Lee County Earns 'A' Rating as BDO Zone

Lee County Earns 'A' Rating as BDO Zone, Positioning Region for Bio-Based Manufacturing Investment

LEE COUNTY, IOWA (August 28, 2026) – Lee County has received an 'A' rating through the Biofuel Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone Initiative, an independent assessment of the region's feedstock availability, supply chain and infrastructure readiness for bio-based industrial development.

The Lee County BDO Zone covers a 75-mile radius centered in Fort Madison and was rated for the availability of up to 550,000 bone dry tons of low-risk corn stover annually. The rating reflects the county's established corn production, experienced agricultural producers and limited industrial competition for that feedstock, along with access to Mississippi River barge shipping, BNSF rail service and strong utility infrastructure.

An 'A' rating is considered investment grade and signifies high prospective viability of the region's feedstock supply and infrastructure, with a low expectation of risk to future bio-based plant operations. The rating provides developers and investors with an independent, standardized assessment of the region's ability to support new bio-based development.

"This 'A' BDO Zone Rating validates what we've known about Lee County for years," said Tim Gobble, Director of Economic Development for Lee County Economic Development Group. “We have the agricultural resources, transportation assets, industrial infrastructure and workforce necessary to compete for the next generation of bio-based manufacturing projects. This rating provides third-party credibility that helps reduce risk for investors and puts Lee County on the radar of companies looking to expand in the growing bioeconomy.”

The BDO Zone is centered where LCEDG's Certified Site provides a market-ready location for companies seeking access to the region's agricultural feedstock, multimodal transportation, and industrial infrastructure. Connecting the BDO Zone designation with available development sites gives LCEDG another opportunity to move from marketing the region's assets to providing prospective companies with locations where investment can occur.

With the rating in hand, LCEDG plans to incorporate the BDO Zone designation into its business attraction efforts, using it as a credentialed marketing tool when engaging site selectors, developers and companies evaluating locations for bio-based manufacturing investment.

"This rating gives us something concrete to put in front of the companies and site selectors we're already talking to," said Emily Benjamin, President and CEO of Lee County Economic Development Group. “It's third-party validation and now it's a tool we can use to open doors and move Lee County up the list when these projects are being sited.”

Lee County Economic Development Group worked with Ecostrat through the BDO Zone Initiative to complete the assessment, with funding support provided through a USDA grant.

About the BDO Zone Initiative

The BDO Zone Initiative evaluates regions on feedstock availability, supply chains and infrastructure to assess readiness for bio-based industrial development, helping companies and investors identify locations suited to future biofuel and bio-manufacturing projects.