Ethanol-powered planes flew in formation in the blue Hoosier sky Thursday to mark the opening of Indiana’s newest ethanol plant in North Manchester.

POET hosted a grand opening event for POET Biorefining – North Manchester, the company’s 24th production facility and the third in Indiana.

“With its third Indiana facility, POET is quickly becoming a household name in our small towns,” said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. “This new North Manchester facility means more good jobs and an important market for our Hoosier farmers.”

Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, said. “The ethanol that will be produced in this facility will displace over 60 million gallons of fossil fuels annually – decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and saving consumers money at the pump.”

POET Biorefining – North Manchester will utilize 22 million bushels of corn from the area to produce 65 million gallons of ethanol and 178,000 tons of Dakota Gold Enhanced Nutrition Distillers Products™ per year.