Canton, IL – The Central Illinois Energy ethanol plant south of Canton is ready to hire production workers.
General Manager Mike Smith says two job fairs will be held in Canton this week to find about 35 staffers who will begin producing alcohol by October.
Smith says training of the workers will begin in July or August.
He says the plant is not buying corn, but expects shipments from its farmer-owners to come from this fall's crop.
The plant is expected to produce up to 40-million gallons of ethanol per year. It's also slated to produce more than 97,000 tons of dried distiller's grains which can be used for livestock feed. Unique to the operation is a power plant using waste coal fines, which will keep the firm from having to pay higher prices for natural gas. The firm held its first shareholders meeting almost five years ago.