By Madi Layman

Biodiesel rocks and it keeps America rollin’. With just a phone call, you can add biodiesel to your operation and support a local business. Benchmark Biodiesel is one of several biodiesel distributors in the nation and located right here in central Ohio.

Around 2007, Page Thorson and her husband Wade founded Benchmark Biodiesel on the west side of Columbus. Up until then, there was biodiesel production in Ohio but not a lot of distribution.

“We saw this gap between soybeans being crushed into biodiesel and getting biodiesel to the actual tanks of the truck,” Thorson said. “The producers [of biodiesel] didn’t have the infrastructure to get it delivered or blended, the blending is a huge deal.”

Benchmark Biodiesel’s fuel terminal is designed to blend winter-blend B20 biodiesel (20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent diesel) and equipped to blend in all weather conditions. Thorson said they only use distilled biodiesel in their blending because it removes anything that would cause the biodiesel-diesel mixture to gel. Thanks to this, they can produce a very low temperature fuel that can stay in fuel tanks during the winter without concern.

“The firetrucks and snowplows in Columbus run on a 20 percent biodiesel blend all winter long because we are able to get this blend to such a low temperature,” said Thorson.

In addition to that, Benchmark produces BQ-9000 quality biodiesel at their terminal, the highest-quality rating for biodiesel. This accreditation is available to all biodiesel manufacturers, but the companies must pass a rigorous review and inspection of their quality control processes by an independent auditor.

The Ohio Soybean Council works with groups like Benchmark Biodiesel, National Biodiesel Board and Clean Fuels Ohio to advocate for the biodiesel industry. These groups then go out to talk to fleets about biodiesel and its benefits.

“I think the Ohio Soybean Council has done a lot for the past, present and future of biodiesel in Ohio,” Thorson said. “We found that once fleets are educated about biodiesel, they become consumers of biodiesel. This drives demand for our small business and for farmers because more soybeans are needed as more biodiesel is used.”

To keep America rolling, biodiesel fuels the same equipment used to harvest and transport Ohio soybeans. Benchmark Biodiesel offers delivery and pickup options to both distributors and direct customers. To get biodiesel for your operation, give them a call or visit BenchmarkBio.com.

Biodiesel increases the demand for soybean oil which then creates a profit for Ohio soybean farmers. Learn more about the Ohio Soybean Council’s investment into biodiesel at SoyOhio.org/HereWeGrow.