On December 30, 2014, The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings, Inc. (“Aventine”), a Midwest ethanol producer, under which the Company plans to acquire Aventine through a merger. The merger agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the merger agreement, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company will merge with and into Aventine, with Aventine surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement which was approved by the Company’s and Aventine’s boards of directors, if the merger is completed, each outstanding share of Aventine common stock will be converted into the right to receive 1.25 shares of the Company’s common stock, and the Company will issue approximately 17.75 million shares of its common stock. The merger is expected to result in the Company’s stockholders holding approximately 58% of the combined company.

The merger transaction, which is intended to be structured as a tax-free exchange of shares, is expected to close during the second quarter of 2015, and is subject to closing conditions, including obtaining certain regulatory approvals and approvals from the stockholders of both companies.