Madison-based Virent Energy Systems Inc. today announced it has launched a joint research and development effort with Shell to convert plant sugars directly into gasoline and gasoline blend components, rather than ethanol.
The collaboration could herald the availability of new biofuels that can be used at high blend rates in standard gasoline engines. Such a fuel could potentially eliminate the need for specialized infrastructure, new engine designs and blending equipment.
Virent's trademarked BioForming platform technology uses catalysts to convert plant sugars into hydrocarbon molecules like those produced at a petroleum refinery. Traditionally, sugars have been fermented into ethanol and distilled. The new biogasoline molecules have higher energy content than ethanol (or butanol) and deliver better fuel efficiency. They can be blended seamlessly to make conventional gasoline or combined with gasoline containing ethanol.
The sugars can be sourced from non-food sources such as corn stover, switch grass, wheat straw and sugarcane pulp, in addition to conventional biofuel feedstock like wheat, corn and sugarcane.
The companies have so far have agreed to collaborate for one year on the research. According to Virent, the BioForming technology has advanced rapidly, exceeding milestones for yield, product composition and cost. Future efforts will focus on further improving the technology and scaling it up for larger volume commercial production.
Dr. Randy Cortright, Virent's co-founder, chief technical officer and executive vice president, said, "Virent has proven that sugars can be converted into the same hydrocarbon mixtures of today's gasoline blends. Our products match petroleum gasoline in functionality and performance. Virent's unique catalytic process uses a variety of biomass-derived feedstocks to generate biogasoline at competitive costs. Our results to date fully justify accelerating commercialization of this technology."
"The technical properties of today's biofuels pose some challenges to widespread adoption," said Dr. Graeme Sweeney, Shell executive vice president of future fuels and C02. "Fuel distribution infrastructure and vehicle engines are being modified to cope but new fuels on the horizon, such as Virent's, with characteristics similar or even superior to gasoline and diesel, are very exciting."
Virent has 68 employees in a state-of-the-art catalytic biorefining development facility in Madison. Virent has exclusively licensed the technology from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

Kenosha County is attracting yet another major industrial development. Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT), plans to build a 692,000-square-foot distribution center on a vacant 100-acre site southeast of 52nd Street and 88th Avenue for Norfolk, Neb.-based Affiliated Foods Midwest. Read more in the latest edition of the BizTimes Real Estate Weekly.

The Waukesha County Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Times are accepting nominations for the Top 10 Small Businesses of the Year Awards.
Nominations are due by Wednesday, April 2.
The criteria for the awards includes: 250 employees or less; minimum of two years in business; corporate headquarters based in southeastern Wisconsin; financial growth or consistency; history of good employee relations/benefits; strong customer focus; and community service involvement.
The Top Ten Small Business Awards Luncheon will be held Thursday, June 12, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in the grand ballroom of the Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Pewaukee.
Nominations for the awards are available online, and additional information is available by contacting chamber president Patti Wallner at (262) 542-4249 or pwallner@waukesha.org.

Three Wisconsin hospitals are named among the list of 100 Top Hospitals in the nation by Thomson Healthcare, a medical consulting company.
Aurora Health Care's West Allis Memorial Hospital and Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center were named among the best in the "Medium Community Hospitals" category.
Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse was named among the best in the "Teaching Hospitals" category.
This is the 15th edition of the Thomson 100 Top Hospitals study. 
The list recognizes hospitals that have achieved excellence in clinical outcomes, patient safety, financial performance and efficiency.
"It is great to be recognized for the work that we have done in the areas of patient safety, quality and cost management," said Rick Kellar, administrator of West Allis Memorial Hospital. "It is very rewarding for our staff and medical staff to be honored nationally."
Bobbe Tiegen, administrator at Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center, said, "Our physicians and staff continually seek ways to improve our services and deliver patient-centered care, and we are pleased to have their efforts recognized in this way."
According to Thomson, if all hospitals in the country had performed at the level of the Top 100 hospitals on the eight patient safety measures studied, 7,914 lives would have been saved and costs would have been reduced by $253 million during the two-year period covered by the study.

Madison and Brookfield rank among the "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" a new small business in a new report by CNNMoney.com and Fortune magazine.
The survey attempted to identify "towns with the best mix of business advantages and lifestyle appeal."
Madison ranked 46th on the list and was described as a "vibrant college town" with an educated workforce. According to the report, "Madison is strategically placed near Chicago, Milwaukee and the Twin Cities - but many workers stay within the bounds of the city. Major companies include financial services and health care providers such as American Family Insurance and Dean Health Systems. The University of Wisconsin's flagship campus provides a talented, educated labor pool for startups: Madison boasts an unusually high density of PhDs. Entrepreneurs also benefit from tax incentives such as the Angel Investment and Venture Capital Tax Credit, which is available to investors in small tech companies. Although winters are chilly, Madison offers a humid, temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Amateur sportsmen enjoy 260 parks and 150 miles of bike trails, while the University of Wisconsin's athletic teams draw rabid fans from miles away."
Brookfield ranked 72nd in the report and was described as a "charming suburb" that welcomes small businesses. According to the report, "For the past three years, Brookfield - a white-collar suburb of Milwaukee - has significantly increased its efforts to recruit growing businesses. Brookfield is home to 10 corporate business parks, a Fortune 500 company (Fiserv Inc.) and a diverse mix of companies in the professional services, manufacturing and financial-services industries. Businesses looking to launch in or relocate to the city can find financial, networking and management support through the Waukesha County Economic Development Corp., the Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce, and Brookfield's economic development office. As part of a retention effort, the members of the city's economic development office visit at least 80 companies each year. Neighbor town Wauwatosa is home to the 175-acre Milwaukee County Research Park, which offers tech ventures affordable office space, an incubator that currently houses more than 70 tenants, and access to local angel and venture-capital networks, such as Silicon Pastures … While the city lacks a vibrant nightlife and professional sports scene, its residents are only a 15-minute drive from downtown Milwaukee and about 100 miles from Chicago."
Bellevue, Wash., was named the best community on the list.

Environmentalists are concerned that the proposed $160 million Grand Cambrian Resort on the lower dells of the Wisconsin River will harm the river and adjacent state natural area. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recently approved a construction permit for the project. Read more in SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com.

Joel Brennan, chief executive officer of Discovery World in Milwaukee, tells us about a different form of March madness in today's Milwaukee Biz Blog.

The BizTimes Stock Index gained 1.90 points to close at 155.65 Tuesday, but the stock market dipped sharply in early morning trading today, as the U.S. Commerce Department reported that demand for durable goods fell 1.7 in February, surprising analysts who had projected a slight rise after the prior month's 4.7-percent decline. In a later report this morning, the Commerce Department estimated that national sales of new homes fell to a 13-year low in February. The reports sent the Dow Jones Industrials Average to a triple-digit decline. The largest local decliners this morning were Kohl's Corp. (down $1.74 to $45.00) and Manpower Inc. (down $1.74 to $57.19). The largest local advancers this morning were Strattec Security Corp. (up $1.35 to $39.15) and Ladish Co. (up 22 cents to $36.73). The BizTimes Stock Index was created by Small Business Times and is monitored by North Shore Bank. The index, which measures the stock values of publicly held companies based in southeastern Wisconsin, is updated daily and can be viewed at www.biztimes.com.

Marcus Theatres Corp., a division of Milwaukee-based Marcus Corp.,today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire selected assets of the Douglas Theatre Co. theatre circuit in Lincoln, Neb., for approximately $40.5 million in cash, subject to certain closing adjustments.
Marcus Theatres will acquire and operate, through a subsidiary, seven Douglas Theatres locations with a total of 83 screens in Omaha and Lincoln. Douglas Theatres will continue to operate the Cinema Center Theatre in Omaha for an undetermined period of time, and will also close, but continue to own the Cinema 9 property in Omaha.
Marcus Theatres has agreed to purchase, subject to certain conditions, an additional site for the development of a new theatre in LaVista, Neb., for approximately $4.4 million, and has an option to purchase another undeveloped site in North Lincoln.
Douglas Theatres is the nation's 42nd-largest theatre circuit, currently operating 100 screens at nine locations in Nebraska. Upon completion of the transaction, Marcus Theatres will operate 678 screens at 56 locations in seven states and remain the seventh-largest exhibitor in the U.S.
The transaction is expected to be completed in early April 2008, subject to customary closing conditions, consents and approvals.
"The purchase of the Douglas Theatres locations is a synergistic addition to our circuit. Our two companies share a similar history, are deeply rooted in the values of the Midwest and have the same focus on guest service and quality. Douglas Theatres' high quality facilities and excellent locations are comparable to Marcus Theatres in our current six-state region, making this a great fit for our company. Douglas Theatres has been an excellent theatre operator for over 50 years and we intend to continue enhancing the outstanding movie-going experience for which Douglas is well known," said Stephen Marcus, chairman and chief executive officer of Marcus Corp.
"A year ago, Marcus Theatres made the largest acquisition in its history with the purchase of 11 theatre locations from Cinema Entertainment Corp. This investment in Douglas Theatres once again demonstrates our continued confidence in the theatre business and, coupled with the expansion of our hotel portfolio in recent months, reflects The Marcus Corporation's commitment to growing both of our operating divisions," added Gregory  Marcus, president of Marcus Corp. "We anticipate a smooth integration of the Douglas Theatres into our circuit and expect that the acquisition will be accretive to both earnings and cash flow."
"We are pleased that Marcus Theatres will carry on the tradition of excellence established at Douglas Theatre Company. Marcus Theatres will serve our communities with the many resources available to a larger company and will provide the same dedication to our customers and associates that has been a hallmark of Douglas for over 55 years.
Marcus Theatres' philosophy is the same as Douglas - providing customers with the best entertainment experience possible," said Russell Brehm, chairman and founder of Douglas Theatres.
Bruce Olson, president of Marcus Theatres, said, "Ever since our company entered the theatre business with a small-town theatre in Ripon, Wis., in 1935, Marcus Theatres has been a leader in the exhibition industry. Marcus Theatres was among the first circuits to convert the vast majority of its first-run auditoriums to digital sound and stadium seating. Our company has also consistently been at the forefront of innovation in the industry, with our UltraScreen concept, comfortable high-back seats, online print-at-home ticketing, lobby entertainment on flat-screen monitors, self-service soft drinks and other amenities. We have a tradition of continually upgrading our theatres and adding new features and services that make the movie-going experience better than ever. We look forward to serving the customers of Douglas Theatres in Omaha and Lincoln."