Green Energy Biofuel started as Midlands Biofuels, LLC in 2008. “There was not ONE DAY that it was easy for us to push forward against literally all odds.” In 2009, the U.S. Government cut all biodiesel production subsidies, and the $1 per gallon for each gallon of biodiesel produced was lost. All 7 fully operational biodiesel plants in SC went bankrupt and shut down. Midlands Biofuels has been the only company to weather the storm that was to come for the next 2 years. “We didn’t know if we had made the best idea or worst idea to start this biofuel company. But, we had never failed at anything before and had been taught that perseverance and discipline pay off in the long run.”
BioJoe was able to maintain the business through the support of Dr. Beth Renwick. In between hospital shifts, Beth was helping BioJoe with all sorts of tasks. Eventually, they realized that BioJoe had the perfect partner, and in 2012, Beth officially joined Midlands Biofuels and became the majority owner, making this company the only woman-owned biodiesel company in the U.S!
While being a for-profit company, BioJoe and Beth’s goals have been and will always be – sustainability and social responsibility. Working with colleges and universities via Bio4Edu, BioJoe continuously searches for interns to teach about the process with the hope of hiring these interns upon their graduation to fill roles in the growing company. Over the years, more than 100 internships have been given to these institutions of higher learning.
In 2013, the company was named the SC Outstanding Business of the Year for environmental stewardship. In 2015, the company was named the SC Business of the Year by the SC School Board of Education for its good work, and in 2018, this program was named as a finalist in the Carolinas Green Sustainable Business Awards.
In 2016, Midlands Biofuels expanded its business area to the state of Tennessee by purchasing another oil processing plant in Knoxville. With this growth came the decision to change to the company name to Green Energy Biofuel. “Although we are proud of our “Midlands” roots, we decided to re-brand ourselves as Green Energy Biofuel in 2016 because the new name is not geographically limiting and represents our growth as a company.” – shares BioJoe.
In the summer of 2018, a third processing plant was purchased just outside of Aiken SC. The new plant is able to process 60 million gallons of used cooking oil a year and generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes for the local community. With customers already in OH, PA, VA, LA, and Europe – the potential for growth is unlimited in terms of where the company can go.
From its humble beginnings, Green Energy Biofuel is extremely proud to stand where it does today. With its growing operations and staff, the sky is truly the limit.