Former Grafton Ethanol Plant Sold at Auction

Former ND ethanol plant sold at auction

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A former ethanol plant in Grafton has sold

at auction for $525,000.

The Grand Forks Herald reports that the Alchem Ltd. plant was

sold on Wednesday to Jim Borchart, owner of New Germany,

Minn.-based Borchart Steel Inc.

The plant's new owner said a decision on whether to reopen the

plant or convert it to another use won't be made until next year.

The facility opened in 1983 to manufacture potato flakes but

converted to an ethanol plant two years later. It produced more

than 10 million gallons of ethanol a year before operations were

suspended in October 2007. At the time, Alchem's president, Harold

Newman, cited the high cost of corn and low prices for ethanol as

the reason for the closure.

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