A Des Moines man inches closer to making an airplane conversation a reality.

Ron Mells hated being away from his family. He was a professor at the University of Georgia, and his young child and wife remained in Des Moines.

The long-distance marriage was taking its toll on the professor, and he shared his troubles with a fellow passenger, seated next to him on a flight from Atlanta to Des Moines. He discussed developing an ethanol business, but  the fellow passenger, who was from Grinnell, suggested making paper from corn stalks.

That was five years ago and Mells has spent hours turning a vision into a reality.

During his research, Mells learned his theory had been tested before. He discovered a study had been conducted in the 1920s at Iowa State University on the probability of taking corn from the fields to the paper factory. Though the technology couldn’t have supported that concept at the time, Mells knew he was on to something that could benefit Iowa?s farm economy and preserve America’s forests.

He formed Mells Industries in 1998 with several local partners. Since the company was small and couldn?t afford its own research and development department, he went to the experts at North Carolina State University. Students and professors at N.C. State were known for their work with  non-wood paper, and they agreed to help Mells.

Mells turned to the state of Iowa for assistance in funding a $200,000 market study. He received a $20,000 REVAMP (Rural Economic Value-Added Mentoring Program) grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture. That study proved the concept was viable and also identified five grades of paper that could be made from corn stalks.

It was time to develop a prototype, but Mells needed $18,000 for the research team at N.C. State to develop it. The company received a $9,000 grant from Farm Bureau and a $9,000 grant from IDED. That assistance has yielded the proof Mells needed, as he has 30 to 40 pounds of paper in his Des Moines office to show what the future holds.

If you are an Iowa farmer, that future looks prosperous. Mells estimates a new plant would result in creating 200 new jobs, which he says, would be located in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. Preliminary calculations also indicate the company would spend $10-$12 million on raw materials as well as using significant amounts of electricity.

Though before the $500 million paper plant, which is estimated to produce 200,000 tons of paper annually, can be constructed, Mells Industries is required to conduct a $6.67 million environmental impact study. Mells has approached Gov. Tom Vilsack, state legislators and various others about the project, but with recent budget woes the company may seek different avenues.

For information on advertising online or in the print edition, e-mail advertising@bpcdm.com or call (515)288-3336.