The rather intimate setting of the small seventh floor conference room at the Indiana farm Bureau Building seemed even more intimate as USDA undersecretary Tom Dorr and Integrity Biofuels president Shorty Whittington heaped praise upon one another at a recent check presentation ceremony.

Dorr, an Iowa farmer before tapped to serve in USDA, was in Indianapolis to present a ceremonial check to Shorty Whittington and his son, John, for use in their continual development work of the soy biodiesel manufacturing process. The Whittington's opened Integrity Biofuels for business in August. After a short shutdown last fall to make improvements in the process, they're up and operating again, bent on raising quality standards even higher. One goal from the beginning was to produce a quality soy biodiesel product. In fact, that's one reason they settled upon Morristown as the home for their biofuels venture. Just across the road Bunge Corporation produces high-grade feedstock for the soy biodiesel manufacturing process carried out in Integrity's facilities.

"Not all biodiesel is the same," Dorr explains. "If it's made from soybeans from northern Indiana or elsewhere in the Midwest or from the southern U.S., it can make a difference in the biofuel. Shorty has been a leader not only in pushing to set standards of quality for the oil, but in promoting acceptance of soy biodiesel amongst the trucking industry."

Heavily involved in trucking through his primary industry, trucking anhydrous ammonia, Whitington is well-known in trucking circles. In fact he is currently vice president of the American Trucking Association.

"There have been highs and lows in thus adventure so far," Shorty said, taking the podium. "I personally want to thank Mr. Dorr for his help along the way. He was instrumental in helping others see the potential in biofuels."

Dorr recalls Shorty visiting him in his office in Washington, D.C. a couple years ago. "I remember him saying after making up his mind that biofuels would work, 'The train has left the station- we're going to go on it.'

Whittington counters, "This is not a Shorty Whittington project or even an Integrity Biofuels project. It's an agricultural project and an opportunity for all of agriculture. We've got a long way to go, but the train is definitely on the track."

Shorty's son, John, is definitely a key part of the business, Whittington assures. John was also present for the ceremonial check presentation in Indianapolis. John hints that more exciting developments could soon come from additional research they're doing on production methods at their facility outside Morristown.