Several times a year, EPM presents Professional Profiles of some of the industry's best and brightest individuals. They are engineers, plant managers, operators, scientists, consultants, marketers, policy makers, investors, as well as ethanol and grain producers themselves. Some have finished distinguished careers, while others have yet to reach their prime. All are specialists in some way, and share a dedication to making the ethanol industry grow. In 2002, EPM profiled nine of these outstanding people, each a consummate professional who has contributed to the ethanol industry in a meaningful way. Selecting EPM's 2002 Professional Profiles was a contemplative task simply because there were - and are - so many deserving people to write about in the ethanol industry. Our selection criteria is discriminatory in just two ways.Those we profile must be passionate about their life's work and possess a certain wisdom achieved through experience. Simply said, EPM Professional Profiles are intended to provide our readers with a glimpse inside the minds of the people who make the ethanol industry's wheels spin. To say the least, we are grateful to those who shared their stories with us in 2002, and for that matter, every year since 1995. Here's a look back at EPM's Professional Profiles of 2002:

In a message introducing our magazine to the industry, we lamented, "EPM cannot emphasize enough how important plant profiles are to us - to be close to the process and shake hands with the people who operate the systems is a vital connection to the personalities, places and products that drive this industry. These visits remind us why we have chosen to be part of. . . "the good fight." Our readers also gain insight that enables them to become better at what they do - better researchers and technology providers, and more efficient policy makers." That message still sums up the way the EPM staff feels about profiling ethanol plants - and the people who run, manage, and own them. In fact, Plant Profiles are, and will continue to be, a vital component of our editorial mission. EPM thanks all those who allowed us access to their facilities to make these profiles come to life in 2002.

Frequently, EPM features U.S. states that have either paved the way for ethanol production in this nation, or are making efforts to become a part of the industry. In 2002, we profiled three states that have established model ethanol production programs, one that is exploring growth through strong initiatives, and another that is looking to non-traditional feedstocks to fill its future production needs. Here's a brief look back at the State Profiles of 2002:

EPM featured seven compelling Q&A articles in 2002. The Q&A is an effective format for technical, scientific, and political-oriented information that must be presented in a straightforward manner. Indeed, it was one of our most popular article formats in 2002. Here's a look back.

It is probably fair to say there has not been a year of ethanol policy gains and losses such as our industry experienced in 2002. From the tribulations of a historic fuels agreement with the petroleum industry, gaining a strong voice in President George W. Bush, to the let down of Gov. Grey Davis delaying the deadline to ban MTBE in California and, above all, the 107th Congress' failure to pass an energy bill along with a renewable fuels standard.

Ethanol research and development is an extremely important component of EPM's editorial mission. That was especially true in our first year, when we featured several articles on the research and science at the forefront of tomorrow's ethanol industry. Here's a look at four prominent research articles from 2002.

EPM is proud to profile the ethanol industry's suppliers and service providers on a monthly basis. In 2002, companies were profiled in several different sections of the magazine, including Industry Builder, Equipment Performance & Technology, Company Spotlight, and other sections. Our readers appreciate the information because it helps them form purchasing, leasing and building decisions. EPM will continue to profile ethanol industry suppliers and service providers in 2003. Here's a look at the 2002 profiles.

International involvement is, and will continue to be, a defining characteristic of our editorial reach, largely a value handed down by our publisher BBI International, which is engaged in ethanol promotion all over the world. In 2002, EPM covered a plethora of international news. Beyond the U.S., nations with perhaps the highest coverage in EPM in 2002 were India, Taiwan, Ukraine and Germany. Note: expect to find in-depth coverage of Canada's rising ethanol industry in our next issue.

In emerging science, industry and public policy, each of which encompass the ethanol industry equally, it is vital to continually share ideas, identify challenges, set goals and plan for the future. EPM provides coverage of every major ethanol conference and meeting in the U.S. - with expanded coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop and the National Ethanol Conference - and a growing number of ethanol meetings in other nations. Here's a look back at the premiere industry events of 2002.