Alico
Corrects Recent Press Reports
LaBelle,
FL, March 1, 2007 -- Alico, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALCO), a land management company,
announced today that recent press reports that the Company is building an
ethanol plant were premature and inaccurate.
According
to Alico Chairman and CEO John R. Alexander, “For over two years we have been
investigating the use of the gasification/fermentation technology developed
by
Bioengineering Resources Inc. (BRI) of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dr. Jim Gaddy,
the founder of BRI, has spent 18 years developing this process and another
six
years proving it in a pilot plant. BRI’s process converts any carbon based
material into ethanol and electricity.”
Mr.
Alexander further noted that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services and the Florida Department of Energy announced last week that they
had
selected Alico to receive a grant of $2.5 million to help develop a plant to
utilize farm-to-fuel technology. Today it also announced that it had been
selected as a possible recipient of a Department of Energy Grant.
Mr.
Alexander noted that the terms and conditions for these grants have not yet
been
negotiated, and the funding level of the possible DOE grant is not yet known.
“As a Company we are continuing our investigation of the potential of cellulosic
ethanol as a business opportunity and these government sponsored grants, if
received under acceptable terms and conditions, will be part of that
consideration. Our Board of Directors will address whether it is in our
shareholders best interests to move forward. ”
About
Alico, Inc.
Alico,
Inc., a land management company operating in Central and Southwest Florida,
owns
approximately 136,500 acres of land located in Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee
and
Polk counties. Alico is involved in various operations and activities including
citrus fruit production, harvesting and marketing, vegetable production, cattle
ranching, sugarcane, sod production, rock mining, vegetable seedling greenhouse
operations and forestry. Alico also leases land for farming, cattle grazing,
recreation and oil exploration. Alico intends to grow its asset values and
earnings through enhancements to its agricultural businesses and proactive
management of its real estate holdings.
For
Further Information Contact:
John
R.
Alexander
La
Belle,
Florida
(863)
675-2966
Statements
in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact
constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that
could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from
the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. These risks include the risk that assumptions about
future actions. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject
generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to
time
in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.