My career in ethanol production started in 2004 and continues today. In that time I have been on the start up crews of three different new Ethanol plants for three different companies. My first ethanol job was at "Poet's" new 50 million gal. plant in Lake Cristal MN. Starting in 2004 I was on the original start up crew, working with and trained by Poet engineers to bring the new plant on line. In the next three years I would learn several positions including fermentation, distillation, evaporation, ring dryer operation, lab testing and D.C.S. control room operations. In 2006 I accepted an offer to join "Biofuel's" new start up plant in Fairmont MN. Rated at 110 million gal. per year, this plant would be twice as big. Again I was on the original start up crew bringing the new plant on line. I worked in all areas of the plant as an operator but my main job was to operate the ring dryers for the production of DDG's. I also trained new employees. The giant oil refiner "Valero" entered the ethanol business when it purchased a number of plants from a struggling producer in the Midwest. I was excited to join this Fortune 500 company in 2009. My first six years were spent as a distillation operator. After that my job took me to the process control room for six years, where I used the D.C.S system to monitor several areas of the plant. In 2022 my responsibilities again changed When I transferred to the Water Treatment Plant. My job is to operate the equipment nessary