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ifty- five miles (89 km.) southeast of Little Rock, in the heart of the Delta crop lands, grows a company that represents the next generation of industrial ingenuity.
   Patriot BioFuels may not be a household name in the alternative fuel sector, but the firm's products are quickly finding their way into the infrastructure that drives the American economy.
   Whether it's a school bus in Little Rock or a farm tractor in Pulaski County, an increasing number of work vehicles in Arkansas are being powered by an alternative energy source produced by a company based in Stuttgart.
   That's Stuttgart as in east central Arkansas, not Germany. And it's here that Tommy Foltz, president of Patriot BioFuels, sees the future of vehicle propulsion. Patriot opened its state- of- the- art production facility in a 31,000- sq.- ft. (2,880- sq.- m.) Stuttgart building in April.
   "Arkansas is poised to take advantage of the emerging bio- energy industry," said Folz. "We plan for Patriot BioFuels to be the state's leader for this important energy source. Biodiesel is a clean fuel that helps protect our environment and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. And with our location in Stuttgart, we hope to positively affect the Delta's economy."
   While more than 35 biodiesel plants have opened around the U.S., Patriot represents the first independent producer of the alternative energy source in Arkansas.
   Biodiesel can be made from a variety of crops and other farm products, including vegetable oil, soybeans, rendered chicken, animal fat and fish oil. Patriot happens to use a combination of soybean oil and rendered animal fat.
   The finished product is then blended with diesel fuel and used to power school bus fleets, transit buses, freight vehicles and farm tractors.
   "We see Patriot BioFuels as a complement to existing fuel sources," said Foltz. "In the wake of a national disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina, our production can extend a fuel supply that is stretched to its limit."
   In 2004, the American biodiesel industry sold about 25 million gallons of fuel to a variety of users, including all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and more than 100 school districts across the country. Fuel experts predicted the production of biodiesel to double in 2005.