Ethanol industry leader Broin Companies is going to court to protect its proprietary technology.

According to an Argus (SD) Leader article, the Sioux Falls company filed a federal lawsuit last week alleging that two employees of a Broin-affiliated ethanol plant in central Iowa learned confidential information and trade secrets about its ethanol production methods.

Then, the lawsuit alleges, the Iowa employees left to work with Colorado’s first ethanol plant – a direct competitor of Broin. In going to Colorado, the employees broke agreements not to compete with Broin, according to the lawsuit.

The employees in question worked at Broin’s Horizon Ethanol plant and now work for Sterling Ethanol in northeast Colorado.

Broin officials are not commenting on the lawsuit which was filed March 1 in Iowa.