GILLMOR NAMED LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR FOR EFFORTS TO GROW OHIO BIOPRODUCTS INDUSTRY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Erica M Pitchford

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

614.466.8049

GILLMOR NAMED LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR FOR

EFFORTS TO GROW OHIO BIOPRODUCTS INDUSTRY

Senator Gillmor (center) is pictured with Tadd Nicholson from the Ohio Corn Growers Association and Jamie Butts, representing the Ohio Soybean Association, after being recognized as Legislator of the Year for her work to grow Ohio’s budding bioproducts industry.

COLUMBUS—State Senator Karen Gillmor (R-Tiffin) was recently named 2009 Legislator of the Year by the Ohio Corn Growers Association, the Ohio Soybean Association and the Ohio Wheat Growers Association for her dedicated work to develop Ohio’s promising bioproducts industry and strong support of Ohio agriculture in the General Assembly.

“I am humbled and honored to be recognized by Ohio’s agriculture community, which has had such an important impact on the growth of our state and region and the success of our economy,” said Gillmor, who is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “I will continue to do everything I can in the Legislature to support Ohio farmers and help our state’s agriculture industry prosper.”

Last June, Sen. Gillmor introduced Senate Bill 131, legislation that would establish an Ohio bio-products preferred purchasing program for state agencies and state-supported colleges and universities. Similar to “Buy Ohio” provisions in current law, which mandate that the state support Ohio vendors whenever possible, “Buy Bio-Ohio” would require these public institutions to give purchasing preference to bio-based products when a bio-based alternative is available.

Sen. Gillmor explained that SB 131 would allow the state to use its considerable purchasing power to grow the market for innovative products made from Ohio crops, helping to attract investment and jobs to our local communities, enhance research opportunities at Ohio colleges and universities and provide a significant boost to our state’s agriculture industry. A number of high-profile Ohio companies, including Battelle, Ashland Chemical, Proctor and Gamble, Sherwin Williams, Univenture and the Scotts Company, have already been successful in developing plastics, paints and packaging supplies made with corn, soybeans and other renewable agricultural materials.

“There is tremendous economic potential growing in farm fields across the 26^th Senate District and other parts of the state,” said Gillmor. “Ohio farmers will continue to put food on Ohioans’ tables for years to come, but thanks to advances in research and technology in bioproducts development the crops they harvest have tremendous promise to help revive manufacturing in our state, stimulate investment and create jobs.”

SB 131 passed the Senate unanimously in September and is currently pending in the Ohio House. If approved, Ohio would become the first state in the country with a bioproducts preferred purchasing program.

The Gillmor family has strong agricultural roots in Ohio. They have farmed in Sandusky and Seneca counties for generations, and Uncle Spive Gillmor served on the statewide Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Board for 24 years.