If necessity is the mother of invention, consider the lack of a rail line to be the ultimate business accelerator for Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP). This northwest Iowa ethanol plant has moved beyond high-octane fuel to extract more value from each corn kernel including highly concentrated protein, more distillers corn oil and cellulosic ethanol.

“When the Renewable Fuel Standard passed in 2005, the ethanol industry rapidly expanded in the Midwest,” said Delayne Johnson, CEO of QCCP in Galva. “With no rail service, QCCP focused on research and development to create niche products instead of large capacity increases. We know there’s a lot of opportunity to add value to each...