Biodiesel Facility Revisited for Expansion
Interstates recently completed a biodiesel facility expansion project for Western Iowa Energy in Wall Lake, IA, providing electrical engineering, automation, and construction services for this long-time client. Jeff De Boer, Automation Architect at Interstates, explains, "The expansion was to add equipment to the pretreatment area as well as a final distillation process. This now allows the plant to bring in different feedstocks that can be used to produce biodiesel and create a higher quality of biodiesel."
A Seasoned Team Makes a Difference
A crucial aspect of the project's success was the collaboration between seasoned Interstates veterans Jeff De Boer and Josh Vander Plaats, both involved in the original construction of Western Iowa Energy's biodiesel plant in 2005. Jack Bradley, Project Manager at Interstates, says, "Having Jeff and Josh involved gave us a strong advantage. Jeff has such a deep knowledge of how these biodiesel plants operate that he could program these things in his sleep. I was able to lean on them both to navigate this complicated project."
Michael Altmanshofer, Vice President of Operations at Western Iowa Energy, says, “Interstates was the original system integrator during the initial construction of the plant and has been a great partner over the last 18 years. We have done several successful projects with their team, and they always come through on time and on budget. Their service after the fact is second to none with 24/7 tech support and remote configuration capabilities.”
Innovative project management solutions helped drive efficiency on this project. Tools like whiteboard planning, our internal InterTrak management system, and CPM Scheduling allowed the Interstates team to coordinate and monitor the project lifecycle. According to Bradley, "These tools allow us to plan our work, track our progress, and continually improve our approach."
Collaboration Eases Challenges
Despite numerous delays, Interstates worked hard to maintain the schedule. Bradley explains, "This project challenged the entire team with supply chain hurdles, engineers in opposite time zones, and lots of intermediate shutdowns to coordinate. Although tense at times, everyone stayed aligned, working toward delivering the best possible project outcome." After months of setbacks, Interstates assembled a completion schedule with checkout dates that held. Altmanshofer says, “Interstates’ large volume purchasing and reputation in the control systems manufacturing arena allowed us to receive our parts much faster than would have been possible without their involvement.”
In addition to driving a new schedule, Interstates' communication strategies played a part in keeping the project on track. Josh Vander Plaats, Foreman at Interstates, says, "Daily meetings with the general contractor and other trades during the shutdowns helped everyone coordinate. The general contractor had one point person assigned to assist with coordinating the various trades who could then prioritize the demands of each subcontractor."
The proximity of Wall Lake to Interstates' regional offices in Fort Dodge and Sioux City also helped by promoting efficient staffing and execution. Bradley says, "The availability of electricians is often our biggest constraint. Having a job site located between these offices gave us more flexibility in reaching the staffing count required for the project."
Interstates' leadership on this project showcases our dedication to providing practical solutions that enhance operational efficiency and quality for our clients. We ultimately helped Western Iowa Energy meet its expansion goals and solidified a successful, long-lasting partnership. Altmanshofer sums it up: “Interstates is the only company I will recommend for any and all system integration needs, including full HMI implementation from hardware to software, historian/data recording, control system design and engineering, and complete installation and support services. Their entire team is knowledgeable, friendly, and dedicated to making sure we are happy with the finished product.”