ASCENDANT INSIGHT

January 6, 2012

Western Wisconsin Energy, LLC (Western Wisconsin) was conceived by local farmers, local investors and LLC partners. The company’s vision was to build a best-in-class Fagen/ICM ethanol production facility with a strategic location and world-class infrastructure, design, construction and implementation. Like many independent ethanol plants, it was Western Wisconsin’s goal to build an ethanol plant that met the needs of members/investors and the community, strengthened the regional economy by creating new jobs and added to the tax base.

The economic recovery has breathed some life back into the M&A markets, which is expected to continue into 2011 and beyond. The majority of middle-market business executives (69%) expect increasing M&A activity in the next 12-18 months, driven largely by economic recovery, improved capital markets and building cash levels. Cash rich strategic buyers, private equity groups (PEGs) and consolidating markets will combine to create powerful forces behind recovering deal flow in the coming years, as will continued opportunities related to distressed industries.