as Bank*
|
|
|
|
10.17
|
|
Promissory Note and Continuing Letter of Credit Agreement to First National Bank from Red
Trail Energy, LLC signed December 16, 2005*
|
|
|
|
10.18
|
|
International Swap Dealers Association, Inc. Master Agreement dated as of December 16,
2005 signed by First National Bank of Omaha and Red Trail Energy, LLC*
|
|
|
|
Exhibit
No.
|
|
Document
|
10.19
|
|
Security Agreement and Deposit Account Control Agreement made December 16, 2005 by and
among First National Bank of Omaha, Red Trail Energy, LLC and Bank of
North Dakota*
|
|
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10.20
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Security Agreement given as of December 16, 2005 by Red Trail Energy, LLC to First
National Bank of Omaha*
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10.21
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Control Agreement Regarding Security Interest in Investment Property made as of December
16, 2005 by and between First National Bank of Omaha, Red Trail Energy, LLC and First
National Capital Markets, Inc.*
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10.22
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Loan Agreement between GreenWay Consulting, LLC and Red Trail Energy, LLC dated February
28, 2006*
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10.23
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Promissory Note for $1,525,000.00 dated February 28, 2006 given by Red Trail Energy, LLC
to Greenway Consulting, LLC*
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10.24
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Loan Agreement between ICM Inc. and
Red Trail Energy, LLC dated February 28, 2006*
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10.25
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Promissory Note for $3,000,000.00 dated February 28, 2006 given by Red Trail Energy to ICM
Inc.*
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10.26
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Loan Agreement between Fagen, Inc.
and Red Trail Energy, LLC dated February 28, 2006*
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10.27
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Promissory Note for $1,000,000.00 dated February 28, 2006 given by Red Trail Energy, LLC
to Fagen, Inc.*
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10.28
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Southwest Pipeline Project Raw Water Service Contract executed by Red Trail Energy, LLC on
March 8, 2006, by the Secretary of the North Dakota State Water Commission on March 31,
2006 and by the Chairman of the Southwest Water Authority on
April 3, 2006*
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10.29
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Contract dated April 26, 2006 by and between
the North Dakota Industrial Commission and Red Trail Energy, LLC ***
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10.30
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Subordination Agreement dated May
16, 2006 among the State of North Dakota by and through its
Industrial Commission, First National Bank and Red Trail Energy, LLC ***
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10.31
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Firm Gas Service Extension Agreement dated June 7, 2006 by
and between Montana - Dakota Utilities Co. and Red Trail Energy, LLC
***
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Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to certain portions of this exhibit. Omitted
portions have been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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*
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Previously Filed as the same Exhibit Number on Form 10-12G on
6/06/06 and incorporated herein by reference.
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**
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Filed herewith.
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***
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Previously Filed as the same Exhibit Number on Form 10-12b on
7/20/06 and incorporated herein by reference.
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Exhibit 10.12
LUMP SUM DESIGN-BUILD AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC ("OWNER")
AND
FAGEN, INC. ("DESIGN-BUILDER")
August 29, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Article 1 Definitions
Article 2 Red Trail Energy Project
2.1 Services to Be Performed ....................................... 4
2.2 Extent of Agreement ............................................ 4
2.3 Conflicting Provisions ......................................... 4
Article 3 Design-Builder Responsibilities
3.1 Design-Builder's Services in General ........................... 5
3.2 Design Development and Services. ............................... 5
3.3 Standard of Care ............................................... 6
3.4 Government Approvals and Permits ............................... 6
3.3 Subcontractors. ................................................ 6
3.6 Maintenance of Site ............................................ 7
3.7 Project Safety. ................................................ 7
3.8 Submission of Reports .......................................... 8
3.9 Training ....................................................... 8
Article 4 Owner's Responsibilities
4.1 Duty to Cooperate. ............................................. 8
4.2 Furnishing of Services and Information. ........................ 9
4.3 Financial Information .......................................... 9
4.4 Owner's Representative ......................................... 10
4.5 Government Approvals and Permits ............................... 10
4.6 Owner's Separate Contractors ................................... 10
Article 5 Ownership of Work Product; Risk of Loss
5.1 Work Product. .................................................. 10
5.2 Owner's Limited License Upon Payment in Full ................... 10
5.3 Owner's Limited License Upon Owner's Termination for Convenience
or Design-Builder's Election to Terminate ...................... 11
5.4 Owner's Limited License Upon Design-Builder's Default .......... 11
5.5 Owner's Indemnification for Use of Work Product ................ 12
Article 6 Commencement and Completion of the Project
6.1 Work Schedule .................................................. 12
6.2 Notice to Proceed; Commencement ................................ 12
6.3 Project Start-Up and Testing ................................... 13
6.4 Substantial Completion. ........................................ 13
6.5 Final Completion. .............................................. 14
6.6 Post Completion Support ........................................ 15
Article 7 Performance Testing
7.1 Performance Guarantee .......................................... 15
7.2 Performance Testing. ........................................... 16
Article 8 Warranties
8.1 Design-Builder Warranty ........................................ 16
8.2 Correction of Defective Work. .................................. 17
8.3 Warranty Period Not Limitation to Owner's Rights ............... 17
Article 9 Contract Price
9.1 Contract Price ................................................. 17
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Table of Contents
(continued)
Page
----
Article 10 Payment Procedures
10.1 Payment at Financial Close ..................................... 18
10 2 Progress Payments .............................................. 18
10.3 Final Payment .................................................. 19
10.4 Failure to Pay Amounts Due. .................................... 19
10.5 Design-Builder's Payment Obligations ........................... 20
10.6 Record Keeping and Finance Controls ............................ 20
Article 11 Hazardous Conditions and Differing Site Conditions
11.1 Hazardous Conditions. .......................................... 20
11.2 Differing Site Conditions. ..................................... 21
Article 12 Force Majeure; Change in Legal Requirements
12.1 Force Majeure Event ............................................ 22
12.2 Effect of Force Majeure Event .................................. 22
12.3 Change in Legal Requirements ................................... 22
Article 13 Changes to the Contract Price and Contract Time(s)
13.1 Change Orders. ................................................. 23
13.2 Contract Price Adjustments. .................................... 23
13.3 Emergencies .................................................... 24
13.4 Requests for Contract Adjustments and Relief ................... 24
13.5 Contract Time Adjustment
Article 14 Indemnity
14.1 Patent and Copyright Infringement. ............................. 24
14.2 Tax Claim Indemnification ...................................... 25
14.3 Payment Claim Indemnification .................................. 25
14.4 Design-Builder's General Indemnification. ...................... 25
14.5 Owner's General Indemnification ................................ 26
Article 15 Stop Work; Termination for Cause
15.1 Owner's Right to Stop Work ..................................... 26
15.2 Owner's Right to Perform and Terminate for Cause. .............. 26
15.3 Owner's Right to Terminate for Convenience. .................... 27
15.4 Design-Builder's Right to Stop Work. ........................... 28
15.5 Design-Builder's Right to Terminate for Cause. ................. 28
15.6 Bankruptcy of Owner or Design-Builder. ......................... 29
15.7 Lenders Right to Cure .......................................... 30
Article 16 Representatives of the Parties
16.1 Owner's Representatives ........................................ 30
16.2 Design-Builder's Representatives ............................... 30
Article 17 Insurance
17.1 Insurance ...................................................... 31
17.2 Design-Builder's Insurance Requirements ........................ 32
17.3 Owner's Liability Insurance .................................... 33
17.4 Owner's Property Insurance. .................................... 33
17.5 Coordination with Loan Documents ............................... 34
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ii
Table of Contents
(continued)
Page
----
Article 18 Representations and Warranties
18.1 Design-Builder and Owner Representations and Warranties ........ 34
18.2 Design-Builder Representation and Warranties ................... 35
Article 19 Dispute Resolution
19.1 Dispute Avoidance and Mediation ................................ 35
19.3 Duty to Continue Performance ................................... 35
19.4 Consequential Damages. ......................................... 35
Article 20 Miscellaneous
20.1 Assignment ..................................................... 36
20.2 Successors ..................................................... 36
20.3 Governing Law .................................................. 36
20.4 Severability ................................................... 36
20.5 No Waiver ...................................................... 36
20.6 Headings ....................................................... 37
20.7 Notice ......................................................... 37
20.8 No Privity with Design Consultant/Subcontractors ............... 38
20.9 Amendments ..................................................... 38
20.10 Cooperation with Lenders and Independent Engineer. ............. 38
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iii
LUMP SUM DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACT
This LUMP SUM DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACT (the "Agreement") is made as of August 29,
2005, by and between Red Trail Energy, LLC, a North Dakota limited liability
company (the "Owner") and Fagen. Inc. a Minnesota corporation (the
"Design-Builder").
RECITALS
A. The Owner desires to develop, construct, own and operate a 50 million
gallons per year ("MGY") coal-fired fuel ethanol production facility located at
Richardton, ND (the "Red Trail Energy Plant'* or "Plant"); and
B. Design-Builder desires to provide design, engineering, procurement and
construction services for the Plant.
NOW, THEREFORE in consideration of the mutual covenants and obligations
contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, Owner and
Design-Builder agree as follows.
AGREEMENT
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS
Agreement is defined in the Preamble.
Air Emissions Tester means a third party entity engaged by Owner meeting all
required state and federal requirements for such testing entities, to conduct
air emissions testing of the Plant in accordance with Exhibit A.
Application for Payment is defined in Section 10.2.1.
Bankrupt Party is defined in Section 15.6.1.
Construction Documents is defined in Section 3.2.2.
Contract Documents is defined in Section 2.2.
Contract Price is defined in Section 9.1.
Day or Days shall mean calendar days unless otherwise specifically noted in the
Contract Documents.
Design-Builder is defined in the Preamble.
Design-Builder's Representative is defined in Section 16.2.
Design-Builder's Senior Representative is defined in Section 16.2.
Design Consultant is a qualified, licensed design professional that is not an
employee of Design-Builder, but is retained by Design-Builder, or employed or
retained by anyone under contract with Design-Builder or Subcontractor, to
furnish design services required under the Contract Documents.
Differing Site Conditions is defined in Section 11.2.1.
Expected Daily Capacity is 50 MGY divided by 353 days, which equals 141,643
gallons per day.
Final Application for Payment is defined in Section 10.3.
Final Completion is defined in Section 6.5.
Financial Close is defined in Section 10.1.
Financing Documents is defined in Section 10.1.
Force Majeure Event is defined in Section 12.1.
Hazardous Conditions are any materials, wastes, substances and chemicals deemed
to be hazardous under applicable Legal Requirements, or the handling, storage,
remediation, or disposal of which are regulated by applicable Legal
Requirements.
ICM License Agreement means the license agreement to be executed between Owner
and ICM, Inc., substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D.
Indemnified Parties is defined in Section 5.2.
Independent Engineer means Owner's independent engineer, if applicable.
Legal Requirements are all applicable federal, state and local laws, codes,
ordinances, rules, regulations, orders and decrees of any government or
quasi-government entity having jurisdiction over the Project or Site, the
practices involved in the Project or Site, or any Work.
Lenders means the lenders that are party to the Financing Documents.
Lenders' Agent is defined in Section 20.10.1.
Notice to Proceed is defined in Section 6.2.
Oversight Items is defined in Section 20.10.3.
Owner is defined in the Preamble.
Owner's Representative is defined in Section 16.1.
Owner's Senior Representative is defined in Section 16.1.
2
Pay Period means, with respect to a given Application for Payment or Progress
Report, the period following the last day of the previous Pay Period to which
the immediately prior Application for Payment or Progress Report applied;
provided, that the initial Pay Period shall commence on the Notice to Proceed
and end on the date determined by the Design-Builder.
Performance Guarantee Criteria means the criteria listed in Exhibit A.
Performance Tests is defined in Section 7.2.1.
Plant is defined in the Recitals.
Plant Capacity means for a given period, the number of gallons produced by the
Plant during such period of denatured fuel grade ethanol meeting ASTM 4806 and
all other applicable Legal Requirements.
Preliminary Construction Documents are defined in Section 3.2.1.
Progress Report is defined in Section 3.8.
Project is the Plant, including all related improvements, and is defined in
Section 2.1.
Project Scope is defined in Exhibit B.
Punch List is defined in Section 6.4.3.
Safety Representative is defined in Section 3.7.1.
Schedule of Values is defined in Section 10.2.5.
Scheduled Substantial Completion Date is defined in Section 6.4.1.
Site is the land or premises on which the Project is located.
State is the State in which the Project is located.
Sub-Subcontractor is any person or entity retained by a Subcontractor as an
independent contractor to perform any portion of a Subcontractor's Work and
shall include materialmen and suppliers.
Subcontractor is any person or entity retained by Design-Builder as an
independent contractor to perform a portion of the Work and shall include
materialmen and suppliers.
Substantial Completion is defined in Section 6.4.2.
Work is defined in Section 3.1.
Work Product is defined in Section 5.1.
3
Work Schedule is defined in Section 6.1.
ARTICLE 2
RED TRAIL ENERGY PROJECT
2.1 SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED. Design-Builder shall perform all work and
services in connection with the engineering, design, procurement, and
construction of the Plant, and provide all material, equipment, tools and labor
necessary to complete the Plant in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
The Plant, together with all equipment, labor, services and materials furnished
hereunder is defined as the "Project."
2.2 EXTENT OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement consists of the following
documents, and all exhibits, schedules, appendices and attachments hereto and
thereto (collectively, the "Contract Documents"):
2.2.1 All written modifications, amendments and change orders to this
Agreement;
2.2.2 This Agreement, including all exhibits and attachments, executed
by Owner and Design-Builder, including those below:
LIST OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit A Performance Guarantee Criteria
Exhibit B General Project Scope
Exhibit C - Owner's Responsibilities
Exhibit D - ICM License Agreement
Exhibit E - Schedule of Values
Exhibit F - Progress Report
Exhibit G Permits Required
2.2.3 Upon completion by Design-Builder, the Preliminary Construction
Documents to be prepared by Design-Builder pursuant to Section 3.2.1 and the
Construction Documents to be prepared by Design-Builder pursuant to Section
3.2.2 shall be incorporated in this Agreement.
2.3 CONFLICTING PROVISIONS. The Contract Documents are intended to permit
the parties to complete the Work and all obligations required by the Contract
Documents in accordance with the terms herein for the Contract Price. The
Contract Documents are intended to be complementary and interpreted in harmony
so as to avoid conflict, with words and phrases interpreted in a manner
consistent with construction and design industry standards. In the event of any
inconsistency, conflict, or ambiguity between or among the Contract Documents,
the Contract
4
Documents shall take precedence in the order in which they are listed in Section
2.2 hereof. No oral representations or other agreements have been made by the
parties except as specifically stated in the Contract Documents.
ARTICLE 3
DESIGN-BUILDER RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1 DESIGN-BUILDER'S SERVICES IN GENERAL. Except for services and
information specifically set forth in Article 4 and Exhibit C to be provided by
the Owner, Design-Builder shall perform or cause to be performed all design,
engineering, procurement, construction services, supervision, labor, inspection,
testing, start-up, material, equipment, machinery, temporary utilities and other
temporary facilities to complete construction of the Project consistent with the
Contract Documents (the "WORK"). All design and engineering and construction
services of the Design-Builder shall be performed in accordance with (i) the
Project Scope as set forth in Exhibit B, (ii) the Construction Documents, (iii)
all Legal Requirements, and (iv) good ethanol fuel production industry
practices. Any design and engineering or other professional service to be
performed pursuant to this Agreement, which under applicable law must be
performed by licensed personnel, shall be performed by licensed personnel as
required by law. The enumeration of specific duties and obligations to be
performed by the Design-Builder under the Contract Documents shall not be
construed to limit in any way the general undertakings of the Design-Builder as
set forth herein. Design-Builder's Representative shall be reasonably available
to Owner and shall have the necessary expertise and experience required to
supervise the Work. Design-Builder's Representative shall communicate regularly
with Owner and shall be vested with the authority to act on behalf of
Design-Builder.
3.2 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES.
3.2.1 As of this date or within thirty (30) days from the date hereof,
Design-Builder has or shall have provided to Owner the following documents, and
any other documents reasonably agreed to by Design-Builder and Owner as applying
to the conceptual design of the Project and required to apply for the
construction air permit or completion of the site layout in cooperation with
Owner's rail engineer (collectively, the "Preliminary Construction Documents"),
which shall be consistent with the Project Scope and once reasonably approved by
Owner, shall be part of this Agreement:
a) major equipment lists, with sizes;
b) process flow diagram;
c) process design criteria and/or process description; and
d) site layout.
Owner shall have thirty (30) days from the date it receives the Preliminary
Construction Documents to review and approve such documents. The Preliminary
Construction Documents shall establish performance standards for the completed
Project and identify components
5
required to meet those performance standards. Design-Builder shall have the
right to revise the layout of the equipment and substitute specific pieces of
equipment, provided the completed Project shall conform to or exceed the
performance standards established by the Preliminary Construction Documents.
3.2.2 Design-Builder may provide through qualified, licensed design
professionals employed by Design-Builder, or procured from qualified,
independent licensed Design Consultants, the necessary design services,
including architectural, engineering and other design professional services, for
the preparation of the required drawings, specifications and other design
submittals required to permit construction of the Work in accordance with this
Agreement and the Preliminary Construction Documents (such drawings,
specifications and design submittals collectively and together with the
Preliminary Construction Documents, the "Construction Documents"). To the extent
not prohibited by Legal Requirements, Design-Builder may prepare Construction
Documents for a portion of the Work to permit construction to proceed on that
portion of the Work prior to completion of the Construction Documents for the
entire Work.
3.2.3 Construction of the Work shall be consistent with the
Construction Documents.
3.2.4 Design-Builder shall maintain a current, complete set of
drawings and specifications at the Site. Owner may review such drawings and
specifications, and Owner may be allowed, upon Design-Builder's approval, to
make copies of drawings and specifications available at the Work site that are
applicable to Owner.
3.3 STANDARD OF CARE. All services performed by the Design-Builder pursuant
to the Construction Documents shall be performed in accordance with the standard
of care and skill ordinarily used by members of design profession practicing
under similar conditions at the same time and locality of the Project.
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, if the parties agree upon specific
higher performance standards for any aspect of the Work, including the standards
set forth in Exhibit A hereof, the professional services shall be performed to
achieve such standards. Design-Builder shall perform all construction activities
efficiently and with the requisite expertise, skill and competence to satisfy
the requirements of the Contract Documents and all Legal Requirements.
Design-Builder shall at all times exercise complete and exclusive control over
the means, methods, sequences and techniques of construction.
3.4 GOVERNMENT APPROVALS AND PERMITS. Except as identified in Exhibit C and
with respect to items identified as Owner's responsibility, in Exhibit G (which
items shall be obtained by Owner pursuant to Section 4.5), Design-Builder shall
obtain and pay for all necessary permits, approvals, licenses, government
charges and inspection fees required for the prosecution of the Work by any
government or quasi-government entity having jurisdiction over the Project.
Design-Builder shall provide reasonable assistance to Owner in obtaining those
permits, approvals and licenses that are Owner's responsibility.
3.5 SUBCONTRACTORS.
3.5.1 Design-Builder shall employ only Subcontractors who are duly
licensed (if required) and qualified to perform the Work consistent with the
Contract Documents. Owner
6
may reasonably object to Design-Builder's selection of any Subcontractor;
provided, that the Contract Price and/or the Contract Time shall be adjusted to
the extent that Owner's objection impacts Design-Builder's cost and/or time of
performance.
3.5.2 Design-Builder assumes responsibility to Owner for the proper
performance of the Work of Subcontractors and any acts and omissions in
connection with such performance. Nothing in the Contract Documents is intended
or deemed to create any legal or contractual relationship between Owner and any
Subcontractor or Sub-Subcontractor, including but not limited to any third-party
beneficiary rights.
3.5.3 Design-Builder shall coordinate the activities of all of
Design-Builders Subcontractors. If Owner performs other work on the Project or
at the Site with separate contractors under Owner's control, Design-Builder
agrees to reasonably cooperate and coordinate its activities with those of such
separate contractors so that the Project can be completed in an orderly and
coordinated manner without unreasonable disruption.
3.6 MAINTENANCE OF SITE. Design-Builder shall keep the Site reasonably free
from debris, trash and construction wastes to permit Design-Builder to perform
its construction services efficiently, safely and without interfering with the
use of adjacent land areas. Upon Substantial Completion of the Work, or portion
of the Work, as applicable, Design-Builder shall remove all debris, trash,
construction wastes, materials, equipment, machinery and tools arising from the
Work or applicable portions thereof to permit Owner to occupy the Project for
its intended use.
3.7 PROJECT SAFETY.
3.7.1 Design-Builder recognizes the importance of performing the Work
in a safe manner so as to prevent damage, injury or loss to (i) all individuals
at the Site, whether working or visiting, (ii) the Work, including materials and
equipment incorporated into the Work or stored on-Site or off-Site, and (iii)
ail other property at the Site or adjacent thereto. Design-Builder assumes
responsibility for implementing and monitoring all safety precautions and
programs related to the performance of the Work. Design-Builder shall, prior to
commencing construction, designate a representative (the "Safety
Representative") with the necessary qualifications and experience to supervise
the implementation and monitoring of all safety precautions and programs related
to the Work. Unless otherwise required by the Contract Documents,
Design-Builder's Safety Representative shall be an individual stationed at the
Site who may have responsibilities on the Project in addition to safety. The
Safety Representative shall make routine daily inspections of the Site and shall
hold weekly safety meetings with Design-Builder's personnel. Subcontractors and
others as applicable.
3.7.2 Design-Builder and Subcontractors shall comply with all Legal
Requirements relating to safety, as well as any Owner-specific safety
requirements set forth in the Contract Documents; provided, that such
Owner-specific requirements do not violate any applicable Legal Requirement. As
promptly as practicable, Design-Builder will report in writing any
safety-related injury, loss, damage or accident arising from the Work to Owner's
Representative and, to the extent mandated by Legal Requirements, to all
government or quasi-government authorities having jurisdiction over
safety-related matters involving the Project or the Work.
7
3.7.3 Design-Builder's responsibility for safety under this Section
3.7 is not intended in any way to relieve Subcontractors and Sub-Subcontractors
of their own contractual and legal obligations and responsibility for (i)
complying with all Legal Requirements, including those related to health and
safety matters, and (ii) taking all necessary measures to implement and monitor
all safety precautions and programs to guard against injury, losses, damages or
accidents resulting from their performance of the Work.
3.8 SUBMISSION OF REPORTS. Attached as Exhibit F is an example of a
"Progress Report." Design-Builder shall provide Owner with regular
communication regarding the progress ("Progress Report") and any revisions to
the drawings and specifications of the Work, including whether (i) the Work is
proceeding according to schedule, (ii) discrepancies, conflicts, or ambiguities
exist in the Contract Documents that require resolution, (iii) health and safety
issues exist in connection with the Work, and (iv) other items require
resolution so as not to jeopardize Design-Builder's ability to complete the Work
for the Contract Price and within the Contract Time(s).
3.9 TRAINING. At a mutually agreed time prior to start-up,
Design-Builder shall provide up to two (2) weeks, as reasonably determined by
Design-Builder, of off-site training at a plant in Russell, Kansas (or other
location; e.g. Goldfield, Iowa) for all of Owner's employees required for the
operation and maintenance of the Plant in accordance with all design
specifications therefor contained in the Contract Documents and necessary in
order to maintain the Performance Guarantee Criteria, including operators,
laboratory personnel, general, plant and maintenance managers. Other personnel
of Owner may receive such off-site training by separate arrangement between
Owner and Design-Builder and as time is available. All training personnel and
costs associated with such training personnel, including labor and all training
materials will be provided to Owner within the Contract Price at no additional
cost. Owner will be responsible for all travel and expenses of its employees and
the Owner will pay all wages and all other expenses for its personnel during the
training. The training services will include training on computers, laboratory
procedures, field operating procedures, and overall plant section performance
expectations. Prior to the start-up training, Design-Builder shall provide Owner
training manuals and operating manuals and other documents reasonably necessary
for the start-up process.
ARTICLE 4
OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
4.1 DUTY TO COOPERATE.
4.1.1 Owner shall, throughout the performance of the Work, cooperate
with Design-Builder and perform its responsibilities, obligations and services
in a timely manner to facilitate Design-Builder's timely and efficient
performance of the Work and so as not to delay or interfere with
Design-Builder's performance of its obligations under the Contract Documents.
4.1.2 Owner shall provide timely reviews and approvals of Preliminary
Construction Documents subject to Section 3.2.1.
8
4.1.3 Owner shall have no responsibility for any winter construction
related activities including, but not limited to, special material costs,
sheltering, heating, and equipment rental (the cost of which activities is
included in the Contract Price), except that Owner shall use its best efforts to
minimize frost by providing and maintaining an insulation layer (hay or straw)
with a depth of not less than 24 inches on areas designated by the
Design-Builder. All other related costs shall be paid by Design-Builder.
4.2 FURNISHING OF SERVICES AND INFORMATION.
4.2.1 Unless expressly stated to the contrary in the Contract
Documents, Owner shall provide, at its own cost and expense, for
Design-Builder's information and use the following, all of which Design-Builder
is entitled to rely upon in performing the Work:
a) Surveys describing the property, boundaries, topography
and reference points for use during construction,
including existing service and utility lines:
b) Geotechnical studies describing subsurface conditions,
and other surveys describing other latent or concealed
physical conditions at the Site;
c) Temporary and permanent easements, zoning and other
requirements and encumbrances affecting land use, or
necessary to permit the proper design and construction
of the Project and enable Design-Builder to perform the
Work;
d) A legal description of the Site;
e) To the extent available, as-built and record drawings
of any existing structures at the Site; and
f) To the extent available, environmental studies, reports
and impact statements describing the environmental
conditions, including Hazardous Conditions, in
existence at the Site.
4.2.2 Owner is responsible for securing and executing all necessary
agreements with adjacent land or property owners that are necessary to enable
Design-Builder to perform the Work. Owner is further responsible for all costs,
including attorneys' fees, incurred in securing these necessary agreements.
4.3 FINANCIAL INFORMATION. Prior to Financial Close, at Design-Builder's
request, Owner shall promptly furnish reasonable evidence satisfactory to
Design-Builder that Owner has adequate funds available and committed to fulfill
all of Owner's contractual obligations under the Contract Documents. If Owner
fails to furnish such financial information in a timely manner, Design-Builder
may slop Work under Section 15.4 hereof or exercise any other right permitted
under the Contract Documents. Upon Financial Close, Owner shall promptly provide
to Design-
9
Builder an officer's certificate certifying that Financial Close has occurred
and such Owner's officer's certificate shall constitute evidence satisfactory to
Design-Builder that Owner has adequate funds available and committed to fulfill
its obligations under the Contract Documents for all purposes hereunder.
4.4 OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE. Owner's Representative shall be responsible for
providing Owner-supplied information and approvals in a timely manner to permit
Design-Builder to fulfill its obligations under the Contract Documents. Owner's
Representative shall also provide Design-Builder with prompt notice if it
observes any failure on the part of Design-Builder to fulfill its contractual
obligations, including any errors, omissions or defects in the performance of
the Work. Owner's Representative shall be vested with the authority to act on
behalf of Owner.
4.5 GOVERNMENT APPROVALS AND PERMITS. Owner shall obtain and pay for all
necessary permits, approvals, licenses, government charges and inspection fees
set forth in Exhibit C and, to the extent identified as Owner's responsibility,
Exhibit G. Owner shall provide reasonable assistance to Design-Builder in
obtaining those permits, approvals and licenses that are Design-Builder's
responsibility pursuant to Exhibits G and Section 3.4.
4.6 OWNER'S SEPARATE CONTRACTORS. Owner is responsible for all work,
including such work listed on Exhibit C, performed on the Project or at the Site
by separate contractors under Owner's control. Owner shall contractually require
its separate contractors to cooperate with, and coordinate their activities so
as not to interfere with, Design-Builder in order to enable Design-Builder to
timely complete the Work consistent with the Contract Documents.
ARTICLE 5
OWNERSHIP OF WORK PRODUCT; RISK OF LOSS
5.1 WORK PRODUCT. All drawings, specifications, calculations, data, notes
and other materials and documents, including electronic data furnished by
Design-Builder to Owner under this Agreement ("Work Product") shall be
instruments of service and Design-Builder shall retain the ownership and
property interests therein, including the copyrights thereto.
5.2 OWNER'S LIMITED LICENSE UPON PAYMENT IN FULL. Upon Owner's payment in
full for all Work performed under the Contract Documents, Design-Builder shall
grant Owner a limited license to use the Work Product in connection with Owner's
occupancy and repair of the Project and Design-Builder shall provide Owner with
a copy of the "as built" plans, conditioned on Owner's express understanding
that its use of the Work Product and its acceptance of the "as built" plans is
at Owner's sole risk and without liability or legal exposure to Design-Builder
or anyone working by or through Design-Builder, including Design Consultants of
any tier (collectively the "Indemnified Parties"); provided, however, that any
performance guarantees, and warranties (of equipment or otherwise) shall remain
in effect according to the terms of this Agreement.
5.2.1 Owner shall be entitled to use the Work Product for the purpose
relating to this Project, but shall not be entitled to use the Work Product on
any other projects, including
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expansion of this Project. The limited license granted to Owner under Section
5.2, 5.3 or 5.4 to use the Work Product shall be limited by and construed
according to the same terms contained in the ICM License Agreement between Owner
and ICM, Inc., attached hereto as Exhibit D and incorporated herein by reference
thereto, except (i) references in such ICM License Agreement to ICM and
Proprietary Property shall refer to Design-Builder and Work Product,
respectively, (ii) the laws of the State of Minnesota shall govern such limited
license, and (iii) the dispute resolution provisions contained in Article 19
hereof shall apply to any breach or threatened breach of Owner's duties or
obligations under such limited license, except that Design-Builder shall have
the right to seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction against
Owner or its Representatives for any such breach or threatened breach.
Design-Builder is utilizing certain proprietary property and information of ICM,
Inc., a Kansas corporation ("ICM"), in the design and construction of the
Project, and Design-Builder may incorporate proprietary property and information
of ICM into the Work Product. Owner's use of the proprietary property and
information of ICM shall be governed by the terms and provisions of the License
Agreement between Owner and ICM, attached hereto as Exhibit D, to be executed by
such parties in connection with the execution of this Agreement. The preceding
last three sentences of this paragraph also apply to Articles 5.3 and 5.4 below.
5.3 OWNER'S LIMITED LICENSE UPON OWNER'S TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE OR
DESIGN-BUILDER'S ELECTION TO TERMINATE. If Owner terminates the Project for its
convenience as set forth in Section 15.3 hereof, or if Design-Builder elects to
terminate this Agreement in accordance with Section 15.5, Design-Builder shall,
upon Owner's payment in full of the amounts due Design-Builder under this
Agreement, grant Owner a limited license to use the Work Product to complete the
Project and subsequently occupy and repair the Project, subject to the
following:
5.3.1 Use of the Work Product is at Owner's sole risk without
liability or legal exposure to any Indemnified Party; provided, however, that
any "pass through" warranties regarding equipment or express warranties
regarding equipment provided by this Agreement shall remain in effect according
to their terms; and
5.3.2 If the termination for convenience is by Owner in accordance
with Section 15.3 hereof, or if Design-Builder elects to terminate this
Agreement in accordance with Section 15.5, then Owner agrees to pay
Design-Builder the additional sum of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) as
compensation for the limited right to use the Work Product completed "as is" on
the date of termination in accordance with this Article 5.
5.4 OWNER'S LIMITED LICENSE UPON DESIGN-BUILDER'S DEFAULT. If this
Agreement is terminated due to Design-Builder's default pursuant to Section 15.2
and (i) it is adjudged that Design-Builder was in default, and (ii) Owner has
fully satisfied all of its obligations under the Contract Documents through the
time of Design-Builder's default, then Design-Builder shall grant Owner a
limited license to use the Work Product in connection with Owner's completion
and occupancy and repair of the Project. This limited license is conditioned on
Owner's express understanding that its use of the Work Product is at Owner's
sole risk without liability or legal exposure to any Indemnified Party;
provided, however, that any "pass through" warranties regarding equipment or
express warranties regarding equipment provided by this Agreement shall
11
remain in effect according to their terms. This limited license grants Owner the
ability to repair the Project at Owner's discretion.
5.5 OWNER'S INDEMNIFICATION FOR USE OF WORK PRODUCT. If Owner uses the Work
Product or Plant under any of the circumstances identified in this Article 5, to
the fullest extent allowed by law. Owner shall defend, indemnify and hold
harmless the Indemnified Parties from and against any and all claims, damages,
liabilities, losses and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising out of or
resulting from the use of the Work Product and Plant; provided, however, that
any "pass through" warranties regarding equipment or express warranties
regarding equipment provided by this Agreement shall remain in effect according
to their terms.
ARTICLE 6
COMMENCEMENT AND COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT
6.1 WORK SCHEDULE. Design-Builder shall prepare and submit a schedule for
the execution of the Work to Owner. The schedule ("Work Schedule") shall
indicate the dates for the start and completion of the various stages of Work,
including the dates when Owner's obligations are required to be complete to
enable Design-Builder to achieve the Contract Time(s). The Work Schedule shall
be revised as required by conditions and progress of the Work but such revisions
shall not relieve Design-Builder of its obligations to complete the Work within
the Contract Time(s), unless such revisions to the work Schedule are the result
of any direct or indirect delay in the completion of Owner's obligations. Then
Design-Builder shall be relieved of its obligations to complete the Work within
the Contract Time(s) for completion of the Work shall be extended accordingly
without penalty to Design-Builder.
6.2 NOTICE TO PROCEED; COMMENCEMENT. The Work shall commence within five
(5) days of Design-Builder's receipt of Owner's written valid notice to proceed
("Notice to Proceed") unless the parties mutually agree otherwise in writing.
The parties agree that a valid Owner's Notice to Proceed cannot be given until:
[ * ] Owner and Designer mutually agree that time is of the essence with respect
to the dates and times set forth in the Contract Documents. Design-Builder must
receive a valid Owner's Notice to Proceed within 180 days of the signing of this
Agreement; otherwise, the Contract Price referred to in Section 9.1 is subject
to a price increase.
6.2.1 Owner shall provide the following within 90 days of
Design-Builder's receipt of Owner's valid Notice to Proceed, as described in
Section 6.2 above of this Agreement:
- Owner shall determine its water supply and pretreatment system design
and provide Design-Builder with a detailed design, and
[ * ] Portions omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment and
filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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- Owner shall provide the name of its property/all risk insurance
carrier and the specific requirements for fire protection.
The two bulleted requirements referred to above are further detailed in Exhibit
C. The Scheduled Substantial Completion date will likewise be extended a
corresponding amount of days for each day Owner exceeds the 90-day timeframe
referred to above in Section 6.2.1.
6.3 PROJECT START-UP AND TESTING. Owner shall provide, at Owner's cost,
equipment, tools, instruments and materials necessary for Owner to comply with
its obligations under Exhibit C, raw materials, consumables and personnel,
necessary for start-up and testing of the Plant, and Design-Builder shall
provide supervision, standard and special test instruments, tools, equipment and
materials required to perform component and equipment checkout and testing,
initial start-up, operations supervision and corrective maintenance of all
permanent Plant equipment within the scope of the Work. Notwithstanding the
foregoing sentence, Design-Builder shall be responsible for raw materials and
consumables to the extent such amounts provided by Owner are destroyed or
damaged (as opposed to consumed in the ordinary course of start-up and testing)
by Design-Builder or its personnel during start-up and testing. Design-Builder
shall supervise and direct Owner's employees who shall participate in the
start-up activities with Design-Builder's personnel to become familiar with all
aspects of the Plant. Owner and the Independent Engineer may witness start-up
and testing activities. Performance testing will be conducted in accordance with
the provisions of Section 7.2 hereof.
6.4 SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION.
6.4.1 Substantial Completion of the entire Work shall be achieved no
later than 485 calendar days after the date of the Notice to Proceed, subject to
adjustment in accordance with the Contract Documents hereof (the "Scheduled
Substantial Completion Date").
6.4.2 "Substantial Completion" is the date on which the Work is
sufficiently complete so that Owner can occupy and use the Project for its
intended purposes. Substantial Completion shall be attained at the point in time
when the Plant is ready to begin operation for its intended use (ethanol
production; i.e., the "grind corn" date).
6.4.3 PROCEDURES. Design-Builder shall notify Owner in writing when it
believes Substantial Completion has been achieved with respect to the Work.
Within five (5) days of Owner's receipt of Design-Builder's notice, Owner and
Design-Builder will jointly inspect such Work to verify that it is substantially
complete in accordance with the requirements of the Contract Documents. If such
Work is substantially complete, Design-Builder shall prepare and issue a
Certificate of Substantial Completion for the Work that will set forth (i) the
date of Substantial Completion, (ii) the remaining items of Work that have to be
completed before final payment ("the Punch List"), (iii) provisions (to the
extent not already provided in this Agreement) establishing Owner's and
Design-Builder's responsibility for the Project's security, maintenance,
utilities and insurance pending Final Payment, and (iv) an acknowledgment that
warranties with respect to the Work commence on the date of Substantial
Completion, except as may otherwise be noted in the Certificate of Substantial
Completion. Upon Substantial Completion of the entire Work or, if applicable,
any portion of the Work, and Performance Testing, Owner shall release to
Design-Builder all retained amounts relating, as applicable, to the
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entire Work or completed portion of the Work, less an amount equal to the
reasonable value of all remaining or incomplete items of Work as noted in the
Certificate of Substantial Completion.
a) Owner, at its option, may use a portion of the Work prior to
completion of the entire Work; provided, that (i) a Certificate of
Substantial completion has been issued for the portion of Work addressing
the items set forth in Section 6.4.3 above, (ii) Design-Builder and Owner
have, to the extent required, obtained the consent of their sureties and
insurers and the appropriate government authorities having jurisdiction
over the Project, and (i) Owner and Design-Builder agree that Owner's use
or occupancy will not interfere with Design-Builder's completion of the
remaining Work in accordance with the Contract Documents.
6.5 FINAL COMPLETION.
6.5.1 final Completion of the Work shall be achieved as expeditiously
as reasonably practicable.
6.5.2 Final Completion shall be achieved when the Owner reasonably
determines that the following conditions have been met:
a) Substantial Completion has been achieved;
b) any outstanding amounts owed by Design-Builder to Owner have
been paid in full;
c) the items identified on the Punch List have been completed by
Design-Builder;
d) clean-up of the site has been completed;
e) all permits required to have been obtained by Design-Builder
have been obtained;
f) the information in Section 6.5.4 has been provided to Owner;
g) certificates of insurance confirming that required coverages
will remain in effect consistent with the requirements of the Contract
Documents; and
h) the performance test report has been completed according to
Section 7.2
6.5.3 After receipt of a Final Application for Payment from
Design-Builder, Owner shall make final payment in accordance with Section 10.3.
6.5.4 At the time of submission of its Final Application for Payment,
Design-Builder shall provide the following information:
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a) an affidavit that there are no claims, obligations or liens
outstanding or unsatisfied for labor, services, material, equipment, taxes
or other items performed, furnished or incurred for or in connection with
the Work which will in any way affect Owner's interests;
b) a general release executed by Design-Builder waiving, upon
receipt of final payment by Design-Builder, all claims for payment,
additional compensation, or damages for delay, except those previously made
to Owner in writing and remaining unsettled at the time of final payment
provided such general release shall not waive defenses to claims that may
be asserted by Owner after payment or claims arising after payment;
c) consent of Design-Builder's surety, if any, to final payment;
and
d) all other documents or materials relating to the Project not
previously provided to Owner, including as-built plans and drawings.
6.5.5 Upon making final payment, Owner waives all claims against
Design-Builder except claims relating to (i) Design-Builder's failure to satisfy
its payment obligations, if such failure affects Owner's interests, (ii)
Design-Builder's failure to complete the Work consistent with the Contract
Documents, including defects appearing after Substantial Completion, and (iii)
the terms of any special warranties required by the Contract Documents.
6.6 POST COMPLETION SUPPORT. Adequate personnel to complete all Work within
the guaranteed schedule will be maintained on-site by Design-Builder or a
Subcontractor until Final Completion has been achieved. In addition to
prosecuting the Work until Final Completion has been achieved, Design-Builder or
its Subcontractor will provide one month of on-site operational support for
Owner's personnel after successful completion of the Performance Tests and, from
the date of Substantial Completion, will provide six (6) months of off-site
technical and operating procedure support by telephone and other electronic data
transmission and communication.
ARTICLE 7
PERFORMANCE TESTING
7.1 PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE. The Design-Builder guarantees the Criteria
listed in Exhibit A. If there is a performance shortfall, Design-Builder will
pay all design, and construction, and all other costs associated with making the
necessary corrections, including corrections necessary to meet air emissions
standards, except that Owner is responsible for the increased cost(s) related to
the pollution control equipment referred to in Section 9.1. Design-Builder
retains the right to use its sole discretion in determining the method to remedy
any performance related issues.
7.1.1 If Owner, for whatever reason, prevents Design-Builder from
demonstrating the Performance Guarantee Criteria within 30 days of
Design-Builder's notice that the Project is ready for Performance Testing,
Design-Builder is thereby deemed to have fulfilled all of its
15
Performance Guarantee obligations listed in Exhibit A.
7.2 PERFORMANCE TESTING.
7.2.1 The Design-Builder shall direct and supervise the tests and, if
necessary, the retests of the Plant using Design-Builder's supervisory personnel
and the Air Emissions Tester shall conduct the air emissions test, in each case,
in accordance with the testing procedures set forth in Exhibit A (the
"Performance Tests"), to demonstrate, at a minimum, compliance with the
Performance Guarantee Criteria. Design-Builder shall cooperate with the Air
Emissions Tester to facilitate performance of all air emissions tests.
7.2.2 No later than thirty (30) days prior to the earlier of Scheduled
Substantial Completion and the Substantial Completion Date, Design-Builder shall
provide to Owner for review a detailed testing plan for Performance Tests (other
than for air emissions). Design-Builder shall notify the Owner five (5) business
days prior to the date Design-Builder intends to commence the Performance Tests
and shall notify the Owner upon commencement of the Performance Tests. Owner and
Independent Engineer each have the right to witness all testing, including the
Performance Tests and any equipment testing, whether at the Site or at the
Sub-contractor's or equipment supplier's premises during the course of this
Agreement. Owner shall bear the costs of providing a witness to any such
testing.
7.2.3 Design-Builder shall provide to Owner a performance test report
(excluding results from air emissions testing), including all applicable test
data, calculations and certificates indicating the results of the Performance
Tests and within five (5) business days of Owner's receipt of such results,
Owner, Independent Engineer and Design-Builder will jointly inspect such Work
and review the results of the Performance Tests to verify that the Performance
Guarantee Criteria have been met. If Owner reasonably determines that the
Performance Guarantee Criteria have not been met, Owner shall notify
Design-Builder the reasons why Owner determined that the Performance Guarantee
Criteria have not been met and Design-Builder shall promptly take such action or
perform such additional work as will achieve the Performance Guarantee Criteria
and shall issue to the Owner another notice in accordance with Section 7.2.2;
provided however that if the notice relates to a retest, the notice may be
provided no less than two (2) business days prior to the Performance Tests. Such
procedure shall be repeated as necessary until Owner verifies that the
Performance Guarantee Criteria have been met.
ARTICLE 8
WARRANTIES
8.1 Design-Builder Warranty. Design-Builder warrants to Owner that the
construction, including all materials and equipment furnished as part of the
construction, shall be new, of good quality, in conformance with the Contract
Documents and all Legal Requirements, free of defects in materials and
workmanship. Design-Builder's warranty obligation excludes defects caused by
abuse, alterations, or failure to maintain the Work by persons other than
Design-Builder or anyone for whose acts Design-Builder may be liable. Nothing in
this warranty is intended to limit any manufacturer's warranty which provides
Owner with greater warranty rights
16
than set forth in this Section 8.1 or the Contract Documents. Design-Builder
will provide to Owner all manufacturers' and Subcontractors' warranties upon the
earlier of Substantial Completion and termination of this Agreement. Owner's
failure to materially comply with all Operating Procedures shall void those
guarantees, representations and warranties, whether expressed or implied, that
were given by Design-Builder to Owner, concerning the performance of the Plant
that are reasonably determined by Design-Builder to be materially affected by
such failure. If Design-Builder reasonably determines that all damage caused by
such failure can be repaired and Owner makes all repairs needed to correct such
damage, as reasonably determined by Design-Builder, such guarantees,
representations and warranties shall be reinstated for the remaining term
thereof, if any, from the date of such repair.
8.2 CORRECTION OF DEFECTIVE WORK.
8.2.1 Design-Builder agrees to correct any Work that is found to not
be in conformance with the Contract Documents, including that part of the Work
subject to Section 8.1, within a period of one year from the date of Substantial
Completion of the Work; provided that such one-year period shall be extended for
any part of the Work that is found to be not in conformance with the Contract
Documents for each day that such part of the Work is not operating in conformity
with the Contract Documents, including any time during which any part of the
Work is repaired or replaced pursuant to this Article VIII.
8.2.2 Design-Builder shall, within seven (7) days of receipt of
written notice from Owner that the Work is not in conformance with the Contract
Documents, take meaningful steps to commence correction of such nonconforming
Work, including the correction, removal or replacement of the nonconforming
Work. If Design-Builder fails to commence the necessary steps within such seven
(7) day period, Owner, in addition to any other remedies provided under the
Contract Documents, may provide Design-Builder with written notice that Owner
will commence or assume correction of such nonconforming Work with its own
forces. If Owner does perform such corrective Work, Design-Builder shall be
responsible for all reasonable costs incurred by Owner in performing such
correction. If the nonconforming Work creates an emergency requiring an
immediate response, the seven (7) day periods identified herein shall be
inapplicable.
8.3 WARRANTY PERIOD NOT LIMITATION TO OWNER'S RIGHTS. The one-year period
referenced in Section 8.2 above applies only to Design-Builder's obligation to
correct nonconforming Work and is not intended to constitute a period of
limitations for any other rights or remedies Owner may have regarding
Design-Builder's other obligations under the Contract Documents.
ARTICLE 9
CONTRACT PRICE
9.1 CONTRACT PRICE. Owner shall pay Design-Builder in accordance with the
terms of Article 10, the sum of Seventy-five Million Eight Hundred Forty-one
Thousand Seven Hundred Forty Dollars ($75,841,740) ("Contract Price"), subject
to adjustments made in accordance with
17
Article 13. The Contract Price includes a Two Million Dollar ($2,000,000)
allowance for pollution control equipment; the purpose for which is to reduce or
control SOx emissions. Design and installation costs shall be at no markup to
Owner, and the $2,000,000 is a maximum not to exceed cost to the Owner. Unless
otherwise provided in the Contract Documents, the Contract Price is deemed to
include all sales, use, consumer and other taxes mandated by applicable Legal
Requirements. Design-Builder and Owner acknowledge that a portion of the Project
is exempt from sales tax, and Design-Builder agrees to reasonably cooperate with
Owner in claiming any applicable refund of sales tax paid by Owner by providing
reasonable documentation directly to the State Tax Agency only. Any refund of
such taxes Owner receives for the Project will be split evenly (50/50) with the
Design-Builder. The Contract Price assumes the use of non-union labor. If Legal
Requirements require Owner or Owner otherwise requires Design-Builder to use
union labor, the Contract Price shall be adjusted upwards to include any
increased costs associated with the use of union labor.
ARTICLE 10
PAYMENT PROCEDURES
10.1 PAYMENT AT FINANCIAL CLOSE. As part of the Contract Price, Owner shall
pay Design-Builder Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) as soon as allowed by its
organizational documents and any other agreements or laws and at the latest, at
Financial Close, as a mobilization fee. "Financial Close" is defined as the
execution by Owner of final loan documents (the "Financing Documents") providing
for the advance of financing to Owner to construct the Project and the
fulfillment of all conditions precedent thereunder necessary to permit the
initial advance of funds to pay amounts due under this Agreement. The Five
Million Dollar ($5,000,000) mobilization fee payment shall be subject to
retainage as provided by Section 10.2.7.
10.2 PROGRESS PAYMENTS
10.2.1 APPLICATION FOR PAYMENT. On or before the twenty-fifth (25th)
day of each month beginning with the first month following the Notice to
Proceed, Design-Builder shall submit to Owner its request for payment for all
Work performed and not paid for during the previous Pay Period (the "Application
for Payment").
10.2.2 The Application for Payment shall constitute Design-Builder's
representation that the Work has been performed consistent with the Contract
Documents and has progressed to the point indicated in the Application for
Payment. Title to the Work shall pass to Owner free and clear of all claims,
liens, encumbrances, and security interests upon Design-Builder's receipt of
payment therefor, or upon the incorporation of the Work into the Project,
whichever occurs earlier.
10.2.3 Within ten (10) days after Owner's receipt of each properly
submitted Application for Payment, Owner shall pay Design-Builder all amounts
properly due, but in each case less the total of payments previously made, and
less amounts properly withheld under this Agreement.
18
10.2.4 The Application for Payment may request payment for equipment
and materials not yet incorporated into the Project; provided that (i) Owner is
satisfied that the equipment and materials are suitably stored at either the
Site or another acceptable location, (ii) the equipment and materials are
protected by suitable insurance, and (iii) upon payment, Owner will receive the
equipment and materials free and clear of all liens and encumbrances except for
liens of the Lenders and other liens and encumbrances permitted under the
Financing Documents.
10.2.5 SCHEDULE OF VALUES. Attached as Exhibit E is the "Schedule of
Values" for all of the Work. The Schedule of Values (i) subdivides the Work into
its respective parts, (ii) includes values for all items comprising the Work,
and (iii) serves as the basis for monthly progress payments made to
Design-Builder throughout the Work.
10.2.6 WITHHOLDING OF PAYMENTS. On or before the date set forth in
Section 10.2.3, Owner shall pay Design-Builder all amounts properly due. If
Owner determines that Design-Builder is not entitled to all or part of an
Application for Payment, it will notify Design-Builder in writing at least five
(5) days prior to the date payment is due. The notice shall indicate the
specific amounts Owner intends to withhold, the reasons and contractual basis
for the withholding, and the specific measures Design-Builder must take to
rectify Owner's concerns. Design-Builder and Owner will attempt to resolve
Owner's concerns prior to the date payment is due. If the parties cannot resolve
such concerns, Design-Builder may pursue its rights under the Contract
Documents, including those under Article 19. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary in the Contract Documents, Owner shall pay Design-Builder all
undisputed amounts in an Application for Payment within the times required by
the Agreement.
10.2.7 RETAINAGE ON PROGRESS PAYMENTS. Owner will retain five (5%) of
each payment In addition. Owner shall retain 5% of the pollution control
equipment related payments (the Two Million Dollar allowance referred to in
Section 9.1) until successful completion of all compliance tests. Owner will
also reasonably consider reducing retainage for Subcontractors completing their
work early in the Project. Upon Substantial Completion of the entire Work or, if
applicable, any portion of the Work, pursuant to Section 6.4, Owner shall
release to Design-Builder all retained amounts relating, as applicable, to the
entire Work or completed portion of the Work, less an amount equal to the
reasonable value of all remaining or incomplete items of Work as noted in the
Certificate of Substantial Completion, provided that such payment shall only be
made if Design-Builder has met the Performance Guarantee Criteria listed in
Exhibit A
10.3 FINAL PAYMENT. Design-Builder shall deliver to Owner a request for
final payment (the "Final Application for Payment") when Design-Builder believes
Final Completion has been achieved in accordance with Section 6.5. Owner shall
make final payment within thirty (30) days after Owner's receipt of the Final
Application for Payment.
10.4 FAILURE TO PAY AMOUNTS DUE.
10.4.1 INTEREST. Payments which are due and unpaid by Owner to
Design-Builder, whether progress payments or final payment, shall bear interest
commencing five (5) days after
19
payment is due at the rate of ten percent (10%) per annum. This interest shall
not apply to any amount actually adjudged to be in dispute.
10.4.2 RIGHT TO SUSPEND WORK. If Owner fails to pay Design-Builder any
undisputed amount that becomes due, Design-Builder, in addition to all other
remedies provided in the Contract Documents, may stop Work pursuant to Section
15.4 hereof. All payments properly due and unpaid shall bear interest at the
rate set forth in Section 10.4.1.
10.5 DESIGN-BUILDER'S PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS. Design-Builder will pay Design
Consultants and Subcontractors, in accordance with its contractual obligations
to such parties, all the amounts Design-Builder has received from Owner on
account of their work. Design-Builder will impose similar requirements on Design
Consultants and Subcontractors to pay those parties with whom they have
contracted. Design-Builder will indemnify and defend Owner against any claims
for payment and mechanic's liens as set forth in Section 14.3 hereof.
10.6 RECORD KEEPING AND FINANCE CONTROLS. With respect to changes in the
Work performed on a cost basis by Design-Builder pursuant to the Contract
Documents, Design-Builder shall keep full and detailed accounts and exercise
such controls as may be necessary for proper financial management, using
accounting and control systems in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles and as may be provided in the Contract Documents. During the
performance of the Work and for a period of three (3) years after Final Payment,
Owner and Owner's accountants shall be afforded access from time to time, upon
reasonable notice, to Design-Builder's records, books, correspondence, receipts,
subcontracts, purchase orders, vouchers, memoranda and other data relating to
changes in the Work performed on a cost basis in accordance with the Contract
Documents, all of which Design-Builder shall preserve for a period of three (3)
years after Final Payment.
ARTICLE 11
HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AND DIFFERING SITE CONDITIONS
11.1 HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS.
11.1.1 Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Contract Documents
to be part of the Work, Design-Builder is not responsible for any Hazardous
Conditions encountered at the Site. Upon encountering any Hazardous Conditions,
Design-Builder will stop Work immediately in the affected area and as promptly
as practicable notify Owner and, if required by Legal Requirements, all
government or quasi-government entities with jurisdiction over the Project or
Site.
11.1.2 Upon receiving notice of the presence of suspected Hazardous
Conditions, Owner shall take the necessary measures required to ensure that the
Hazardous Conditions are remediated or rendered harmless. Such necessary
measures shall include Owner retaining qualified independent experts to (i)
ascertain whether Hazardous Conditions have actually been encountered, and, if
they have been encountered, (ii) prescribe the remedial measures that Owner
20
must take either to remove the Hazardous Conditions or render the Hazardous
Conditions harmless.
11.1.3 Design-Builder shall be obligated to resume Work at the
affected area of the Project only after Owner's expert provides it with written
certification that (i) the Hazardous Conditions have been removed or rendered
harmless, and (ii) all necessary approvals have been obtained from all
government entities having jurisdiction over the Project or Site.
11.1.4 Design-Builder will be entitled, in accordance with this
Article 11, to an adjustment in its Contract Price and/or Contract Time(s) to
the extent Design-Builder's cost and/or time of performance have been adversely
impacted by the presence of Hazardous Conditions.
11.1.5 To the fullest extent permitted by law, Owner shall indemnify,
defend and hold harmless Design-Builder, Design Consultants, Subcontractors,
anyone employed directly or indirectly for any of them, and their officers,
directors, employees and agents, from and against any and all claims, losses,
damages, liabilities and expenses, including attorneys' fees and expenses,
arising out of or resulting from the presence, removal or remediation of
Hazardous Conditions at the Site.
11.1.6 Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this Section 11.1,
Owner is not responsible for Hazardous Conditions introduced to the Site by
Design-Builder, Subcontractors or anyone for whose acts they may be liable.
Design-Builder shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Owner and Owner's
officers, directors, employees and agents from and against all claims, losses,
damages, liabilities and expenses, including attorneys' fees and expenses,
arising out of or resulting from those Hazardous Conditions introduced to the
Site by Design-Builder, Subcontractors or anyone for whose acts they may be
liable.
11.2 DIFFERING SITE CONDITIONS.
11.2.1 Concealed or latent physical conditions or subsurface
conditions at the Site that (i) materially differ from the conditions indicated
in the Contract Documents, or (ii) are of an unusual nature, differing
materially from the conditions ordinarily encountered and generally recognized
as inherent in the Work are collectively referred to herein as "Differing Site
Conditions." If Design-Builder encounters a Differing Site Condition,
Design-Builder will be entitled to an adjustment in the Contract Price and/or
Contract Time(s) to the extent Design-Builder's cost and/or time of performance
are adversely impacted by the Differing Site Condition.
11.2.2 Upon encountering a Differing Site Condition, Design-Builder
shall provide prompt written notice to Owner of such condition, which notice
shall not be later than fourteen (14) business days after such condition has
been encountered. Design-Builder shall, to the extent reasonably possible,
provide such notice before the Differing Site Condition has been substantially
disturbed or altered.
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ARTICLE 12
FORCE MAJEURE; CHANGE IN LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
12.1 FORCE MAJEURE EVENT. If Design-Builder is delayed in the performance
of the Work due to acts, omissions, conditions, events, or circumstances beyond
its control and due to no fault of its own or those for whom Design-Builder is
responsible, the Contract Time(s) for performance shall be reasonably extended
by Change Order. By way of example, events that will entitle Design-Builder to
an extension of the Contract Time(s) include acts or omissions of Owner or
anyone under Owner's control (including separate contractors), changes in the
Work, Differing Site Conditions. Hazardous Conditions, wars (declared or not),
hostilities, blockade, revolution, insurrection, riot, fire, floods,
earthquakes, storms, labor disputes, unusual delay in transportation, delay in
the delivery of materials or equipment that is beyond the control of
Design-Builder, epidemics abroad, adverse weather conditions not reasonably
anticipated, or similar acts of God, strikes or other labor difficulties ("Force
Majeure Event").
12.2 EFFECT OF FORCE MAJEURE EVENT. Neither party shall be considered in
default in the performance of any of the obligations contained in the Contract
Documents, except for the Owners or the Design-Builder's obligations to pay
money. If either party is rendered wholly or partly unable to perform its
obligations under the Contract Documents because of a Force Majeure Event, such
party will be excused from performance affected by the Force Majeure Event to
the extent and for the period of time so affected; provided that:
a) the nonperforming party gives the other party notice describing
the event or circumstance;
b) the suspension of performance is of no greater scope and of no
longer duration than is reasonably required by the Force Majeure
Event;
c) when the nonperforming party is able to resume performance of its
obligations under the Contract Documents, that party shall give
the other party written notice to that effect; and
d) in addition to Design-Builder's right to a time extension for
those events set forth in Section 12.1 above, Design-Builder
shall also be entitled to an appropriate adjustment of the
Contract Price provided, however, that the Contract Price shall
not be adjusted for those events set forth in Section 12.1 above
that are beyond the control of both Design-Builder and Owner.
12.3 CHANGE IN LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. The Contract Price and/or the Contract
Time(s) shall be adjusted to compensate Design-Builder for the effects of any
changes to the Legal Requirements that occur after the date of this Agreement
affecting the performance of the Work. Such effects may include, without
limitation, revisions Design-Builder is required to make to the Construction
Documents because of changes in Legal Requirements.
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ARTICLE 13
CHANGES TO THE CONTRACT PRICE AND SCHEDULED COMPLETION DATES
13.1 CHANGE ORDERS.
13.1.1 A Change Order is a written instrument issued after execution
of this Agreement signed by Owner and Design-Builder, stating their agreement
upon all of the following:
a) The scope of the change in the Work;
b) The amount of the adjustment to the Contract Price; and
c) The extent of the adjustment to the Contract Time(s).
13.1.2 All changes in the Work authorized by an applicable Change
Order shall be performed under the applicable conditions of the Contract
Documents. Owner and Design-Builder shall negotiate in good faith and as
expeditiously as possible the appropriate adjustments for such changes.
13.1.3 If Owner requests a proposal for a change in the Work from
Design-Builder and subsequently elects not to proceed with the change, a Change
Order shall be issued to reimburse Design-Builder for reasonable costs incurred
for estimating services, design services and any other services involved in the
preparation of proposed revisions to the Contract Documents.
13.2 CONTRACT PRICE ADJUSTMENTS.
13.2.1 The increase or decrease in Contract Price resulting from a
change in the Work shall be a mutually accepted lump sum, properly itemized and
supported by sufficient substantiating data to permit evaluation by Owner.
13.2.2 If Owner and Design-Builder disagree upon whether
Design-Builder is entitled to be paid for any services required by Owner, or if
there are any other disagreements over the scope of Work or proposed changes to
the Work, Owner and Design-Builder shall resolve the disagreement pursuant to
Article 19 hereof. As part of the negotiation process, Design-Builder shall
furnish Owner with a good faith estimate of the costs to perform the disputed
services in accordance with Owner's interpretations. If the parties are unable
to agree and Owner expects Design-Builder to perform the services in accordance
with Owner's interpretations, Design-Builder shall proceed to perform the
disputed services, conditioned upon Owner issuing a written order to
Design-Builder (i) directing Design-Builder to proceed, and (ii) specifying
Owner's interpretation of the services that are to be performed. If this occurs,
Design-Builder shall be entitled to submit in its Applications for Payment an
amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of its reasonable estimated direct cost to
perform the services, and Owner agrees to pay such amounts, with the express
understanding that (x) such payment by Owner does not prejudice Owner's right to
argue that it has no responsibility to pay for such services, and (y) receipt of
such payment by
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Design-Builder does not prejudice Design-Builder's right to seek full payment of
the disputed services if Owner's order is deemed to be a change to the Work.
13.3 EMERGENCIES. In any emergency affecting the safety of persons and/or
property, Design-Builder shall act, at its discretion, to prevent threatened
damage, injury or loss and shall notify the Owner as soon as practicable. Any
change in the Contract Price and/or the Contract Time(s) on account of emergency
work shall be determined as provided in this Article 13.
13.4 REQUESTS FOR CONTRACT ADJUSTMENTS AND RELIEF. If either Design-Builder
or Owner believes that it is entitled to relief against the other for any event
arising out of or related to the Work or Project, such party shall provide
written notice to the other party of the basis for its claim for relief. Such
notice shall, if possible, be made prior to incurring any cost or expense and in
accordance with the notice requirements contained Section 20.7. In the absence
of any specific notice requirement, written notice shall be given within a
reasonable time, not to exceed twenty-one (21) days, after the occurrence giving
rise to the claim for relief or after the claiming party reasonably should have
recognized the event or condition giving rise to the request, whichever is
later. Such notice shall include sufficient information to advise the other
party of the circumstances giving rise to the claim for relief, the specific
contractual adjustment or relief requested and the basis of such request.
13.5 CONTRACT TIME ADJUSTMENT. Design-Builder shall be entitled to an
extension of the Scheduled Substantial Completion Date or Final Completion Date
to the extent the Plant is unable to operate as expected not due to any act or
omission of the Design-Builder, in addition to time extensions available due to
an event as described in Section 12.1.
ARTICLE 14
INDEMNIFY
14.1 PATENT AND COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.
14.1.1 Design-Builder shall defend any action or proceeding brought
against Owner, its officers, directors, employees and agents ("Owner Indemnified
Parties") based on any claim that the Work, or any part thereof, or the
operation or use of the Work or any part thereof, constitutes infringement of
any United States patent or copyright, now or hereafter issued. Owner shall give
prompt written notice to Design-Builder of any such action or proceeding and
will reasonably provide authority, information and assistance in the defense of
same. Design-Builder shall indemnify and hold harmless Owner Indemnified Parties
from and against all damages and costs, including but not limited to, attorneys'
fees and expenses awarded against Owner or Design-Builder in any such action or
proceeding. Design-Builder agrees to keep Owner informed of all developments in
the defense of such actions.
14.1.2 If Owner is enjoined from the operation or use of the Work or
any part thereof, as the result of any patent or copyright suit, claim, or
proceeding, Design-Builder shall at its sole expense take reasonable steps to
procure the right to operate or use the Work. If Design-Builder cannot so
procure such right within a reasonable time, Design-Builder shall promptly, at
Design-
24
Builder's option and at Design-Builder's expense, (i) modify the Work so as to
avoid infringement of any such patent or copyright or (ii) replace the Work with
Work that does not infringe or violate any such patent or copyright.
14.1.3 Sections 14.1.1 and 14.1.2 above shall not be applicable to any
suit, claim or proceeding based on infringement or violation of a patent or
copyright (i) relating solely to a particular process or product of a particular
manufacturer specified by Owner and not offered or recommended by Design-Builder
to Owner, or (ii) arising from modifications to the Work by Owner or its agents
after acceptance of the Work, or (iii) relating to the operation or use of the
Work by the Owner is a manner not permitted by this Agreement or the License
Agreement attached to this Agreement as Exhibit D. If the suit, claim or
proceeding is based upon events set forth in the preceding sentence, Owner shall
defend, indemnify and hold harmless Design-Builder to the same extent
Design-Builder is obligated to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Owner in
Section 14.1.1 above.
14.1.4 The obligations set forth in this Section 14.1 shall constitute
the sole agreement between the parties relating to liability for infringement of
violation of any patent or copyright.
14.2 TAX CLAIM INDEMNIFICATION. If, in accordance with Owner's direction,
an exemption for all or part of the Work is claimed for taxes, Owner shall
indemnify, defend and hold harmless Design-Builder from and against any
liability, penalty, interest, fine, tax assessment, attorneys' fees or other
expenses or costs incurred by Design-Builder as a result of any action taken by
Design-Builder in accordance with Owner's directive.
14.3 PAYMENT CLAIM INDEMNIFICATION. To the extent Design-Builder has
received payment for the Work. Design-Builder shall indemnify, defend and hold
harmless Owner Indemnified Parties from any claims or mechanic's liens brought
against Owner Indemnified Parties or against the Project as a result of the
failure of Design-Builder, or those for whose acts it is responsible, to pay for
any services, materials, labor, equipment, taxes or other items or obligations
furnished or incurred for or in connection with the Work. Within three (3)
business days of receiving written notice from Owner that such a claim or
mechanic's lien has been filed, Design-Builder shall commence to take the steps
necessary to discharge such claim or lien, including, if necessary, the
furnishing of a mechanic's lien bond. If Design-Builder fails to do so, Owner
will have the right to discharge the claim or lien and hold Design-Builder
liable for costs and expenses incurred, including attorneys' fees.
14.4 DESIGN-BUILDER'S GENERAL INDEMNIFICATION.
14.4.1 Design-Builder, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall
indemnify, hold harmless and defend Owner Indemnified Parties from and against
claims, losses, damages, liabilities, including attorneys' fees and expenses,
for bodily injury, sickness or death, and property damage or destruction (other
than to the Work itself) to the extent resulting from the negligent acts or
omissions of Design-Builder, Design Consultants, Subcontractors, anyone employed
directly or indirectly by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may
be liable.
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14.4.2 If an employee of Design-Builder, Design Consultants,
Subcontractors, anyone employed directly or indirectly by any of them or anyone
for whose acts any of them may be liable has a claim against Owner Indemnified
Parties, Design-Builder's indemnity obligation set forth in Section 14.4.1 above
shall not be limited by any limitation on the amount of damages, compensation or
benefits payable by or for Design-Builder, Design Consultants, Subcontractors,
or other entity under any employee benefit acts, including workers' compensation
or disability acts.
14.5 OWNER'S GENERAL INDEMNIFICATION. Owner, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, shall indemnify, hold harmless and defend Design-Builder and
any of Design-Builder's officers, directors, employees, or agents from and
against claims, losses, damages, liabilities, including attorneys' fees and
expenses, for bodily injury, sickness or death, and property damage or
destruction (other than to the Work itself) to the extent resulting from the
negligent acts or omissions of Owner, its officers, directors, employees,
agents, and Owner's separate contractors or anyone for whose acts any of them
may be liable.
ARTICLE 15
STOP WORK; TERMINATION FOR CAUSE
15.1 OWNER'S RIGHT TO STOP WORK. Owner may, without cause and for its
convenience, order Design-Builder in writing to stop and suspend the Work. Such
suspension shall not exceed sixty (60) consecutive days or aggregate more than
ninety (90) days during the duration of the Project. Design-Builder is entitled
to seek an adjustment of the Contract Price and/or the Contract Time(s) if its
cost or time to perform the Work has been adversely impacted by any suspension
or stoppage of work by Owner.
15.2 OWNER'S RIGHT TO PERFORM AND TERMINATE FOR CAUSE.
15.2.1 If Design-Builder persistently fails to (i) provide a
sufficient number of skilled workers, (ii) supply the materials required by the
Contract Documents, (iii) comply with applicable Legal Requirements, (iv) timely
pay, without cause, Design Consultants or Subcontractors, (v) prosecute the Work
with promptness and diligence to ensure that the Work is completed by the
Contract Time(s), as such times may be adjusted, or (vi) perform material
obligations under the Contract Documents, then Owner, in addition to any other
rights and remedies provided in the Contract Documents or by law, shall have the
rights set forth in Sections 15.2.2 and 15.2.3 below.
15.2.2 Upon the occurrence of an event set forth in Section 15.2.1
above, Owner may provide written notice to Design-Builder that it intends to
terminate the Agreement unless the problem cited is cured, or commenced to be
cured, within seven (7) days of Design-Builder's receipt of such notice. If
Design-Builder fails to cure, or reasonably commence to cure, such problem, then
Owner may give a second written notice to Design-Builder of its intent to
terminate within an additional seven (7) day period. If Design-Builder, within
such second seven (7) day period, fails to cure, or reasonably commence to cure,
such problem, then Owner may
26
declare the Agreement terminated for default by providing written notice to
Design-Builder of such declaration.
15.2.3 Upon declaring the Agreement terminated pursuant to Section
15.2.2 above, Owner may enter upon the premises and take possession, for the
purpose of completing the Work, of all materials, equipment, scaffolds, tools,
appliances and other items thereon, which have been purchased for the
performance of the Work, all of which Design-Builder hereby transfers, assigns
and sets over to Owner for such purpose, and to employ any person or persons to
complete the Work and provide all of the required labor, services, materials,
equipment and other items. In the event of such termination, Design-Builder
shall not be entitled to receive any further payments under the Contract
Documents until the Work shall be finally completed in accordance with the
Contract Documents. At such time, if the unpaid balance of the Contract Price
exceeds the cost and expense incurred by Owner in completing the Work, such
excess shall be paid by Owner to Design-Builder. If Owner's cost and expense of
completing the Work exceeds the unpaid balance of the Contract Price, then
Design-Builder shall be obligated to pay the difference to Owner. Such costs and
expense shall include not only the cost of completing the Work, but also losses,
damages, costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees and expenses, incurred by
Owner in connection with the re-procurement and defense of claims arising from
Design-Builder's default, subject to the waiver of consequential damages set
forth in Section 19.4 hereof.
15.2.4 If Owner improperly terminates the Agreement for cause, the
termination for cause will be converted to a termination for convenience in
accordance with the provisions of Section 153.
15.3 OWNER'S RIGHT TO TERMINATE FOR CONVENIENCE.
15.3.1 Upon ten (10) days' written notice to Design-Builder, Owner
may, for its convenience and without cause, elect to terminate this Agreement.
In such event, Owner shall pay Design-Builder for the following:
a) To the extent not already paid, all Work executed, and for proven
loss, cost or expense in connection with the Work;
b) The reasonable costs and expenses attributable to such
termination, including demobilization costs and amounts due in
settlement of terminated contracts with Subcontractors and Design
Consultants;;
c) Overhead and profit margin in the amount of fifteen percent (15%)
on the sum of items (a) and (b) above, except that overhead
and profit shall not be due regarding amounts due in settlement
of terminated contracts with subcontractors and design
consultants; and
d) all retainage withheld by Owner on account of Work that has been
completed in accordance with the Contract Documents.
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15.3.2 If Owner terminates this Agreement pursuant to this Section
15.3 above and proceeds to design and construct the Project through its
employees, agents or third parties, Owner's rights to use the Work Product shall
be as set forth in Section 5.3.
15.4 DESIGN-BUILDER'S RIGHT TO STOP WORK.
15.4.1 Design-Builder may, in addition to any other rights afforded
under the Contract Documents or at law, stop work for the following reasons:
a) Owner's failure to provide financial assurances as required
under Section 4.3: or
b) Owner's failure to pay amounts properly due under
Design-Builder's Application for Payment.
15.4.2 If any of the events set forth in Section 15.4.1 above occur
Design-Builder has the right to stop work by providing written notice to Owner
that Design-Builder will stop work unless such event is cured within seven (7)
days from Owner's receipt of Design-Builder's notice. If Owner fails to cure or
reasonably commence to cure, such problem, then Design-Builder may give a second
written notice to Owner of its intent to stop work within an additional seven
(7) day period. If Owner, within such second seven (7) day period, fails to
cure, or reasonably commence to cure, such problem, then Design-Builder may stop
work. In such case, Design-Builder shall be entitled to make a claim for
adjustment to the Contract Price and Contract Time(s) to the extent it has been
adversely impacted by such stoppage.
15.5 DESIGN-BUILDER'S RIGHT TO TERMINATE FOR CAUSE.
15.5.1 Design-Builder, in addition to any other rights and remedies
provided in the Contract Documents or by law, may terminate the Agreement for
cause for the following reasons:
a) The Work has been stopped for sixty (60) consecutive days, or
more than ninety (90) days during the duration of the Project, because of
court order, any government authority having jurisdiction over the Work, or
orders by Owner under Section 15.1 hereof, provided that such stoppages are
not due to the acts or omissions of Design-Builder or anyone for whose acts
Design-Builder may be responsible.
b) Owner's failure to provide Design-Builder with any
information, permits or approvals that are Owner's responsibility under the
Contract Documents which result in the Work being stopped for sixty (60)
consecutive days, or more than ninety (90) days during the duration of the
Project, even though Owner has not ordered Design-Builder in writing to
stop and suspend the Work pursuant to Section 15.1 hereof.
c) Owner fails to make available to Design-Builder the Plant as
required in Exhibit C which result in the Work being stopped for sixty
(60) consecutive days, or more than ninety (90) days during the duration of
the Project even though Owner
28
has not ordered Design-Builder in writing to stop and suspend the Work
pursuant to Section 15.1 hereof.
d) Owner's failure to cure the problems set forth in Section
15.4.1 above after Design-Builder has stopped the Work.
15.5.2 Upon the occurrence of an event set forth in Section 15.5.1
above, Design-Builder may elect to terminate this Agreement by providing written
notice to Owner that it intends to terminate the Agreement unless the problem
cited is cured, or commenced to be cured, within seven (7) days of Owner's
receipt of such notice. If Owner fails to cure, or reasonably commence to cure,
such problem, then Design-Builder may give a second written notice to Owner of
its intent to terminate within an additional seven (7) day period. If Owner,
within such second seven (7) day period, fails to cure, or reasonably commence
to cure, such problem, then Design-Builder may declare the Agreement terminated
for default by providing written notice to Owner of such declaration. In such
case, Design-Builder shall be entitled to recover in the same manner as if Owner
had terminated the Agreement for its convenience under Section 15.3.
15.6 BANKRUPTCY OF OWNER OR DESIGN-BUILDER.
15.6.1 If either Owner or Design-Builder institutes or has instituted
against it a case under the United States Bankruptcy Code (such party being
referred to as the "Bankrupt Party"), such event may impair or frustrate the
Bankrupt Party's ability to perform its obligations under the Contract
Documents. Accordingly, should such event occur:
a) The Bankrupt Party, its trustee or other successor, shall
furnish, upon request of the non-Bankrupt Party, adequate assurance of the
ability of the Bankrupt Party to perform all future material obligations
under the Contract Documents, which assurances shall be provided within ten
(10) days after receiving notice of the request; and
b) The Bankrupt Party shall file an appropriate action within the
bankruptcy court to seek assumption or rejection of the Agreement within
sixty (60) days of the institution of the bankruptcy filing and shall
diligently prosecute such action.
15.6.2 If the Bankrupt Party fails to comply with its foregoing
obligations, the non-Bankrupt Party shall be entitled to request the bankruptcy
court to reject the Agreement, declare the Agreement terminated and pursue any
other recourse available to the non-Bankrupt Party under this Article 15.
15.6.3 The rights and remedies under this Section 15.6 above shall not
be deemed to limit the ability of the non-Bankrupt Party to seek any other
rights and remedies provided by the Contract Documents or by law, including its
ability to seek relief from any automatic stays under the United States
Bankruptcy Code or the right of Design-Builder to stop Work under any applicable
provision of this Agreement.
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15.7 LENDERS RIGHT TO CURE. At any time after the occurrence of any event
set forth in Section 15.4.1 or Section 15.5.1, the Lenders shall have the right,
but not the obligation, to cure such default on behalf of Owner.
ARTICLE 16
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PARTIES
16.1 OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVES. Owner designates the individual listed below
as its Senior Representative ("Owner's Senior Representative"), which individual
has the authority and responsibility for avoiding and resolving disputes under
Article 19:
AMBROSE HOFF
CHAIRMAN
3754 HIGHWAY 85
RICHARDTON, ND 58652
TELEPHONE: (701) 974-4733
Owner designates the individual listed below as its Owner's Representative,
which individual has the authority and responsibility set forth in Section 4.4:
MICK J. MILLER
GENERAL MANAGER
3754 HIGHWAY 85
RICHARDTON, ND 58652
TELEPHONE: (701) 974-4733
16.2 DESIGN-BUILDER'S REPRESENTATIVES. Design-Builder designates the
individual listed below as its Senior Representative ("Design-Builder's Senior
Representative"), which individual has the authority and responsibility for
avoiding and resolving disputes under Article 19:
ROLAND "RON" FAGEN
CEO AND PRESIDENT
501 W. HIGHWAY 212
P.O. BOX 159
GRANITE FALLS, MN 56241
TELEPHONE: (320) 564-3324
Design-Builder designates the individual listed below as its Design-Builder's
Representative, which individual has the authority and responsibility set forth
in Section 3.1:
30
AARON FAGEN
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
501 W. HIGHWAY 212
P.O. BOX 159
GRANITE FALLS, MN 56241
TELEPHONE: (320) 564-3324
ARTICLE 17
INSURANCE
17.1 INSURANCE. Design-Builder shall procure and maintain in force through
the Final Completion Date the following insurance coverages with the policy
limits indicated, and otherwise in compliance with the provisions of this
Agreement:
Commercial General Liability:
General Aggregate
Products-Comp/Op AGG $ 2,000,000
Personal & Adv Injury $ 1,000,000
Each Occurrence $ 1,000,000
Fire Damage (Any one fire) $ 50,000
Med Exp (Any one person) $ 5,000
Automobile Liability:
Combined Single Limit
Each Occurrence $ 1,000,000
Excess Liability - Umbrella Form:
Each Occurrence $20,000,000
Aggregate $20,000,000
Workers' Compensation
Statutory limits as required by the state in which the Work is performed.
Employers' Liability:
Each Accident $ 1,000,000
Disease-Policy Limit $ 1,000,000
Disease-Each Employee $ 1,000,000
|
31
Prior to Design-Builder commencing any Work:
- Owner shall obtain a builder's risk policy naming Owner as the insured,
with Design-Builder and its subcontractors as additional insureds, in
an amount not less than the Contract Price.
- Owner shall also obtain Boiler and Machinery Insurance protecting
Owner, Design-Builder, Design Consultants, Subcontracts and
Subcontractors.
- In addition. Owner shall obtain terrorism coverage as described by the
Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002.
17.2 DESIGN-BUILDER'S INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
17.2.1 Design-Builder is responsible for procuring and maintaining
from insurance companies authorized to do business in the state in which the
Project is located, and with the minimum rating set forth below, the following
insurance coverages for certain claims which may arise from or out of the
performance of the Work and obligations under the Contract Documents:
a) Coverage for claims arising under workers' compensation,
disability and other similar employee benefit laws applicable to the Work;
b) Coverage for claims by Design-Builder's employees for bodily
injury, sickness, disease, or death;
c) Coverage for claims by any person other than Design-Builder's
employees for bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death;
d) Coverage for usual personal injury liability claims for
damages sustained by a person as a direct or indirect result of
Design-Builder's employment of the person, or sustained by any other
person;
e) Coverage for claims for damages (other than to the Work)
because of injury to or destruction of tangible property, including loss of
use;
f) Coverage for claims of damages because of personal injury or
death, or property damage resulting from ownership, use and maintenance of
any motor vehicle: and
g) Coverage for contractual liability claims arising out of
Design-Builder's obligations under Section 14.4.
17.2.2 Design-Builder's liability insurance required by this Section
17.2 above shall be written for the coverage amounts set forth in Section 17.1
and shall include completed operations insurance for the period of time set
forth in the Agreement.
17.2.3 Design-Builder's liability insurance set forth in Sections
17.2.1 (a) through (g) above shall specifically delete any design-build or
similar exclusions that could compromise coverages because of the design-build
delivery of the Project.
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17.2.4 To the extent Owner requires Design-Builder or any Design
Consultant to provide professional liability insurance for claims arising from
the negligent performance of design services by Design-Builder or the Design
Consultant, the coverage limits, duration and other specifics of such insurance
shall be as set forth in the Agreement. Any professional liability shall
specifically delete any design-build or similar exclusions that could compromise
coverages because of the design-build delivery of the Project. Such policies
shall be provided prior to the commencement of any design services hereunder.
17.2.5 Prior to commencing any construction services hereunder,
Design-Builder shall provide Owner with certificates evidencing that (i) all
insurance obligations required by the Contract Documents are in full force and
in effect and will remain in effect for the duration required by the Contract
Documents and (ii) no insurance coverage required hereunder will be canceled,
renewal refused, or materially changed unless at least thirty (30) days prior
written notice is given to Owner.
17.3 OWNER'S LIABILITY INSURANCE. Owner shall procure and maintain from
insurance companies authorized to do business in the state in which the Project
is located such liability insurance to protect Owner from claims which may arise
from the performance of Owner's obligations under the Contract Documents or
Owner's conduct during the course of the Project.
17.4 OWNER'S PROPERTY INSURANCE.
17.4.1 Unless otherwise provided in the Contract Documents, Owner
shall procure and maintain from insurance companies authorized to do business in
the state in which the Project is located property insurance upon the entire
Project to the full insurable value of the Project, including professional fees,
overtime premiums and all other expenses incurred to replace or repair the
insured property. The property insurance obtained by Owner shall include as
additional insureds the interests of Owner, Design-Builder, Design Consultants,
Subcontractors and Sub-Subcontractors, the Lenders and Lenders' Agent and shall
insure against the perils of fire and extended coverage, theft, vandalism,
malicious mischief, collapse, flood, earthquake, debris removal and other perils
or causes of loss as called for in the Contract Documents. The property
insurance shall include physical loss or damage to the Work, including materials
and equipment in transit, at the Site or at another location as may be indicated
in Design-Builder's Application for Payment and approved by Owner.
17.4.2 Unless the Contract Documents provide otherwise, Owner shall
procure and maintain boiler and machinery insurance that will include the
interests of Owner, Design-Builder, Design Consultants, Subcontractors and
Sub-Subcontractors.
17.4.3 Prior to Design-Builder commencing any Work, Owner shall
provide Design-Builder with certificates evidencing that (i) all Owner's
insurance obligations required by the Contract Documents are in full force and
in effect and will remain in effect until Design-Builder has completed all of
the Work and has received final payment from Owner, and (ii) no insurance
coverage will be canceled, renewal refused, or materially changed unless at
least thirty (30) days prior written notice is given to Design-Builder. Owner's
property insurance shall not lapse or be cancelled if Owner occupies a portion
of the Work pursuant to Section 6.5.3. Owner shall
33
provide Design-Builder with the necessary endorsements from the insurance
company prior to occupying a portion of the Work.
17.4.4 Any loss covered under Owner's property insurance shall be
adjusted with Owner and Design-Builder and made payable to both of them as
trustees for the insureds as their interests may appear, subject to any
applicable mortgage clause. All insurance proceeds received as a result of any
loss will be placed in a separate account and distributed in accordance with
such agreement as the interested parties may reach. Any disagreement concerning
the distribution of any proceeds will be resolved in accordance with Article 19
hereof.
17.4.5 Owner and Design-Builder waive against each other and Owner's
separate contractors. Design Consultants, Subcontractors, agents and employees
of each and all of them all damages covered by property insurance provided
herein, except such rights as they may have to the proceeds of such insurance.
Design-Builder and Owner shall, where appropriate, require similar waivers of
subrogation from Owner's separate contractors, Design Consultants and
Subcontractors and shall require each of them to include similar waivers in
their contracts.
17.5 COORDINATION WITH LOAN DOCUMENTS. Notwithstanding anything herein to
the contrary, all provisions relating to insurance and insurance proceeds shall
be conformed to the requirements of the Lenders in connection with any
financing.
ARTICLE 18
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
18.1 DESIGN-BUILDER AND OWNER REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. Each of
Design-Builder and Owner represents that:
(1) If is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under
the laws of its formation and has all requisite power and authority to execute
and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and to
consummate the transactions contemplated hereby;
(2) this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such party
and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of such party,
enforceable against such party in accordance with their respective terms, except
as enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium or similar
laws affecting creditor's rights or by general equitable principles;
(3) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not
conflict with or violate (i) the certificate of incorporation or bylaws or
equivalent organizational documents of such party, or (ii) any law applicable to
such party and other than the permits listed on Exhibit G, such execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement does not require any governmental
approval; and
34
(4) there is no action pending or, to the knowledge of such party,
threatened, which would hinder, modify, delay or otherwise adversely affect such
party's ability to perform its obligations under the Contract Documents.
18.2 DESIGN-BUILDER REPRESENTATION AND WARRANTIES. Design-Builder further
represents that it has the necessary financial resources to fulfill its
obligations under this Agreement.
ARTICLE 19
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
19.1 DISPUTE AVOIDANCE AND MEDIATION. The parties are fully committed to
working with each other throughout the Project and agree to communicate
regularly with each other at all times so as to avoid or minimize disputes or
disagreements. If disputes or disagreements do arise, Design-Builder and Owner
each commit to resolving such disputes or disagreements in an amicable,
professional and expeditious manner so as to avoid unnecessary losses, delays
and disruptions to the Work.
Design-Builder and Owner will first attempt to resolve disputes or disagreements
at the field level through discussions between Design-Builder's Representative
and Owner's Representative.
If a dispute or disagreement cannot be resolved through Design-Builder's
Representative and Owner's Representative, Design-Builder's Senior
Representative and Owner's Senior Representative, upon the request of either
party, shall meet as soon as conveniently possible, but in no case later than
thirty (30) days after such a request is made, to attempt to resolve such
dispute or disagreement. Prior to any meetings between the Senior
Representatives, the parties will exchange relevant information that will assist
the parties in resolving their dispute or disagreement.
If, after meeting, the Senior Representatives determine that the dispute or
disagreement cannot be resolved on terms satisfactory to both parties, the
parties shall submit the dispute or disagreement to non-binding mediation. The
mediation shall be conducted by a mutually agreeable impartial mediator, or if
the parties cannot so agree, a mediator designated by the American Arbitration
Association ("AAA") pursuant to its Construction Industry Mediation Rules. The
mediation will be governed by and conducted pursuant to a mediation agreement
negotiated by the parties or, if the parties cannot so agree, by procedures
established by the mediator.
19.2 DUTY TO CONTINUE PERFORMANCE. Unless provided to the contrary in the
Contract Documents, Design-Builder shall continue to perform the Work and Owner
shall continue to satisfy its payment obligations to Design-Builder, pending the
final resolution of any dispute or disagreement between Design-Builder and
Owner.
19.3 CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
35
19.3.1 Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary (except as set
forth in Section 19.4.2 below), neither Design-Builder nor Owner shall be liable
to the other for any consequential losses or damages, whether arising in
contract, warranty, tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise,
including but not limited to, losses of use, profits, business, reputation or
financing, except Design-Builder does not waive any such damages resulting from
or arising out of any breach of Owner's duties and obligations under the limited
license granted by Design-Builder to Owner pursuant to Article 5.
ARTICLE 20
MISCELLANEOUS
20.1 ASSIGNMENT. Neither Design-Builder nor Owner shall, without the
written consent of the other, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed, assign, transfer or sublet any portion or part of the Work or the
obligations required by the Contract Documents. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
Owner may, assign all of its rights and obligations under the Contract Documents
to its Lenders or Lenders' Agent as collateral security in connection with Owner
obtaining or arranging any financing for the Plant; provided, however, Owner
shall deliver, at least ten (10) days prior to any such assignment, to
Design-Builder (a) written notice of such assignment and (b) a written
instrument of assignment from the assignee in form and substance reasonably
acceptable to Design-Builder. In respect to any assignment to the Lenders or
Lenders' Agent, the written assignment may authorize such Lenders or Lenders'
Agent, to subsequently assign their rights under the Contract Documents in
connection with any foreclosure or other enforcement of their security interest,
if such Lenders or Lenders' Agent comply with clauses (a) and (b) above with
respect to such subsequent assignment. Design-Builder shall execute, if
requested, a consent to assignment for the benefit of the Lenders and/or the
Lenders' Agent, with respect to any such assignments.
20.2 SUCCESSORS. Design-Builder and Owner intend that the provisions of the
Contract Documents are binding upon the parties, their employees, agents, heirs,
successors and assigns.
20.3 GOVERNING LAW. The Agreement and all Contract Documents shall be
governed by the laws of Minnesota, without giving effect to its conflict of law
principles.
20.4 SEVERABILITY. If any provision or any part of a provision of the
Contract Documents shall be finally determined to be superseded, invalid,
illegal, or otherwise unenforceable pursuant to any applicable Legal
Requirements, such determination shall not impair or otherwise affect the
validity, legality, or enforceability of the remaining provision or parts of the
provision of the Contract Documents, which shall remain in full force and effect
as if the unenforceable provision or part were deleted.
20.5 NO WAIVER. The failure of either Design-Builder or Owner to insist, in
any one or more instances, on the performance of any of the obligations required
by the other under the Contract Documents shall not be construed as a waiver or
relinquishment of such obligation or right with respect to future performance.
36
20.6 HEADINGS. The headings used in this Agreement or any other Contract
Document, are for ease of reference only and shall not in any way be construed
to limit or alter the meaning of any provision.
20.7 NOTICE. Whenever the Contract Documents require that notice be
provided to a party, notice shall be delivered to such party at the address
listed below and will be deemed to have been validly given (i) if delivered in
person to the individual intended to receive such notice, (ii) four (4) days
after being sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid to the address
indicated in the Agreement or (iii) if transmitted by facsimile, by the time
stated in a machine-generated confirmation that notice was received at the
facsimile number of the intended recipient.
If to Design-Builder to:
Fagen. Inc.
501 W. Highway 212
P.O. Box 159
Granite Falls, MN 56241
Attention: Aaron Fagen
Fax: (320) 564-3278
with a copy to:
Fagen. Inc.
501 W. Highway 212
P.O. Box 159
Granite Falls, MN 56241
Attention: Bruce Langseth
Fax: (320) 564-3278
If to Owner, to:
Red Trail Energy, LLC
3754 Highway 85
Richardton,ND 58652
Attn: Ambrose Hoff and Frank Kirscheneiter
Telephone: (701) 974-4733
with copies to:
Michael J. Maus
Hardy, Maus & Nordsven, P.C.
137 First Avenue West
PO Box 570
Dickinson. ND 58602
Telephone: (701) 483-4500
Facsimile: (701) 483-4501
37
20.8 NO PRIVITY WITH DESIGN CONSULTANT/SUBCONTRACTORS. Nothing in the
Contract Documents is intended or deemed to create any legal or contractual
relationship between Owner and any Design Consultant or Subcontractor.
20.9 AMENDMENTS. The Contract Documents may not be changed, altered, or
amended in any way except in writing signed by a duly authorized representative
of each party.
20.10 COOPERATION WITH LENDERS AND INDEPENDENT ENGINEER.
20.10.1 In connection with any financing of the Project,
Design-Builder, at Owner's cost, shall, it so requested by Owner: (1) deliver to
the Lenders or the agent acting on behalf of the Lenders ("Lenders' Agent")
certified copies of its corporate charter and bylaws, resolutions, incumbency
certificates, and/or legal opinions (covering such items as the validity and
enforceability of the Contract Documents and the due organization and existence
of Design-Builder).
20.10.2 Design-Builder agrees that upon written notice that Owner has
assigned its rights under the Contract Documents to Lenders' Agent as security
for its obligations to Lenders: Design-Builder shall deliver to Lenders' Agent
notices given under the Contract Documents to Owner at the same time and in the
same manner as given to Owner; Lenders' Agent shall be entitled to exercise
rights and to cure any defaults of Owner under the Contract Documents and
Design-Builder shall accept such exercise or cure as though it had been done by
Owner; and Design-Builder shall execute such further agreements or documents
reasonably requested by Lenders' Agent providing assurances and other
protections to Lenders in furtherance of the provisions set forth above in
connection with the financing of the Work. Design-Builder further agrees that if
Lenders succeed to the interests of Owner in foreclosure or otherwise, Design-
Builder shall continue to perform in a timely manner its obligations under the
Contract Documents and shall recognize Lenders or any substitute entity with
proven sufficient financial and other resources to perform Owner's obligations
hereunder nominated by Lenders, and accepted by Design-Builder, in the place of
Owner.
20.10.3 Design-Builder and Owner acknowledge that the Lenders, as a
condition to providing financing for the Plant, shall require Owner to provide
the Independent Engineer with certain participation and review rights with
respect to Design-Builder's performance of the Work. Design-Builder acknowledges
and agrees that such participation and review rights shall consist of the right
to (i) enter the Site and inspect the Work upon reasonable notice to
Design-Builder; (ii) attend all start-up and testing procedures; and (iii)
review and approve such other items for which Owner is required by Lenders to
obtain the concurrence, opinion or a certificate of the Independent Engineer or
the Lenders pursuant to the Financing Documents which items do not materially
alter the rights or impose additional obligations on Design-Builder
(collectively, the "Oversight Items").
20.10.4 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section
20.10.3, all the rights of the Independent Engineer with respect to the
Oversight Items derive from the corresponding rights of Owner under the Contract
Documents, and as such, neither increase Owner's rights hereunder nor increase
Design-Builder's obligations hereunder. The exercise of any
38
such rights by Independent Engineer shall be completed within the same time
periods as are set forth in the Contract Documents for the exercise of the
corresponding rights by Owner and Owner shall be solely responsible for
obtaining any review, inspection or approval from Independent Engineer as
required by Lenders. Should Owner fail to provide any required response to
Design-Builder within the time periods set forth in the Contract Documents due
to the action or inaction of the Independent Engineer, such failure shall have
the same effect under the Contract Documents as if such failure had been caused
by the action or inaction of Owner.
20.10.5 For purposes hereof, Design-Builder may rely solely upon Owner
and shall have no duty to inquire as to whether or not the Independent Engineer
has exercised its rights with respect to the Oversight Items or has provided
Owner with any approval Owner may be required by Lenders to obtain from the
Independent Engineer. Any right that the Independent Engineer has failed to
exercise will be deemed waived.
OWNER: DESIGN-BUILDER:
Red Trail Energy, LLC Fagen, Inc.
(Name of Owner) (Name of Design-Builder)
/s/ Ambrose R. Hoff /s/ Roland "Ron" Fagen
------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
(Signature) (Signature)
Ambrose R. Hoff Roland "Ron" Fagen
(Printed Name) (Printed Name)
President, RTE CEO and President
(Title) (Title)
Date: 9/9/05 Date: 9-20-05
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39
EXHIBIT A
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE CRITERIA
CRITERIA SPECIFICATION TESTING STATEMENT DOCUMENTATION
-------- ------------- ----------------- -------------
Plant Capacity - Operate at a rate of Seven day Production records
fuel grade ethanol 50 million gallons per performance test and written report
year of denatured fuel by Design-Builder.
grade ethanol meeting
the specifications of
ASTM 4806 based on 353
days of operation per
calendar year and
4.76% denaturant.
Corn to Ethanol Not be less than 2.80 As determined by Production records
Conversion ratio: denatured gallons of meter readings and written analysis
Corn must be #2 ethanol per bushel during a seven day by Design-Builder.
Yellow or better (56#) of corn performance test.
54.6#/bushel min.,
16% or less
moisture, zero
aflatoxin tolerance
Electrical Energy [ * ] kWh Per denatured As determined by Production records
gallon of fuel grade meter readings and written analysis
ethanol (less CO(2) during a seven day by Design-Builder.
plant) and chiller, performance test.
and water supply
and treatment)
Coal Shall not exceed As determined by Production records
[ * ] Btu per meter readings and written analysis
denatured gallon of during a seven day by Design-Builder.
fuel grade ethanol. performance test.
(This Performance
Criteria relates to
production of ethanol
and excludes any
energy usage that may
occur for drying
corn.)
Process Water Zero gallons under Process discharge Control System
Discharge normal operations. meter. reports.
Air Emissions Must meet the As required by State Written report by
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[ * ] Portions omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment and
filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A-1
requirements agency and performed Owner's Air
prescribed as of the by Owner's Air Emission Tester.
date hereof by the ND Emission Tester.
Department of Health-
Environmental Health
Section, Air Quality.
Design-Builder will
guarantee emissions
with the pollution
control equipment
allowance required by
Owner as referred to
in Sections 7.1.1 and
9.1.
Dry Distiller Grains Dry all DDGS to Determined from Production records
With Soluables produce 11% moisture calculation of mass and written analysis
DDGS flow from centrifuge by Design-Builder.
and dryers in a 7
day performance test.
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DISCLAIMER: Owner's failure to materially comply with the operating
procedures issued by ICM, Inc./Fagen, Inc. shall void all
performance guaranties and warranties set forth in this Design-Build
Agreement.
Owner understands that the startup of the plant requires resources
and cooperation of the Owner, vendors and other suppliers to the
project. Design-Builder disclaims any liability and Owner
indemnifies Design-Builder for non-attainment of the Performance
Guarantee Criteria directly or indirectly caused by material
non-performance or negligence of third parties not retained by
Design-Builder.
A-2
EXHIBIT B
GENERAL PROJECT SCOPE
Construct a 50 million-gallon per year (MGY) coal-fired ethanol plant near
Richardton, North Dakota. The plant will grind approximately 17.9 million
bushels per year to produce approximately 50 MGY of fuel grade ethanol denatured
with five percent gasoline. The plant will also produce approximately 160,750
tons per year of 11% moisture dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), and
approximately 151,250 tons per year of raw carbon dioxide (CO(2)) gas.
Delivered corn will be dumped in the receiving building. The receiving building
will have one truck and one rail receiving bay. The rail receiving bay will be
serviced by both a 40,000 bushel/hour leg system and a 20,000 bushel/hour
back-up leg system. The 20,000 bushel/hour leg system will also service the
truck receiving bay, giving the plant the ability to unload unit trains of corn
in the rail bay and simultaneously unloading truck quantities of corn in the
truck bay. Said receiving building shall have sufficient height to accommodate
end-dump trailers. The truck driver will drive onto one of the two 115 foot long
scales located near the administration building, be weighed and sampled, then
drive to the receiving building, dump the grain, then proceed back to the scale
and obtain a final weight ticket from the scale operator. The trucks will not be
required to move during the unloading process in the receiving building. Maximum
truck dump time is ten minutes. The two independent legs will lift the corn to
one of two 750,000 - bushel concrete storage bins or corn day bin with adequate
clean out access or sweep auger. A dust collection system will be installed on
the grain receiving system to limit particulate emissions as described in the
Air Quality Permit application.
Ground corn will be mixed in a slurry tank, routed through a pressure vessel and
steam flashed off in a flash vessel. Cooked mash will continue through
liquefaction tanks and into one of the fermenters. Simultaneously, propagated
yeast will be added to the mash as the fermenter is filling. After batch
fermentation is complete, the beer will be pumped to the beer well and then to
the beer column to vaporize the alcohol from the mash.
Alcohol streams are purified in the rectifier column and the side stripper, and
dehydrated in the molecular sieve system. Two hundred proof alcohol is pumped to
the tank farm day tank and blended with five percent natural gasoline as the
product is being pumped into one of two 750,000 gallon final storage tanks.
Loading facilities for truck and rail cars will be provided. Tank farm tanks
include: one tank for 190 proof storage, one tank for 200 proof storage, one
tank for denaturant storage and two 750,000 gallon tanks for denatured ethanol
storage.
Corn mash from the beer column is dewatered in the centrifuge(s). The centrifuge
capacity shall allow for 100% name plate production with one centrifuge out for
maintenance. The solids, called wet cake are conveyed to the dryer system. The
liquid, called thin stillage is routed to the evaporators where moisture is
removed. The wet cake and syrup are routed to the drying system. The drying
system will consist of three steam tube dryers. The exhaust from the drying
system will be routed as combustion air to the coal combustor.
A modified wel or wet cake pad is located along side the DDGS dryer building to
divert modified wet or wet cake to the pad when necessary such as start up or
for limited production of modified wet or wet cake for sales. DDGS is
pneumatically conveyed to flat storage in the DDGS storage building. Shipping is
accomplished by scooping and pushing the product with a
B-1
front-end loader into an in-floor conveyor system. The DDGS load out pit has
capacity for approximately one semi-trailer load. DDGS is weighed with a bulk
weigh system.
Steam will be generated in a waste heat boiler driven by the flue gases from the
coal combustor. Since the dryer exhaust is routed to the coal combustor for
combustion air, the coal combustor destroys VOCs and acts like a Thermal
Oxidizer. The combustion air is routed in such fashion that it also fluidizes a
sand bed in which the coal is introduced to combust. The combustor requires
natural gas or propane for start up. To achieve emission constraints, limestone
will be metered in with the coal to react with sulfur. The layout of the
combustor, boiler, and economizer are intended to provide drop out points for
fly ash. The final item in the layout before the induced draft fan is a dust
collector. All ash exiting the system will exit as fly ash. Both fly ash and
limestone silos are included. The fly ash and limestone silos have nominal
storage capacities of seven days.
Coal, received by truck delivery, will be stored in two silos with a combined
storage capacity of approximately five days. At the outlet of each coal silo,
coal will be sized (3/4" minus) and limestone added before being routed to the
coal feeder bunkers. The coal combustor will also utilize anhydrous ammonia for
NOx emission reduction. A CEMS (Continuous emission monitoring system) is
included, sufficient to meet the monitoring requirements of the air permit
Fresh water for the boilers, cooking, cooling tower and other processes will be
obtained from the Owner supplied water pretreatment system. Boiler water
conditioned in regenerative softeners will be pumped through a deaerator
scrubber and into a deaerator tank. Appropriate boiler chemicals will be added
as preheated water is sent to the boiler.
The process will be cooled by circulating water through heat exchangers and a
cooling tower. No chiller is included and Owner assumes sole and complete
responsibility for any production capacity shortfalls or other limitations or
efficiency loss related to the elimination of the chiller from the design.
The design includes a compressed air system consisting of air compressor(s), a
receiver tank, pre-filter, coalescing filter, and double air dryer(s).
The design also incorporates the use of a clean-in-place (CIP) system for
cleaning cook, fermentation, distillation, evaporation, centrifuges, and other
systems. Fifty percent caustic soda is received by truck and stored in a tank.
Under normal operating circumstances, the plant will not have any wastewater
discharges that have been in contact with com, corn mash, cleaning system, or
contact process water. An ICM/Phoenix Bio-Methanator will reduce the BOD in
process water allowing complete reuse within the plant. The plant will have
blowdown discharges from the cooling tower and may have water discharge from any
water pre-treatment processes. Owner shall provide on-site connection to
sanitary sewer or septic system.
Most plant processes are computer controlled by a Siemens/Moore APACS
distributed control system with graphical user interface and three workstations.
The process control room control console will have dual monitors to facilitate
operator interface between two graphics screens at the same time. Additional
programmable logic controllers (PLCs) will control certain process equipment.
Design Builder provides lab equipment.
The cooking system requires the use of anhydrous ammonia, and other systems
require the use of sulfuric acid. Therefore, a storage tank for ammonia and a
storage tank for acid will be on site to
B-2
provide the quantities necessary. The ammonia storage requires that plant
management implement and enforce a Process Safety Management (PSM) program. The
plant design may require additional programs to ensure safety and to satisfy
regulatory authorities.
NOTE: Exhibit B is a general description of the plant's basic operation. Not all
equipment and equipment sizes quoted may be used on every plant. Site specific
equipment and equipment sizes will be determined during each plant's final
design.
B-3
EXHIBIT C
OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
The Owner shall perform and provide the permits, authorizations, services and
construction as specifically described hereafter:
1) LAND AND GRADING -- Owner shall provide a site near or in Richardton, North
Dakota. Owner shall obtain all legal authority to use the site for its
intended purpose and perform technical due diligence to allow
Design-Builder to perform including, but not limited to, proper zoning
approvals, building permits, elevation restrictions, soil tests, and water
tests. The site shall be rough graded per Design-Builder specifications and
be +/- three inches of final grade including the rough grading for Site
roadways. The site soils shall be modified as required to provide a minimum
allowable soil bearing pressure as described in Table 1.
Other items to be provided by the Owner include, but are not limited to,
the following: initial site survey (boundary and topographic) as required
by the Design-Builder, layout of the property corners including two
construction benchmarks, Soil Borings and subsequent Geotechnical Report
describing recommendation for Roads, foundations and if required, soil
stabilization/remediation, land disturbance permit, erosion control permit,
site grading as described above with minimum soil standards, placement of
erosion control measures, plant access road from a county, state or federal
road designed to meet local county road standards, plant storm and sanitary
sewers, fire water system with hydrants and plant water main branches taken
from the system to be within five feet of the designated building
locations, all tanks, motors and other equipment associated with or
necessary to operate the fire water loop and associated systems, plant
roads as specified and designed for the permanent elevations and effective
depth, "construction" grading plan as drawn (including site retention
pond), plant water well and associated permit(s). Owner shall also provide
the final grading, seeding, and mulching, and the site fencing at the site.
Owner is encouraged to obtain preliminary designs/information and estimates
of the cost of performing all Owner required permits and services as stated
in this Exhibit C. Specifically, the cost of the fire water systems
(including associated fire water pumps, required tank, building (if
required), sprinklers, and all other equipment and materials associated
with the fire water delivery systems) is estimated being in excess of
$800,000. The requirements of each state and the decisions of each Owner
will increase or decrease the actual cost.
The Owner's required activities related to site preparation for
construction are to be divided into Phase I and Phase II activities as
described below:
DELIVERABLES BY OWNER PRIOR TO START OF PHASE I CIVIL DESIGN:
Procure Boundary & Topographic Survey (to one foot contours)
Procure Soil Borings and Geotechnical Report with recommendations
(at Design-Builder's requested locations and depth)
C-1
PHASE I (DELIVERABLE SITE):
Design-Builder provides engineering services to develop these items:
1. Final Plant Layout with FFE and Top of Road Elevations
2. Final Cut/Fill Quantity Calculations
3. Grading and Erosion Control Plan
4. Clear & Grubbing Plan - graded to +/- 3" of subgrade
Subgrade is defined as 1' below proposed Building FFE and
Administration Building FFE and 20" to 30" (based on rail
designer input) below top of rail for the rail spurs. Subgrade
for the in-plant roads will be determined upon recommendations
from the geotechnical engineer (12" to 24" below final top of
road)
* Owner shall prepare site according to Design-Builder's engineering
plans for the above items.
Plant Access Road and all in-plant roads (which will act as base for final
roadway system)
Soil Stabilization
Site Grading
Replacement Fill
Construction Layout (parking, laydown, access areas, temp. drainage and
temp. facilities) Storm Water Drainage & Detention
DELIVERABLES BY OWNER PRIOR TO START OF PHASE II CIVIL DESIGN:
Owner shall determine its water source and provide Design-Builder an
independent analysis of the water source.
PHASE II SITE WORK (FINAL CIVIL DESIGN PLANS):
Design-Builder provides engineering services to develop these items:
Site Utilities (Within Property Line):
1. Sanitary Sewer System
2. Potable Water Supply and Distribution
3. Process Water Supply and Distribution
4. Gas Supply and Distribution
5. Fire Loop and Fire Protection System
6. Site Electric
7. Site Natural Gas/Propane
Wells and Well Pumps (supply of sufficient quantity for construction
activities)
Minimum 3 Phase. 480 Volt, 1,000 KVA Electrical Power Available for
Construction at two locations (at Design-Builder's requested location)
Design/Builder shall be reimbursed on a "Time & Material" basis for any
management of these Owner requirements and any design engineering requested by
the Owner not otherwise required to be provided by Design-Builder pursuant to
this Agreement.
C-2
2) PERMITS - Owner shall obtain all Operating Permits including, but not
limited to, air quality permits, in a timely manner to allow construction
and startup of the plant as scheduled by Design-Builder. Owner shall obtain
all testing and site inspections required to secure the necessary operating
permits.
3) STORM WATER RUNOFF PERMIT - Owner shall obtain the construction storm-water
runoff permit, permanent storm-water runoff permit, and the erosion
control/land disturbance permit.
4) NORTH DAKOTA POLLUTANT ELIMINATION DISCHARGE PERMIT - Owner shall obtain a
permit to discharge cooling tower water and reverse osmosis ("R.O.") reject
water and any other waste water directly to a designated waterway or other
location. Owner shall supply the discharge piping to transport to the
designated waterway or other location.
5) NATURAL GAS, PROPANE, COAL SUPPLY AND ASH DISPOSAL AGREEMENTS - Owner shall
procure and supply a supply of natural gas or propane for the preheat and
start up of the coal combustor. For the coal combustor, two separate gas
burners will require natural gas or propane: the underbed air preheater
rated for 20 mmbtu/hr and the overfire air preheater rated for 50 mmbtu/hr.
Consumption will start at approximately 30% of the total rating and be
ramped up to maximum over a nominal 8 hr period, depending on the starting
temperature. Minimum demand will be 21 mm btu/hr and ramp up to a maximum
of 70 mm btu/hr. Owner shall provide all natural gas and/or propane piping
to the use points and supply meters, regulators, and vaporizers to provide
burner tip pressures as specified by Design-Builder. Owner shall also
supply a digital flowmeter on-site with appropriate output for monitoring
by the plant's computer control system.
The coal combustor design will be based on the North Dakota lignite coal
sample provided by Owner and tested by ICM on September 22, 2004, and the
ultimate analysis results performed by Hazen Research on October 27, 2004.
Planned emission control is to mix limestone with the coal, fed to the
combustor and dry scrubber treatment of the flue gas. Procurement and
supply of coal and limestone will be the responsibility of the Owner.
All ash is removed from the system as fly ash. Disposal will be at Owner's
responsibility.
6) ELECTRICAL SERVICE - (1) The Owner is responsible to secure continuous
service from an energy supplier to serve the facility. The service from the
energy supplier shall be of sufficient size to provide at a minimum 10 MW
of electrical capacity to the site. (2) The Owner is responsible for
procurement, installation and maintenance of the site distribution system,
including but not limited to the required substation and all associated
distribution lines, switchgear, sectional cabinets, distribution
transformers, transformer pads, etc. An on-site primary digital meter is
also to be supplied for monitoring of electrical usage and demand. This
meter must have the capability to be monitored via a telephone line or
other electrical signal. (3) The responsibility of the Design-Builder
starts at the secondary electrical terminals of the site distribution
system transformers that have been installed by Owner (i.e.. the 480 volt
terminals for the process building transformers; the 480 volt
C-3
terminals for the energy center transformers; the 480 volt terminals for
the grains transformer; the 480 volt terminals for the pumphouse
transformer; and the 4160 volt terminals for the chiller transformer; and
the 4160 volt terminals of the thermal oxidizer transformer). (4) The site
distribution system requirements, layout, and meters are to be determined
jointly by the Owner, the Design-Builder and the energy supplier.
Design-Builder will be providing soft start motor controllers for all
motors greater than 150 horsepower and where demanded by process
requirements. Owner is encouraged to discuss with its electrical service
supplier whether additional soft start motor controllers are advisable for
this facility and such can be added, with any increased cost being an
Owner's cost.
Design-Builder will provide power factor correction to 0.92 lagging at
plant nameplate capacity. Owner is encouraged to discuss with its
electrical service supplier any requirements for power factor correction
above 0.92 lagging. Additional power factor correction can be added with
any increased cost being an Owner's cost.
7) WATER SUPPLY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT - Owner shall supply on-site process
wells or other water source capable of providing a quantity of water which
includes process water, R.O. feed water, cooling tower make-up water, of a
quality which will allow discharges to comply with NPDES limits. Owner
should consider providing a redundant supply source. Design-Builder shall
provide the standard zeolite water softener system. Any increased costs
incurred for another water treatment system if water does not meet the
quality requirements shall be the responsibility of the Owner. Owner will
supply one process fresh water supply line terminating within five (5) feet
of the point of entry designated by Design-Builder, one potable supply line
terminating within five (5) feet of the process building at a point of
entry designated by Design-Builder, and one potable supply line to the
administration building at a point of entry designated by administration
building contractor.
Owner is advised that most projects require a water pretreatment system
including a reverse osmosis unit. Such system is an Owner's cost and Owner
is advised that the purchase and installation cost of a water pretreatment
system may exceed $2,000,000. Owner is also advised that such systems may
be leased if Owner desires to avoid the costs of owning such a system.
8) WASTEWATER DISCHARGE SYSTEM, PERMITS AND/OR SERVICE AGREEMENT - Owner to
provide the discharge piping, septic tank and drainfield system or connect
to municipal system as required for the sanitary sewer requirements of the
Plant. These provisions shall comply with all federal, state, and local
regulations, including any permitting issues.
9) ROADS AND UTILITIES - Owner shall provide and maintain the ditches and
permanent roads, including the gravel, pavement or concrete, with the roads
passing standard compaction tests. (Design-Builder will maintain aggregate
construction roads during construction of the Plant and will return to
original pre-construction condition prior to Owner completing final grade
and surfacing.)
Except as otherwise specifically stated herein the Owner shall install all
utilities so that they are within five (5) feet of the designated
building/structure locations.
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10) ADMINISTRATION BUILDING - The administration building - one story free
standing, office computer system, telephone system, office copier and fax
machine and office furniture and any other office equipment and personal
property for the administration building shall be the sole and absolute
cost and responsibility of Owner and Design-Builder shall have no
responsibility in regards thereto.
11) MAINTENANCE AND POWER EQUIPMENT - The maintenance and power equipment as
described in Table 2 and any other maintenance and power equipment as
required by the plant or desired by Owner shall be the sole and absolute
cost and responsibility of Owner and Design-Builder shall have no
responsibility in regards thereto.
12) RAILROADS - Owner is responsible for any costs associated with the
railroads including, but not limited to, all rail design and engineering
and construction and Design-Builder shall have no responsibility in regards
thereto.
13) DRAWINGS - Owner shall supply drawings to Design-Builder of items supplied
under items 10) and 12) and also supply Phase II redline drawings.
14) FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM - Fire protection system requirements vary by
governmental requirements per location and by insurance carrier
requirements. Owner is responsible to provide the required fire protection
system for the Plant. This may include storage tanks, pumps, underground
fire water mains, fire hydrants, foam or water monitor valves, sprinkler
systems, smoke and heat detection, deluge systems, or other provisions as
required by governmental codes or Owner's insurance carrier's fire
protection criteria. Design-Builder will provide assistance to the Owner on
a "Time & Material" basis for design and/or construction of the fire
Protection Systems required for the plant.
TABLE 1 MINIMUM SOIL BEARING PRESSURE-RESPONSIBILITY OF OWNER
REQUIRED ALLOWABLE SOIL BEARING PRESSURE
DESCRIPTION (POUNDS PER SQUARE FOOT)
----------- ----------------------------------------
Grain Storage Silos 8,000
Cook Water lank 3,500
Methanator Feed Tank 3,500
Liquefaction Tank #1 3,500
Liquefaction Tank #2 3,500
Coal Combustor 4,000
Coal Storage Silo #1 6,000
Coal Storage Silo #2 6,000
Lime Silo 6,000
Coal Unloading Building 4,000
Boiler 4,000
Dust Collector 3,500
Fermentation Tank #1 4,000
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C-5
Fermentation Tank #2 4,000
Fermentation Tank #3 4,000
Fermentation Tank #4 4,000
Beerwell 4,000
Whole Stillage Tank 3,500
Thin Stillage Tank 3,500
Syrup Tank 3,500
190 Proof Day Tank 3,000
200 Proof Day Tank 3,000
Denaturant Tank 3,000
Fire Water Tank 3,000
Denatured Ethanol Tank #1 4,000
Denatured Ethanol Tank #2 4,000
All Other Areas 3,000
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TABLE 2 MAINTENANCE AND POWER EQUIPMENT - RESPONSIBILITY OF OWNER
DESCRIPTION ADDITIONAL DESCRIPTION
----------- ----------------------
Spare Parts Spare parts
Parts bins
Misc. materials, supplies and equipment
Shop supplies and equipment One shop welder
One portable gas welder
One plasma torch
One acetylene torch
One set of power tools
Two sets of hand tools with tool boxes
Carts and dollies
Hoists (except centrifuge overhead crane)
Shop tables
Maintenance office furnishings & supplies
Fire Extinguishers
Reference books
Safety manuals
Safety cabinets & supplies, etc.
Rolling stock Used 1 1/2 yard front end loader
New Skid loader
Used Fork lift
Used Scissors lift, 30 foot
Used Pickup truck
Track Mobile
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C-6
EXHIBIT D
LICENSE AGREEMENT
THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT (this "License Agreement") is entered into and made
effective as of the 9 day of Sept, 2005 ("Effective Date") by and between Red
Trail Energy, LLC, a North Dakota limited liability company ("OWNER"), and ICM,
Inc., a Kansas corporation ("ICM").
WHEREAS, OWNER has entered into that certain Lump Sum Design-Build Contract
dated August 29, 2005 (the "Contract") with Fagen, Inc., a Minnesota corporation
("Fagen"), under which Fagen is to design and construct a 50 million gallon per
year ethanol plant for OWNER to be located in or near Richardton, North Dakota
(the "Plant");
WHEREAS, ICM has granted Fagen the right to use certain proprietary
technology and information of ICM in the design and construction of the Plant;
and
WHEREAS, OWNER desires from ICM, and ICM desires to grant to OWNER, a
license to use such proprietary technology and information in connection with
OWNER'S ownership and operation of the Plant, all upon the terms and conditions
set forth herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties, in consideration of the foregoing premises and
the mutual promises contained herein and for other good and valuable
consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, agree as follows:
1. Upon OWNER's payment in full of all amounts due and owing to Fagen under
the Contract, ICM agrees to grant to OWNER a limited license to use the
Proprietary Property (hereinafter defined) solely in connection with the
design, construction, operation, maintenance and repair of the Plant,
subject to the limitations provided herein (the "Purpose").
2. The "Proprietary Property" means, without limitation, documents,
Operating Procedures (hereinafter defined), materials and other information
that are furnished by ICM to OWNER, whether directly or indirectly through
Fagen, in connection with the Purpose including, without limitation, the
design, arrangement, configuration, and specifications of (i) the
combinations of distillation, evaporation, and alcohol dehydration
equipment (including, but not limited to, pumps, vessels, tanks, heat
exchangers, piping, valves and associated electronic control equipment) and
all documents supporting those combinations; (ii) the combination of the
distillers grain drying (DGD), and heat recovery steam generation (HRSG)
equipment (including, but not limited to, pumps, vessels, tanks, heat
exchangers, piping and associated electronic control equipment) and all
documents supporting those combinations; and (iii) the computer system,
known as the distributed control system (DCS and/or PLC) (including, but
not limited to, the software configuration, programming, parameters, set
points, alarm points, ranges, graphical interface, and system hardware
connections) and all documents supporting that system. The "Operating
Procedures" means, without limitation, the process equipment and
specifications manuals, standards of quality, service protocols, data
collection methods, construction specifications, training methods,
engineering standards and any other information prescribed by ICM from time
to time concerning the Purpose. Proprietary Property shall not include any
information or materials that OWNER can demonstrate by written
documentation: (i) was lawfully in the possession of OWNER prior to
disclosure by ICM; (ii) was in the public domain prior to disclosure by
ICM; (iii) was disclosed to OWNER by a third party having the legal right
to possess and disclose such information or materials; or (iv) after
disclosure by ICM comes into the public domain through no fault of OWNER or
its directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors,
D-1
consultants or other representatives (hereinafter collectively referred to
as "Representatives"). Information and materials shall not be deemed to be
in the public domain merely because such information is embraced by more
general disclosures in the public domain, and any combination of features
shall not be deemed to be within the foregoing exceptions merely because
individual features are in the public domain if the combination itself and
its principles of operation are not in the public domain.
3. OWNER shall not use the Proprietary Property for any purpose other than
the Purpose. OWNER shall not use the Proprietary Property in connection
with any expansion or enlargement of the Plant.
4. OWNER's failure to materially comply with the Operating Procedures shall
void all guarantees, representations and warranties, whether expressed or
implied, if any, that were given by ICM to OWNER, directly or indirectly
through Fagen, concerning the performance of the Plant. OWNER agrees to
indemnify, defend and hold harmless ICM, Fagen and their respective
Representatives from any and all losses, damages and expenses including,
without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees resulting from, relating to
or arising out of Owner's or its Representatives' (i) failure to materially
comply with the Operating Procedures or, (ii) negligent or unauthorized use
of the Proprietary Property.
5. Any and all modifications to the Proprietary Property by OWNER or its
Representatives shall be the property of ICM. OWNER shall promptly notify
ICM of any such modification and OWNER agrees to assign all of its right,
title and interest in such modification to ICM; provided, however, OWNER
shall retain the right, at no cost, to use such modification in connection
with the Purpose.
6. ICM has the exclusive right and interest in and to the Proprietary
Property and the goodwill associated therewith. OWNER will not, directly or
indirectly, contest ICM's ownership of the Proprietary Property. OWNER'S
use of the Proprietary Property does not give OWNER any ownership interest
or other interest in or to the Proprietary Property except for the limited
license granted to OWNER herein.
7. OWNER shall pay no license fee or royalty to ICM for OWNER'S use of the
Proprietary Property pursuant to the limited license granted to OWNER, the
consideration for this limited license is included in the amounts payable
by OWNER to Fagen for the construction of the Plant under the Contract.
8. OWNER may not assign the limited license granted herein, in whole or in
part, without the prior written consent of ICM, which will not be
unreasonably withheld or delayed. Prior to any assignment, OWNER shall
obtain from such assignee a written instrument, in form and substance
reasonably acceptable to ICM, agreeing to be bound by all the terms and
provisions of this License Agreement. Any assignment of this License
Agreement shall not release OWNER from (i) its duties and obligations
hereunder concerning the disclosure and use of the Proprietary Property, or
(ii) damages to ICM resulting from, or arising out of, a breach of such
duties or obligations by OWNER or its Representatives. ICM may assign its
right, title and interest in the Proprietary Property, in whole or part,
subject to the limited license granted herein.
9. The Proprietary Property is confidential and proprietary. OWNER shall
keep the Proprietary Property confidential and shall use all reasonable
efforts to maintain the Proprietary Property as secret and confidential for
the sole use of OWNER and its Representatives for the Purpose. OWNER shall
retain all Proprietary Property at its principal place of business and/or
the Plant. OWNER shall not at any time without ICM's prior written consent,
copy, duplicate, record, or otherwise reproduce the Proprietary Property,
in whole or in part, or otherwise make the same available to any
unauthorized
D-2
person. OWNER shall not disclose the Proprietary Property except to its
Representatives who are directly involved with the Purpose, and even then
only to such extent as is necessary and essential for such Representative's
involvement. OWNER shall inform such Representatives of the confidential
and proprietary nature of such information. OWNER shall make all reasonable
efforts to safeguard the Proprietary Property from disclosure by its
Representatives to anyone other than permitted hereby. In the event that
OWNER or its Representatives are required by law to disclose the
Proprietary Property. OWNER shall provide ICM with prompt written notice of
same so that ICM may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy.
In the event that such protective order or other appropriate remedy is not
obtained, OWNER or its Representatives will furnish only that portion of
the Proprietary Property which in the reasonable opinion of its or their
legal counsel is legally required and will exercise its reasonable efforts
to obtain reliable assurance that the Proprietary Properly so disclosed
will be accorded confidential treatment.
10. OWNER agrees to indemnify ICM for any and all damages (including,
without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or resulting
from any unauthorized disclosure or use of the Proprietary Property by
OWNER or its Representatives. OWNER agrees that ICM would be irreparably
damaged by reason of a violation of the provisions contained herein and
that any remedy at law for a breach of such provisions would be inadequate.
Therefore, ICM shall be entitled to seek injunctive or other equitable
relief in a court of competent jurisdiction against OWNER or its
Representatives for any unauthorized disclosure or use of the Proprietary
Property without the necessity of proving actual monetary loss or posting
any bond. It is expressly understood that the remedy described herein shall
not be the exclusive remedy of ICM for any breach of such covenants, and
ICM shall be entitled to seek such other relief or remedy, at law or in
equity, to which it may be entitled as a consequence of any breach of such
duties or obligations.
11. All provisions of this License Agreement shall survive and remain in
full force and effect notwithstanding any termination or expiration of the
Contract or the license granted herein under paragraph 12.
12. ICM may terminate the limited license granted to OWNER herein upon
written notice to OWNER if OWNER willfully or wantonly uses the Proprietary
Property for any purpose, or discloses the Proprietary Property to anyone,
other than permitted herein. Upon termination of the license, OWNER, upon
request by ICM, shall promptly return to ICM all documents in OWNER's or
its Representatives' possession that contain Proprietary Property.
13. The laws of the State of Kansas, United States of America, shall govern
the validity of the provisions contained herein, the construction of such
provisions, and the interpretation of the rights and duties of the parties.
Any legal action brought to enforce or construe the provisions of this
License Agreement shall be brought in the federal or state courts located
in Kansas, and the parties agree to and hereby submit to the exclusive
jurisdiction of such courts and agree that they will not invoke the
doctrine of forum non conveniens or other similar defenses in any such
action brought in such courts. In the event the Plant is located in, or
OWNER is organized under the laws of, a country other than the United
States of America, OWNER hereby specifically agrees that any injunctive or
other equitable relief granted by a court located in the State of Kansas,
United States of America, or any award by a court located in the State of
Kansas, shall be specifically enforceable as a foreign judgment in the
country in which the Plant is located, OWNER is organized or both, as the
case may be, and agrees not to contest the validity of such relief or award
in such foreign jurisdiction, regardless of whether the laws of such
foreign jurisdiction would otherwise authorize such injunctive or other
equitable relief, or award.
D-3
14. OWNER hereby agrees to waive all claims against ICM and ICM's
Representatives for any consequential damages that may arise out of or
relate to this License Agreement, the Contract or the Proprietary Property
whether arising in contract, warranty, tort (including negligence), strict
liability or otherwise, including but not limited to losses of use,
profits, business, reputation or financing.
15. The terms and conditions of this License Agreement constitute the
entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter
hereof and supersede any prior understandings, agreements or
representations by or between the parties, written or oral. Any rule of
construction to the effect that any ambiguity is to be resolved against the
drafting party shall not be applicable in the interpretation of this
License Agreement. This License Agreement may not be modified or amended at
any time without the written consent of the parties.
16. All notices, requests, demands, reports, statements or other
communications (herein referred to collectively as "Notices") required to
be given hereunder or relating to this License Agreement shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if transmitted by
personal delivery or mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested,
postage prepaid, to the address of the party as set forth below. Any such
Notice shall be deemed to be delivered and received as of the date so
delivered, if delivered personally, or as of the second business day
following the day sent, if sent by certified mail. Any party may, at any
time, designate a different address to which Notices shall be directed by
providing written notice in the manner set forth in this paragraph.
17. In the event that any of the terms, conditions, covenants or agreements
contained in this License Agreement, or the application of any thereof,
shall be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal
or unenforceable, such term, condition, covenant or agreement shall be
deemed void ab initio and shall be deemed severed from this License
Agreement. In such event, and except if such determination by a court of
competent jurisdiction materially changes the rights, benefits and
obligations of the parties under this License Agreement, the remaining
provisions of this License Agreement shall remain unchanged unaffected and
unimpaired thereby and, to the extent possible, such remaining provisions
shall be construed such that the purpose of this License Agreement and the
intent of the parties can be achieved in a lawful manner.
18. The duties and obligations herein contained shall bind, and the
benefits and advantages shall inure to, the respective successors and
permitted assigns of the parties hereto.
19. The waiver by any party hereto of the breach of any term, covenant,
agreement or condition herein contained shall not be deemed a waiver of any
subsequent breach of the same or any other term, covenant, agreement or
condition herein, nor shall any custom, practice or course of dealings
arising among the parties hereto in the administration hereof be construed
as a waiver or diminution of the right of any party hereto to insist upon
the strict performance by any other party of the terms, covenants,
agreement and conditions herein contained.
20. In this License Agreement, where applicable, (i) references to the
singular shall include the plural and references to the plural shall
include the singular, and (ii) references to the male, female, or neuter
gender shall include references to all other such genders where the context
so requires.
D-4
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this License Agreement, the
Effective Date of which is indicated on page I of this License Agreement.
OWNER: ICM:
Red Trail Energy, LLC ICM, Inc.
By: /s/ AMBROSE R. HOFF By: /s/ DAVE VANDER GRIEND
--------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Title: President, RTE Title: CEO
Date Signed : 9/9/05 Date Signed: 9-18-05
Address for giving notices: Address for giving notices:
Mick Miller 301 N First Street
Red Trail Energy, LLC Colwich,KS 67030
General Manager
PO Box 11
Rechardton, ND 58652
Mike Maus
Hardy, Maus, Nortsven, PC
PO Box 570
Dickinson, ND 58602
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D-5
EXHIBIT E
Schedule of Values
Schedule of Values for
RED TRAIL ENERGY, LLC
PAYMENT REQUEST BREAKDOWN
DESCRIPTION:
------------
MOBILIZATION $ [ * ]
ENGINEERING $ [ * ]
GENERAL CONDITIONS (16 MONTHS) $ [ * ]
SITEWORK $ [ * ]
CONCRETE $ [ * ]
MASONRY $ [ * ]
STRUCTURAL STEEL & MISC. METALS $ [ * ]
LUMBER, CARPENTRY & FINISHES $ [ * ]
GIRTS, SIDING & ROOF DECK $ [ * ]
DOORS & WINDOWS $ [ * ]
PAINT $ [ * ]
GRAIN HANDLING SYSTEM $ [ * ]
DDG STORAGE BUILDING $ [ * ]
CORN UNIT CAR UNLOADING $ [ * ]
FIELD ERECTED TANKS $ [ * ]
COAL SYSTEM $ [ * ]
PROCESS TANKS & VESSELS $ [ * ]
MIXERS $ [ * ]
PUMPS $ [ * ]
HEAT EXCHANGERS $ [ * ]
SIEVE BOTTLES & BEADS $ [ * ]
CENTRIFUGES $ [ * ]
AIR COMPRESSORS $ [ * ]
METHANATOR $ [ * ]
COOLING TOWER $ [ * ]
ETHANOL LOADOUT $ [ * ]
VAPOR FLARE SYSTEM $ [ * ]
TRUCK SCALES & PROBE (115') $ [ * ]
PROCESS PIPING & VALVES $ [ * ]
INSULATION $ [ * ]
PLUMBING & HVAC $ [ * ]
ELECTRICAL $ [ * ]
START-UP $ [ * ]
DEMOB $ [ * ]
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT $ [ * ]
CHILLER --
-----------
CONTRACT AMOUNT $75,841,740
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[ * ] Portions omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment and
filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
E-1
EXHIBIT F
Progress Report (Example only; Illustrative purpose only)
A. Project Overview - Brief description of project including plant capacity,
major contractors (if applicable), completion dates (including Substantial
Completion Date, Final Completion Date, estimated performance testing start,
etc.), etc. Should also include progress reporting period.
B. Project Status - Divided into engineering, construction, and Owner
responsibilities as well as a summary describing project status as a whole.
Subsections include:
B1 - Engineering - Current month progress and status as compared to plan,
1-month look ahead/goals, issues being worked, critical path activities, and
statement regarding support of construction activities
B2 - Construction - Current month progress and status as compared to plan,
1-month look ahead/goals, issues being worked, critical path activities,
procurement activities (if applicable), subcontracting activities (if
applicable), and statement regarding completion of owner responsibilities as it
relates to Design-Builder completion of work schedule. In addition, it should
include:
A. Site Work and Utilities - Owner Responsibility
1. Plant Fire Water Loop - 98% Complete.
2. Railroad: Rail ties on tracks A and B are up to Rail Load out; tracks
C and D are installed past DDG building to rail car storage area.
Tracks A and B to be complete when Grains building is complete.
3. Power Company is 100% complete on permanent power.
4. Gas line to plant has commenced, gas to be on site by Oct. 21.
5. City water main from main entrance to tank is installed, awaiting word
from City.
6. Road work has started at main entrance and Admin. Area, final grading
has started in these areas as well.
B. Grains Storage & Handling
1. Grains receiving building is 95% complete.
2. Continuing to installing all miscellaneous ladders and platforms for
collectors and bag houses. Continuing to install dust collection
system for Grains receiving.
3. Electrical is right behind installing conduit and wire to equipment.
4. Pit area 95% complete.
5. Continue to install main legs for Grain to Silos.
6. HVAC equipment on site, yet to be installed.
C. Energy Building
1. 99% of Equipment installed.
2. Electrical nearly 94% complete. Have started bumping motors and
conveyors for rotation.
3. Steel 100% complete.
F-1
4. All end walls are complete with siding. Half of the roof is installed.
5. Mechanical piping is at 30% complete.
6. All RO equipment is installed. All totes are installed. Tubing to
Boiler and DA has started. Electrical completing installation for
power and controls to RO equipment.
D. Process / Fermentation Building
1. 99% of the Equipment is installed.
2. Piping is 98% complete.
3. Vinyl Composite tile 70% complete. Ceramic tile to bathrooms is
complete.
4. HVAC equipment installation is complete. Final tie ins for office
area, server room and maintenance room continuing.
E. Distillation and Evap Area
1. Mechanical is about 98% complete. Complete small bore piping where
needed.
2. Electrical is behind Mechanical installing instruments and wiring.
F. Tank Farm
1. Mechanical is 98% complete, waiting on Specialty items to arrive for
installation.
2. All pumps have been installed and piping is complete to and from.
3. Electrical continuing installation of cable tray, 95% of instruments
are installed, wire is about 85% complete.
G. Chiller Cooling Tower
1. Chiller Building -Overhead doors have been completed.
2. Cooling Tower erection is 100% complete.
3. HVAC unit on site, yet to be installed.
B3 - Commissioning and Start-up - Activities related to commissioning and
start-up including training completed, turnover packages completed,
status of testing procedures, etc.
B4 - Total Project - Overall project status, including critical path
activities.
C - Health and Safety - Summary including number of craft, number of first aid
cases, number of recordable cases, and number of lost time accidents. If
applicable, safety programs implemented at site, etc.
D - Schedule Including most recent updated schedule accompanied with schedule
overview, comparison to baseline, and critical path activities. The schedule
should correspond to application for payment.
E - Financial Including total of invoices submitted to date as well as change
orders submitted and status.
F-2
EXHIBIT G
REQUIRED PERMITS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE IN
NO. TYPE OF APPLICATION/PERMIT OBTAINING PERMIT PREPARATION NOTES
--- ---------------------------- -------------------- -------------- ------------------------
1 Underground Utility Locating Design-Builder/Owner Notification service
Service for underground work.
2 Septic Tank & Drain Field Owner
Permit
3 Railroad Permit/Approval Owner Design-Builder
4 Archeological Survey Owner
5 Highway Access Permit Owner State Department of
Transportation or County
6 Building Permits Design-Builder
Mechanical Design-Builder
Electrical Design-Builder
Structures Design-Builder
7 Construction Air Permit Owner Design-Builder
8 SWPPP Construction Permit Owner Design-Builder
9 SWPPP Operations Permit Owner Design-Builder
10 NPDES Wastewater Permit Owner Design-Builder
11 Water Appropriation Permit Owner Design-Builder
12 Fire Protection Owner Design-Builder
13 Above Ground Storage Tank Design-Builder
Permit
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G-1