Poet’s distillers grain exports make it one of nation’s largest container shippers

Janelle Atyeo
Jul 24, 2025
Jul 24, 2025

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DDGS are unloaded from truck and rail.jpg

Distillers grains are loaded for shipment by truck and rail at Poet facility. The company exports about 25% of the DDGs produced at its plants.

Submitted photo

POET team member supervises container loading.jpg

A Poet employee oversees container loading.

Submitted photo

Rail Car Loading DDGS at POET facility.jpg

DDGs are loaded into a rail car at Poet facility. About 75% of the product is used in the U.S. while the rest of it goes by truck to Canada, rail to Mexico or by rail to ocean-side ports.

Submitted photo

Poet ranked 15th in shipping container exporters last year, sending 39,416 containers measuring 40- by 8- by 8.5-feet, mostly from its facility in Savannah, Ga.

Submitted photo

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Janelle Atyeo

South Dakota corn feeds animals around the world, and trade advocates say that means a better market for local farmers.

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Andy Lindsay
Tri-State Neighbor photo by Janelle Atyeo

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Unloading Corn to POET Facility.jpg — Corn is unloaded at a Poet facility. About one-third of the corn Poet processes goes into ethanol, one third turns in to CO2 and one-third is distillers grains.
Submitted photo

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Tri-State Neighbor photo by Janelle Atyeo

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Shipping Containers on Boat.jpg — Poet ranked 15th in shipping container exporters last year, sending 39,416 containers measuring 40- by 8- by 8.5-feet, mostly from its facility in Savannah, Ga.
Submitted photo

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Raised in small town South Dakota, Janelle is enjoying her time as editor of Tri-State Neighbor and Midwest Messenger while raising kids, chickens and no till vegetables in central Sioux Falls. Reach her at janelle.atyeo@lee.net.