Back by popular demand, the 6th Process Optimization Seminar will take place on September 28-29, 2011 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To date, more than 120 ethanol plants have participated and 300 plus people have been trained. I was able to speak with Tom Slunecka, the VP of Marketing for Phibro Ethanol Performance Group this morning, one of the founders of the training seminars, to learn more about the upcoming event. The other supporting companies are Fermentis, Fremont Industries and Novozymes.

Slunecka told me that the training seminars came about by the request of the ethanol industry itself. This seminar was designed a little differently – it is set up so that after two days, an attendee can go back to his or her plant and immediately put the information learned to work. Also unique to the seminar is that class size is small and this fosters good interactions with the instructors and other attendees.

“One thing we’ve also held as a core of the Process Optimization Seminars is that the class sizes are small. So the one-to-one relationship between the trainer and those who’ve come to learn new technologies, is a very personal one,” explained Slunecka. “You’re right there, you’re with the instructor, you’re class is small with folks that are doing the same thing you are. So the flow of information back and forth is really refreshing.”

Listen to my interview with Tom Slunecka here: The 411 on the POS Seminars

He also stressed that the instructors make sure they are giving information that is usable, immediately, as soon as the operators get home to the plant. And this is important, he said, because training is paramount to how well a plant is going to run and how profitable that plant is running.

Success stories have come out of each of the five seminars to date and Slunecka said many plants have told him their ethanol yield per bushel has gone up. “Maybe only a point or two but that can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars for that plant.”

All indications are that this will be yet again another sold out show. Slunecka said they have been so overwhelmed with the response of the industry that every single one of these training seminars has been sold out. So hurry and register – there are only few slots left and the early bird registration date is nearing. To learn more and to register, visit www.processoptimizationseminar.com.