Junction City, Kansas
March 19, 2007
State and local economic
development leaders announced today that Junction City will be
the location for another biotechnology firm in Kansas.
Edenspace Systems
Corporation, a leading company in the use of plants for
environmental protection and renewable fuels, will be relocating
its headquarters and operations from Dulles, Virginia, to
Kansas. The move will facilitate completion of the development
of its Energy Corn™, a product that can double the
yield-per-acre of ethanol from corn.
“Kansas is quickly becoming a
leader in renewable energy, and we’re pleased to have Edenspace
join our efforts,” Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius said. “The
work of Edenspace to increase the ethanol yielded from corn
follows our state’s long agricultural tradition of getting the
most from our resources. This is good news for farmers, good
news for the environment, and great news for Kansas.”
The 20,000 sq.ft. Junction City
facility is expected to be completed by late 2007. It will
anchor the new Tom Neal Technology Park on the expanding western
edge of Junction City. The firm will support 30 professional
jobs in agricultural biotechnology and renewable energy in the
growing biotechnology cluster in the region. The Junction City
facility will be a “green” building with environmentally
friendly features and will be designed with a 20,000 sq.ft.
expansion option. Bruce Ferguson, Edenspace President, said that
Kansas and Junction City were selected over more than a dozen
other possible sites. “The major factors in our decision,” he
said, “were Kansas’s strong support for agricultural
biotechnology and Junction City’s drive and determination to
create an important technology center. We believe that our new
Junction City facility and development team will help to
accelerate introduction of crucial new products for the ethanol
industry.”
Cellulosic ethanol has the
potential to substantially reduce our consumption of gasoline.
Producing cellulosic ethanol from corn leaves and stems (stover)
as well as from grain can more than double per-acre ethanol
yields, but with costs above $2.50 per gallon existing
cellulosic technologies are too expensive. Energy Corn™, the
proprietary product of Edenspace, will dramatically reduce the
costs of ethanol production and will increase profits for
farmers and ethanol producers.
“I’m thrilled Edenspace decided to
locate in Kansas. It highlights the powerful synergy that exists
between our longstanding agricultural traditions, advances in
the biofuels industry and the growing bioscience presence in
Kansas,” said Adrian Polansky, Secretary of the Kansas
Department of Agriculture.
Edenspace is the newest in a
growing number of biotechnology firms locating in Kansas. The
state’s success is due in large part to the team of agencies
that partner with local communities attract high technology
firms. Kansas Bio, the Kansas Bioscience Authority, KTEC, the
Kansas Dept. of Agriculture, and the Kansas Dept. of Commerce
along with university and local community partners are selling
the strengths of the state’s agriculture, research and
development capacity and innovative local communities to recruit
companies like Edenspace. Junction City has made biotechnology
recruitment a priority of its economic development, working with
the state team to successfully land several firms within the
last year.
“Junction City is proud to be the
new home of Edenspace,” said Mayor Terry Heldstab. “This
innovative firm adds another dimension to our growing community
and to the entire region. This is an example of great
partnerships and strategic economic development. Junction City
and Edenspace have a bright future together.”
Edenspace
o commercial leader in the use of plants for environmental
protection and renewable fuels
o projects throughout the United States and Japan
o 2006 revenues of $1.4 million
o transforming the energy, environmental and agriculture
industries with proprietary plants and plant-based services
The company goals are to provide the best possible service and
value to clients, to advance environmentally friendly uses of
living plants, and to provide a stimulating and progressive work
environment for its talented staff.
Edenspace seeks to become a key technology supplier to the
rapidly growing $9 billion renewable fuels industry by
engineering crops that enhance cellulosic ethanol production.
Edenspace’s market strategy is to develop a technology platform
for engineering corn, switchgrass and other crops as cellulosic
feedstocks to address the rapidly growing worldwide fuel ethanol
market. Enhanced corn varieties will integrate the use of corn
stover into existing corn grain ethanol production facilities,
introducing an improved product into an existing customer base.
Eventually switchgrass is expected to supplement the use of corn
for ethanol production. |
|
