Appraisals for Expert Witness Testimony & Estate Tax Purposes

Appraisal Expert Witnesses in the Bioeconomy? Experts in the appraisal of renewable fuels business and plants must have substantial and specialized economic and engineering capabilities, in addition to the general and specialized appraisal capabilities. These skills include business appraisal, machinery, and equipment appraisal, and real property appraisal capabilities.  The appraisers ought to be designated by the American Society of Appraisers or the Appraisal Institute, and may require state licensure.   We have such qualifications.  Bioeconomy consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have ASA Certified Sr. Appraisers in Machinery & Equipment as well as other specialties, and Certified Business Valuations Experts,  as well as designated subject matter experts in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass, and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services.  The expertise encompasses things like algae biofuels, aviation/bio-jet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable diesel, renewable natural gas, renewable and biochemicals, biogas, syngas, biochar, bio coal, biobutanol, pyrolysis oil, producer gas, and wood pellets.  It will also encompass expertise in technologies like agitation systems, anaerobic digestion, bio-oil extraction, bioreactors, carbon capture, carbon storage, carbonization, catalysis, cellulosic ethanol, cleantech, direct combustion, enzyme technologies, fermentation, Fischer-Tropsch, gasification, genetic engineering, hydrothermal,  nanotechnology, organosynthesis, power generation, pyrolysis, renewable technology due diligence, synthetic biology, thermochemical conversion, torrefaction, and waste management.

There are relatively few professionals with significant expertise in measuring the value of bioeconomy businesses and assets.  This is likely because the majority of bioeconomy valuations call for opinions on the value of ongoing biodiesel or bioethanol plants, or even the more cutting edge biotechnologies such as pyrolysis, torrefaction, waste to energy, or gasification, or simply the value of the machinery and equipment involved. Evaluating the complex bioeconomic assets like the business itself,  its patents and other intangible items, or even the machinery and equipment, takes a professional appraiser with this type of experience.  Knowing that every dollar counts, being precise can mean millions of dollars in variances, when done, even by good appraisers who simply have no experience in these unique industries. Whether providing appraisals for feasibility and development, lending and finance, investment due diligence, tax (federal/IRS and SALT: property taxes, cost segregation, purchase price allocations, estates, gifts), investor reporting/SEC reporting, fairness opinions, government regulations, and due diligence, or litigation matters such as damages, it is crucial that the client be in capable, experienced hands.

Determining and documenting the value of renewable fuels machinery, or operational or closed plants is done for a variety of reasons.  The most common occasions for seeking an appraisal of the ethanol, biodiesel, or other renewable fuels businesses and plants arise when they are created or constructed, bought or sold, and concern financing, investment due diligence, and tax reporting.  There are many other accounting, legal, bankruptcy, and litigation uses. These are complex businesses and assets, requiring specialized industry, financial and engineering capabilities within the appraisers.  Valuations must consider an asset approach (cost approach, what is the cost to create the business or build the plant), a market approach (sales approach, where sales in the market for such businesses and plants indicate value) or an income approach (where the business’s or plant’s earnings are forecast long term and converted to an opinion of value).  All financial aspects of the business or plant must be forecast in the income approach, such as all income and expense levels, taxes, debt, related commodity prices, incentives, short and long term trends, and of course, standard and special risks.  It is key in these appraisals to know when one or more of these approaches are inappropriate or less than precise.

Our experts have been very busy in several areas: appraisals for expert witness testimony, biodiesel, ethanol, and other renewable fuels plant appraisals, biomass appraisals, and many others appraisals.  We also get a number of regular calls for appraisals – those buying or selling of equipment, or to provide our expert opinions when two parties are looking to transfer ownership of plants.  As knowledgeable and independent third parties, we can provide you with the Fair Market Value of the assets under a variety of different scenarios.

With over 150 experts worldwide, Lee Enterprises Consulting has experts in many specific clean and renewable areas, including anaerobic digestion, fermentation, biomass, conversion technologies for things like tires and railroad ties, organic synthesis, fuel additives, ethanol gas, biodiesel fuel including algae biofuels, solid-state and industrial fermentation, green energy grants, ag-biotech, agricultural waste, alcohol fuels, alternative proteins and animal-free products, sustainable foods, beverage fermentation, biocatalysis, biodiesel conversion, biogas production, biomass power, carbon intensity, co2 utilization, combined heat & power, Fischer-Tropsch technology, food waste, hydrothermal carbonization, industrial enzymes, landfill management, microbial fermentation, organic synthesis, plastic pyrolysis, plastic recycling, plastic waste, pyrolysis oil, reactor design, renewable identification number, the Renewable Fuel Standard (rfs2), solid recovered fuels, torrefaction and torrefied biomass, waste to energy, and waste-to-hydrogen.   This is a multidisciplinary group of green energy consultants that is a virtual “one-stop shop” for any client need and handles projects of all types and sizes.

Look at our experts and the services we provide.  Most of our experts are also available to advise and serve as expert witnesses in bioeconomy litigation matters.  For the larger projects, we specialize in putting together full-service, interdisciplinary teams with one point of contact.  See the video about LEC here.  Call us at 1+ (501) 833-8511 or email us for more information.