Highland Pellets is an Arkansas-based producer of sustainably sourced biomass in the form of wood pellets, which are used to supply industrial markets in Europe and Asia with a cleaner replacement fuel for coal. The operating plant is located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where Highland Pellets sources wood fiber from privately owned, semi-natural and planted forests—any waste wood is provided by local sawmills. The wood fiber the company harvests from the forests comprises thinnings (i.e. small trees), which must be removed to prevent overcrowding; thinning is ultimately a sustainable practice reducing the risk of forest fires. Highland Pellets supports local communities by creating employment opportunities and by purchasing locally the highest quality pulpwood to make high specification pellets, at an affordable cost, while providing a source of regular income to local landowners. The wood pellets produced are transported by train to nearby rail spurs, rivers and ports that allow Highland Pellets to optimize transport operations, which lowers emissions from transportation, while continuing to produce quality and sustainably produced pellets to the market.