WebinarMar 27, 2025

BDO ZoneCONNECT Webinar: Falls City, Nebraska and Mason City, Iowa

On March 6th, 2024, Ecostrat Inc. and the BDO Zone Initiative, in collaboration with TheDigest, hosted the BDO ZoneCONNECT webinar, highlighting two investment grade BDO Zone communities in North America: Falls City, Nebraska, and Mason City, Iowa, both rated ‘A’ for Corn Stover.

The webinar was moderated by Jim Lane, Editor of TheDigest, and featured key insights from Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative. Participants included Lucas Froeschl, Executive Director at Falls City EDGE; and key executives from the North Iowa Corridor EDC: Chad Schreck, President/CEO; and Shaun Arneson, VP, Existing Business and Project Management. The webinar underscored the regions’ abundant biomass resources, robust infrastructure, shovel-ready sites and attractive local incentives, positioning these BDO Zones as prime locations for biobased projects seeking a reliable supply of corn stover biomass.

BDO ZoneCONNECT, a joint initiative with The Daily Digest, aims to facilitate connections and stimulate development interest within BDO Zone communities. It serves as a catalyst for networking, sharing new BDO Zone ratings, and attracting a diverse global audience of stakeholders, including investors, bio-based project developers, financiers, and community leaders.

Get a BDO Zone Rating

To view the webinar, please click below:

Summary of Presenter Remarks

Marian Marinescu, Project Director, Ecostrat:

“The total corn stover production in the Mason City BDO Zone is approximately 14 million bone dry tons per year, the rated quantity (1.4 million bdt) is just 10%. This removal rate guarantees a sustainable and ecologically sound utilization that provides long term soil stability, humidity retention and nutrition.”
“One of the greatest assets that this BDO Zone has is its significantly high corn and stover yields, Iowa consistently leads the United States in corn production, both in total output and yield per hectare.”
“Many producers in the BDO Zone already have some experience supplying large quantities of corn stover.”

Chad Schreck, President & CEO, North Iowa Corridor EDC:

“The River City Industrial Park is about 888 acres. We have that under control with Alliant Energy who is our natural gas and electric provider for the whole county. With this site we are targeting large scale high impact projects. The North portion of the site has been zoned open industrial or heaviest industrial class with the city and all utilities are already on or adjacent to the site. On the Southern portion of the industrial park, these sites have already been considered for a couple of sustainable aviation fuel projects.”
“We’re right along interstate 35 and have significant rail access and infrastructure with Union Pacific along with CPKC coming through town.”
“The Iowa Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit is an incentive for high value chemicals derived from biomass feedstock. This would be a very good fit for projects considering this type of opportunity.”
“We are also an opportunity zone and a new market tax credit district for federal programs.”

Peter Wolf, Project Director, Ecostrat:

“The Falls City BDO Zone is located in Southeastern Nebraska, we have certified 600,000 bone dry tons of corn stover at a price of $95-115/bdt at low risk.”
“The nearest bioprojects facility using corn stover is over 200 miles away so there are no competition risks for a developer who decides to set up in the vicinity of Falls City.”
“The project development site, the Mid-America Rail Campus has rail access, open zoning and there’s $15 million that’s been earmarked from the state for continued improvements in the electrical capacity.”

Lucas Froeschl, Executive Director, Falls City EDGE:

“We have 2 first class railroads running through Falls City.”
“We’re in alignment with the Nebraska Bioeconomy Initiative by Governor Pillen. It’s the key to elevating Nebraska’s economic capability, revitalizing our rural communities and protecting our family farms and ranches.”
“Agriculture runs our economy around here. We’re hoping to complement that with a 1,017 acre development site and create a biotech/biofuel innovation hub right here in Falls City.”

For more information on the Falls City, NE, BDO Zone, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.

For more information on the Mason City, IA, BDO Zone, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.

Contact Information:

Chad Schreck, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and President/CEO, North Iowa Corridor EDC (cschreck@northiowacorridor.com).

Lucas Froeschl, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and Executive Director, Falls City EDGE (director@fallscityedge.com).

Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative (aryn@ecostrat.com).

Originally published at bdozone.org.