Sauer-Danfoss Inc. reported a net loss of $90.6 million, or $1.88 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with net income of $8.7 million, or 18 cents per share, for the fourth quarter of 2007. For the full year, Sauer-Danfoss recorded a net loss of $29.1 million, or 60 cents per share, compared with a profit of $47.2 million, or 98 cents per share, for 2007.

San Francisco-based SynGest Inc. today announced that it will construct its first plant to manufacture anhydrous ammonia fuel and fertilizer from corn biomass in Menlo in Guthrie County. The company confirmed that it has signed an agreement to purchase 75 acres of land in Menlo, 45 miles west of Des Moines. The Menlo plant will use 150,000 tons of locally supplied corncobs per year to manufacture 50,000 tons of bio-ammonia annually, enough to fertilize 500,000 acres of nearby Iowa farmland.

Kum & Go L.C. announced yesterday that it has completed its acquisition of Cody’s Convenience Stores. Kum & Go controls an additional 37 stores as a result of the deal, which makes the company the largest convenience store operator in southwest Missouri. In total, Kum & Go now operates 71 stores in southwest Missouri, and all Cody’s stores are expected to be fully transitioned into Kum & Go stores by April 6.

Project Lead the Way (PLTW), an informative series of middle and high school classes that blend science, technology, engineering and math, grew by 32 percent in 2008, enrolling 9,096 Iowa middle and high school students. In 2007, Iowa’s student enrollment in PLTW was 6,856 students, which was more than double the number of students enrolled in 2006. Iowa’s Department of Economic Development, Department of Education and 15 community colleges have teamed up to fuel the program’s growth.

Drake University will hold a half-day seminar on Friday that will discuss entrepreneurial opportunities in a down economy. The seminar, which is open to the public and costs $10, will start with registration at 8 a .m. in the lobby of Aliber Hall, 2847 University Ave. The seminar is the third in a series of seminars sponsored by the Center for Graduate and Professional Studies in Drake’s College of Business and Public Administration. Dardis Communications Inc. of Chicago and Des Moines is co-sponsoring the series. Click here for additional information and registration. For questions, call (515) 271-2592.

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. and the Institute of Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences announced they have entered into a multi-year, exclusive research collaboration to improve in-plant insect control to help increase yield in crops of worldwide agricultural importance. Under the agreement, Pioneer will collaborate with the Chinese institute to identify novel genes to develop and commercialize in next-generation seed products. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) announced that an additional $32 million has been dedicated toward disaster-related infrastructure projects through Community Development Block Grant funding. The funding is part of the $125.3 million in federal funding that was announced last week. The maximum request is $5 million per project and has to be approved by the IDED. There is no application deadline at this time, and communities interested can find more information at www.iowalifechanging.com/jumpstart/index.html under “Jumpstart Federal Infrastructure Assistance.” For more information, contact Hank Manning at (515) 242.4836 or hank.manning@iowalifechanging.com.