Aberdeen
Industry publication Biofuels Digest recently named John Plaza, CEO and founder of Imperium Renewables, as No. 85 in its Top 100 People in Bioenergy for 2011.
Imperium Renewables oversees the Imperium Grays Harbor biodiesel plant in Hoquiam. Biofuels Digest cited Plaza’s success in turning around the struggling company and his efforts to develop a market for renewable jet fuels. Plaza has reported a surge in demand for local biofuels.
“A lot of obits were written for Imperium Renewables back in 2008 when the market for biodiesel began to implode,” the publication wrote. “John Plaza kept the company alive by finding markets in Canada and managing costs down to a minimum.”
More than 400 people were nominated as influential people in the biofuel industry, the publication reported. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was listed as No. 1.
