By: Devon Jones

The Community Development Department at the EDC would like to welcome Silicon Valley Biodiesel (SVBD) to the Fresno County business community. SVBD is currently applying the final touches to their move to the City of Sanger and is hoping to be operational by early May. From an article written by Len Wilcox for Your Valley TV Walt Bacharowski, President of SVBD states, “The plant will have an initial capacity of 1.2 million gallons per year, and when we are in full production, 7 million gallons.” Ralph Garcia, Director of the Community Development Department stated that, “the City of Sanger staff should be complimented for their quick response to Silicon Valley Biodiesel’s needs. We feel this speedy process helped solidify SVBD’s choice to locate in their community.” "We found the city of Sanger very easy to work with, and very helpful," stated Toni Pacini, Purchasing Manager for the company. As you could probably tell from their name, SVBD was originally going to start their company in San Jose, but found the Central Valley was a more convenient choice. Ms. Pacini stated, “Ralph Garcia and Devon Jones from the Economic Development Corporation serving Fresno County were invaluable in assisting us with site location for our start up business in Sanger, CA. All of the staff from the EDC went out of their way, even offering us the use of their offices.”

The source materials that Walt intends to utilize for their biodiesel production will include waste restaurant grease, crop byproducts and any other underutilized natural oil resources. According to Mr. Bacharowski, “aside from the kind of vegetable oil used by restaurants or available in the supermarket, rice bran oil, cottonseed oil, or canola oil would work fine. Grape seed oil could also be used.” Canola oil particularly interests Bacharowski, as canola has been proven to remove selenium from soil. Bacharowski says, “Canola could be grown on the west side where selenium has tainted the soil to the point it cannot be used for growing food products.” We in the Community Development Department are also pleased to see SVBD locating in the area because of the positive environmental effects that their product will have on the Valley’s air quality. "Cars and trucks actually run better on biodiesel," according to Bacharowski. "It is an ultra low sulfur diesel, with higher lubricity, so injectors get lubricated better. And it provides lower CO and hydrocarbon emissions, so the air is cleaner."

Devon Jones  
Community Development Coordinator  
Economic Development Corporation serving Fresno County  
906 N St., Suite 120  
Fresno, CA 93721