The Dispatch
June 22, 2009
The Warren family’s months of planning culminated Monday in the grand opening of Maryland Biodiesel’s plant, the first in Maryland and one of a handful on the East Coast.
“This is the future. The future is here and now in the state of Maryland,” said Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, who stopped by the festivities on his way back to Annapolis.
County Commissioner Virgil Shockley, who was instrumental in shepherding the project through the approval process, said he was glad the dream had become a reality.
"It’s hard to explain the feeling you have when something is the right thing and you get it done,” he said. “We are extremely, extremely proud of Cropper Oil and their commitment to Worcester County."
For his part, Cropper Oil and Maryland Biodiesel owner James Warren was pleased with the support he got from Shockley and the county.
"He was awesome," said Jim Warren. "The County Commissioners were great."
County Commission President Jim Purnell told the Warrens the county was ready to work with them all the way as the new biodiesel plant grows and prospers. "We stand behind you," he said.
The road to the grand opening was not easy, said Virginia Warren, CFO of Maryland Biodiesel, who owns the business along with her husband, Jim.
"Worcester County has been awesome. They have been right there for us," said Virginia Warren. "It has been a new thing. Our county and state knew absolutely nothing about biodiesel."
Jim Warren, referring to Cropper Oil’s beginning in 1968, added, "We’ve come a long way. We’re a small family-owned business. We’re just proud to be in Worcester County. This is a wonderful day for us here at Cropper Oil."
Originally, Jim Warren recalled, he was not interested when anyone mentioned biodiesel to him. "I didn’t think I’d sell very much," he said.
Three years ago, he attended the National Biodiesel Convention. He came home, in his words, "all fired up. I was sold on biodiesel."
Cropper Oil sold biodiesel purchased from other plants before getting into the supply business.
"They are the kind of entrepreneurs we need in this state," said State Senator J. Lowell Stoltzfus. "I’ve been so thoroughly impressed."
Shockley thanked his fellow County Commissioners and also singled out Ed Tudor, director of Worcester County Planning and Zoning, Economic Development Director Jerry Redden and the Fire Marshall’s office.
"There are a lot of people along the way who added to this process," said Shockley.
The county had no regulations applicable to a biodiesel plant when the Warrens began the process of bringing their plant to reality less than a year ago, according to Shockley.
"It was simply a matter of, we’re going to find a way to do it," said Shockley.
The commissioner, a Democrat, said, "Politics has never been a part of this. I’d like to thank the Governor for his support. It’s been a new time for the farmers in the State of Maryland since the governor has been there."
With the biodiesel manufactured from soybean oil, much of it locally grown, area farms benefit.
"As a farmer I can tell you we need this, we need this plant," said Stoltzfus.
This sort of initiative will help Delmarva hold onto agriculture, U. S. Representative Wayne Gilchrest said, because it gives farmers another market for their crops.
"It’s great to see family farmers growing in this direction," Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Lewis Riley said. "I, being a grain producer, am delighted to see it."
Less dependence on foreign fuel was a second theme of the event.
"We have to be less dependent on fossil fuel and more dependent on the renewable energy we have here," said Stoltzfus.
Gilchrest agreed growing and producing a local fuel source would help wean Americans off the tenuous global oil supply.
"The world [oil supply] is about to peak in the next few years," said Gilchrest. "As demand rises, supply continues to go down."
Citing a quote from a book on the world oil supply, which said that the bottom of the "bottomless" oil well is "ingenuity, intellect, and initiative," Gilchrest said, "What is at the bottom of the bottomless well is the Warren family."
Biodiesel benefits the environment and air quality as well. The alternate fuel produces 50 percent less exhaust emissions, said Brian Warren, Maryland Biodiesel Vice President who is the son of Jim and Virginia Warren and a student at Salisbury University.
Biodiesel meets the clean fuel standards of the Clean Air Act, Brian Warren said.
"It’s a domestic, clean burning renewable fuel," he said. "You can use it in anything that runs off a diesel engine."
"What we are seeing here is human activity producing energy that can be compatible with nature’s design," said Gilchrest.
"It smells like Thrasher’s french fries when you follow vehicles using biodiesel", Stoltzfus said.
After a moment of hesitation to open a valve on Monday, Jim Warren invited Riley to push the button to start the flow of soybean oil into the production plant for the first time.
"It works," Riley said, giving a thumbs-up, as he peered into the tank.