Renewables Facilities
Valero Renewables - Welcome
1444 120th St.
Welcome,
MN 56181
United States
Overview
The Welcome plant, located on 300 acres about 160 miles southwest of Minneapolis, produces ethanol, distillers grains livestock feed and fuel- and feed-grade corn oil. With original startup in June 2009, the plant was acquired by Valero in April 2009.
The plant became one of the industry’s first zero liquid discharge facilities, releasing no wastewater and reusing process water and storm water to supplement well water coming in. The facility also is the only ethanol plant Valero opened brand new, completing construction two months after its purchase.
The plant buys corn directly from farmers and grain elevators within approximately 60 miles.
By the Numbers
By the Numbers
In Our Community
Welcome Employees Give Back
Volunteer Hours
Employees and families annually log more than 2,000 volunteer hours, for events and charities including Kids Against Hunger Food Pack, Adopt A Highway, United Way Day of Caring Backpack for School Program, blood drives, and park and cemetery cleanup.
Benefiting Children
In 2019, distributed $43,000 from the Valero Texas Open and Benefit for Children to local charities nominated by employees, including Boy Scouts of America, Fairmont Area Kinship Inc., Girl Scouts of Minnesota & Wisconsin River Valleys, Lakyn's Care, South Central Minnesota Youth for Christ and Twin Valley Council Inc. Boy Scouts of America.
United Way Giving
Employee pledges, additional donations and a company match totaled approximately $61,000 in donations to the local United Way for 2019. The plant provides about 43% of total donations to the local United Way chapter.
Environmentally Responsible Operations
Best-in-class environmental performance through reliability, operational excellence, and investments in renewable energy.
The Welcome plant has been recognized under the Efficient Producer Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for superior process efficiency – through reduced on-site energy consumption, increased fuel output and/or use of biomass or biogas from certain sources to reduce process energy greenhouse gas emissions.
Safety Awards & Honors
Multiple quarterly Valero STAR Metric awards for achieving no incidents in five key areas of process safety, reliability, environmental, rail safety, and policy and procedure compliance.
2018 Meritorious Achievement Award in Occupational Safety from the Minnesota Safety Council
2018 Large Business of the Year from the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce
Two-time recipient of the Valero Chairman’s Renewables Plant Excellence Award across several measures, from safety, reliability and environmental performance to production and community support.
Local Information
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About Welcome
Welcome was established in 1880 by the Southern Minnesota Extension Company on land owned by S. L. Campbell; it was called Campbell's Switch. In July 1881 the post office was established as Lily Creek – since that town already existed, the name was changed to Welcome in September; in honor of Alfred M. Welcome, whose farm was on its southwest side. It was incorporated as a village in the townships of Manyaska, Fox Lake, and Rolling Green on May 7, 1890 and separated from those townships on April 24, 1907.
Population: 686 in 2010 Census
- 46 miles to Mankato
- 113 miles to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- 139 miles to Minneapolis
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Things To Do
Fairmont Raceway: http://www.fairmontraceway.com/
Martin County Historical Society: https://fairmont.org/mchs/
Fairmont Opera House: https://fairmontoperahouse.org/
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Helpful Links
City of Welcome: https://welcomemn.govoffice2.com/
Marin County West Schools: https://www.martin.k12.mn.us/
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Related Documents
Corn Delivery
Distillers Grains
Contact Us Plant Manager: Nicole Gries
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In An Emergency
Emergency Notifications
Notification information to come
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To Sell Corn
Contacts:
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To Purchase Distillers Grains
Contacts: