Lee County, Iowa Issued BDO Zone 'A' Rating for Corn Stover
Lee County, Iowa Issued BDO Zone 'A' Rating for Corn Stover
– ‘A’ Rating Positions Region as Prime Location for Corn Stover-Based Development –
August 18, 2026 – Lee County Economic Development Group, Ecostrat and the BDO Zone Initiative are pleased to announce the issue of a BDO Zone ‘A’ Rating for Lee County, Iowa. The BDO Zone is rated for 550,000 bone dry tons per year of low-risk corn stover and spans a 75-mile drive radius from its central point in Fort Madison, IA.
Lee County’s ‘A’ rating denotes high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. The region supports an agronomically mature corn production system with multi-generational producer experience in cultivation and residue management, with virtually no industrial competition for corn stover, making feedstock availability both reliable and largely unconstrained. That supply foundation is backed by strong infrastructure assets, including Mississippi River barge access, BNSF rail certification, and robust utilities availability, alongside very low political, regulatory, and sustainability risk, positioning Lee County as a prime location for biobased industrial development.
Tim Gobble, Director of Economic Development, Lee County Economic Development Group, stated, “A BDO Zone ‘A’ Rating validates what we’ve known about Lee County for years. We have the agricultural resources, transportation assets, industrial infrastructure, and workforce necessary to compete for the next generation of bio-based manufacturing projects. This rating provides third-party credibility that helps reduce risk for investors and puts Lee County on the radar of companies looking to expand in the growing bioeconomy. It is more than a designation; it’s a powerful economic development driver positioning our region for new capital investment, job creation, and long-term growth.”
Jordan Solomon, Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative, stated, “Ratings like this aren’t just about tonnage, they’re about durability. Lee County’s producers have been managing residue for generations, and that experience is exactly what gives an investor confidence the supply will still be there in year ten.”
To see the full BDO Zone Rating for Lee County, IA, please click here, or visit www.bdozone.org.
BDO Zone Project Development Support:
About The BDO Zone Initiative
The Biofuel Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone Initiative certifies ‘regional readiness’ for bio-manufacturing, creates global connections and ignites an influx of new energy opportunities for farmers, economic developers, and rural businesses. A BDO Zone rating is an internationally recognized, standards-based technical risk assessment of a region’s feedstock, supply chain, and infrastructure risk with respect to the development potential for new biofuel plants. BDO Zone ratings are site location bullseyes for bio-project development. Investment grade ratings are force-multipliers for attracting new manufacturing plants to the areas where they are most likely to succeed, drive investment and create jobs.
For more information on the BDO Zone Initiative, contact info@bdozone.org. To view all BDO Zone ratings, visit www.bdozone.org. Check out the BDO Zone LinkedIn page for news and updates.
Ecostrat is the North American leader in biomass due diligence for biofuels, renewable chemicals, biogas, and bio-product project development and finance. Jordan Solomon is Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative and President of Ecostrat (www.ecostrat.com). He can be reached at jordan.solomon@ecostrat.com.