The last weeks of January presented the CFO Systems team with the opportunity to gain valuable information on a few of the industries we serve.
Land Investment Expo
The Land Investment Expo is a premiere forum focused on the future of agriculture including land investment, market forces, and the impact of technology on the industry. It attracts those who have an interest in land including farmers, land owners, policy leaders, institutional investors, and agricultural organizations, and consistently features well-regarded speakers from both the public and private sectors.
Effective entrepreneurship and business leaders
The keynote speaker for 2017 was Kevin O’Leary from ABC’s Shark Tank, who spoke on both effective entrepreneurship and business leaders and noted that:
Effective entrepreneurs are:
- Able to articulate an opportunity in 90 seconds or less
- Adept at convincing investors they are the right team to execute the big plan
- Knowledgeable about their numbers and have a comprehensive understanding of business needs
Women are great leaders because they:
- Have better time management skills
- Set achievable goals
- Maintain cultures that have less employee turnover
- Assimilate feedback successfully
Other breakout sessions featured speakers that included Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Tom Vilsak – former USDA Secretary, and Mark Dotzour – Real Estate Economist.
Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
CFO Systems has assisted clients in the renewable fuels industry since 2006. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit provides a yearly opportunity for the CFO Systems’ team to deepen our knowledge of trends, future, and the industry as a whole. Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production and boasts 43 ethanol refineries that produce 4.4 billion gallons of ethanol annually.
Of the many featured speakers at this year’s event, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds provided impressive information on the impact ethanol has had on Iowa that included the forecast that by the end of 2018, the industry will employ over 53,000 Iowans and provide over $2.3 billion in income to those workers.
E15 Facts
Below are facts extracted from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association on E15:
- There are 155 E15 refueling sites in Iowa
- Nationwide, the number of stations offering E15 has doubled to more than 1200 in 29 states
- There are 211 biofuel refineries across 28 states that produce 15.8 billion gallons annually
- E15 has an octane rating of 88-90 (87 is the typical octane rating of unleaded fuel)
- E15 is approved for use in model year 2001 and newer cars (including light-duty trucks and SUVs)
- More than 80% of the cars on the road could use E15
CFO Systems is proud to assist clients in both agriculture and the renewable fuels industries as they continue to have a positive impact on the economies of the many states we serve.