Growth Energy’s Market Development team hosted the E15 Expanded Market Development panel, providing insight into our industry’s progress in expanding the market for higher ethanol blends and the process the fuel industry decision-makers go through to recognize E15’s potential and bring it to their customers. 

In 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, drivers reached 20 billion miles drive on E15, an exciting milestone that reflects the growing popularity of E15 at the pump. Additionally, we saw a 10% growth of retail sites offering E15. Mike O’Brien, Growth Energy’s Vice President of Market Development, explained that that growth on both the consumer and retail side will continue as American become more aware of both the environmental and economic benefits of higher-ethanol blends.  

In order to match the growing demand, Growth Energy expanded as well, adding two new regional directors to our team to help grow E15’s footprint in the northeast and the west: David Durling and Will Beck. David Durling now serves as Western Regional Sales Director and Will Beck now serves as the Northeastern Regional Sales Director. This week, Growth Energy also announced the addition of Mike Lorenz to its senior leadership team. He will lead the market development team and oversee domestic and international expansion of higher biofuel blends.  

Looking ahead, Growth Energy is building out its market development efforts in order to provide more retailers with the tools necessary to add higher ethanol blended fuels to their offerings and reap the endless benefits that will follow. Currently at over 2,400 stores offering E15, the Growth Energy Market Development team expressed their optimism that we’re poised to see substantial retail growth in 2021.