Sentinel photo by TYLER RUPERT
Congressmen from Pennsylvania districts 12 and 13 listen to Bruce Lisle explain the quality control processes during a tour of the Energex wood pellet manufacturing plant in Mifflintown. From left, Congressmen John Joyce M.D. (PA-13) and Fred Keller (PA-12) attend Bruce Lisle.

MIFFLINTOWN — Congressional redistricting brought new faces to the Energex facility in Mifflintown. Fred Keller and fellow representative John Joyce, who is on the Energy and Commerce Committee, attended a tour of the facility Wednesday.

Juniata County will be in district 13 in the next election cycle when Joyce is running for re-election.

Joyce said, “In Washington, D.C. and at home in Pennsylvania, I’m fighting for you and for our common sense, conservative values.”

During a brief presentation, before the tour, the representatives were educated on the processes involved in making wood pellets. Wood pellets are used for, but not limited to heating, barbecue flavoring, smoking meats and cheeses and even for cat litter. Energex uses Jim Bean bourbon aging barrels to make a signature series of pellets as well.

Lignin, a complex organic polymer deposited in the cell walls of many plants, making them rigid and woody, becomes a great binding agent when put under pressure. This binding agent works to hold the shape of the pellet after they are put through the forming process.

First, the residuals from lumber mills in the form of chips, sawdust or shavings are dried out to a specific moisture level. Next, they will be hammermilled to size and then shaped and sorted before being bagged in 20 and 40-pound packages.

The Energex plant has 30 employees and the parent company Lignetics has 600 employees across North America.

Mike Sale, vice president of operations at Lignetics, joined the group to discuss the acquisition of Energex and how excellent of an operation Lisle and his team built.

Sale mentioned some of the other plants across the nation. Lignetics have Bear Mountain, Marth, Trae Fuels, Dry Creek, New England Wood Pellets, PA Pellets, Forest Energy Corporation, GLRE and Geneva pellet producers.

Energex’s operations are 75% producing heating pellets. Lisle said, “We are the garbage man of the lumber industry.”