Exhibit 10.15EMPLOYMENTAGREEMENT(Grain Manager)     THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is made and entered into effective as of the2nd *day of January 2007 (“Effective Date”), by and between. E Energy Adams, LLC. a Nebraskalimited liability company (“E ENERGY”) and Andrew Johansen (“Employee”).     WHEREAS, the parties acknowledge that E ENERGY was formed for the purpose of developing aproject to build and operate a 50 million gallon dry mill corn-processing ethanol plant in GageCounty, Nebraska near Adams **(the “Business of E ENERGY**”); and     WHEREAS, the parties agree and acknowledge the Business of E ENERGY is a highly competitiveone, both inside of and outside the state of Nebraska; and     WHEREAS, the parties agree and acknowledge E ENERGY has, is and will likely continue todevelop valuable confidential techniques and valuable proprietary and confidential information,forms and methods for use in the Business of E ENERGY; and     WHEREAS. Employee agrees and acknowledges that Employee will have access to said valuabletechniques and employ said valuable proprietary and confidential information, forms and methods inearning income in the employ of E ENERGY; and     WHEREAS, the parties further agree and acknowledge that Employee’s position is one ofconsiderable responsibility and requires considerable experience and requires Employee to developand maintain good relationships with E ENERGY’S: (i) suppliers and potential suppliers, (ii)customers and potential customers and (iii) employees, and that E ENERGY will incur substantialtime and expense to replace an employee who has the experience and relationships of Employee; and     WHEREAS, as a condition of employment and continued employment of Employee by E ENERGY, theparties mutually agree that confidentiality is required in connection with the Business of E ENERGYand in connection with the identity of E ENERGY’S suppliers and customers, and that accordingly, itis vital that E ENERGY be protected from direct or indirect competition from Employee during hisemployment and for a reasonable period of time thereafter; and     WHEREAS, E ENERGY and Employee now desire to provide for the employment of Employee by EENERGY, after the effective date of this Agreement, upon the terms and conditions set forth in thisAgreement.     NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and for other goodand valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, theparties hereto agree as follows:
 

 
AGREEMENTI. Employment and Duties. Effective as of the Effective Date, E ENERGY will employ Employeeand Employee will accept such employment upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.Employee shall be the Grain Manager for E ENERGY and shall report directly to the CEO/GeneralManager or to such other person as the CEO designates. Employee shall devote substantially hisentire time and attention to the Business of E ENERGY. In so doing, Employee agrees to contributehis best skills and services at all times for the business and benefit of E ENERGY. Employee herebyrepresents and confirms that he is under no contractual or legal commitment that would prevent himfrom fulfilling his duties and responsibilities as set forth in this Agreement. During hisemployment with E ENERGY, Employee may participate in charitable activities and personal investmentactivities to a reasonable extent and he may serve as a director of business and civicorganizations as approved by the CEO, so long as such activities do not interfere with theperformance of his duties and responsibilities hereunder. Employee may participate in otherbusiness activities that do not otherwise interfere with his duties under this Agreement with theprior consent of the CEO.2. Term and Termination of Employment. The term of Employee’s employment under thisAgreement shall commence on the Effective Date of this Agreement and shall continue thereafteruntil terminated as follows:     a. E ENERGY may terminate this Agreement without cause by notifying Employee of suchtermination at least 30 days in advance of the effective date of such termination.     b. This Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the death or permanent disability (asdetermined in good faith by the Board of Directors) of Employee.     c. Employee may terminate this Agreement by notifying the CEO of such termination at least 90days in advance of the effective date of such termination. However, in the event Employeeterminates this Agreement prior to one year from the Effective Date, Employee will be required torepay all reasonable recruiting costs incurred by E ENERGY in recruiting him and his replacement.Except as provided herein, all of Employee’s right to compensation and other benefits hereundershall terminate upon the date his employment terminates, except: as may he mandated by law withrespect to health insurance or other benefits.3. Position and Duties. Employee shall be the Grain Manager of E ENERGY and shall have theauthority, duties, and responsibilities commensurate and consistent with such position and title asdesignated by the CEO from time to time, including, within established limitations, (a) budgeting,managing and controlling departmental, or grain — specific expenditures, as applicable; (b)planning, developing, and implementing strategy for grain procurement, hedging,logistics, and development so as to meet such performance plans, grain/hedging limits, budgets, andtimescales as may be adopted by the CEO/Board of Directors of E ENERGY; (c) establishing andmaintaining appropriate
 

 
systems for measuring key aspects of grain and hedging positions, plant needs, and development; and(d) monitoring, measuring and reporting on those issues; and (e) ensuring compliance with anyrelevant requirements for grain management, and quality stipulations, and general duties of totalcare. Employee will be the most senior management person in the grain procurement/marketing staffat E ENERGY and will, subject to the supervision of the CEO, have discretion and authority tomanage and direct the day-to-day grain affairs and plant logistics of E ENERGY, and to hire andterminate (after consulting with the HR Manager and CEO) the employment of grainprocurement/marketing employees of E ENERGY. Employee will report to the CEO and perform such otherduties and responsibilities as the CEO shall assign to him from time to time consistent with hisposition. All grain procurement staff and other marketing functions of E ENERGY will reportdirectly or indirectly (through a subordinate of Employee who reports directly or indirectly toEmployee) to Employee, unless the CEO concludes in good faith that a direct reporting relationshipwith respect to any staff or function is required by applicable law or written policies of EENERGY, or is reasonably necessary to fulfill his fiduciary obligations to E ENERGY.4. Compensation.     a. Base Salary. For all services rendered by Employee to E ENERGY hereunder, Employeeshall be paid an annual base salary of Eighty Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00). Which base salarypayments shall be paid in accordance with E ENERGY’S payroll policies and procedures asestablished from time to time. 90 days after the official start up of the plant, the base salarywill be increased to Eighty-Five Thousand Dollars ($85,000). During each year after the first yearof Employee’s employment hereunder, the CEO will conduct an annual performance review of Employeeand thereafter establish Employee’s base salary for the upcoming year.     b. Pre-Start up Bonus. For exceptional services rendered by Employee to E ENERGYprior to startup, a bonus up to and including, but not greater than, Twenty ThousandDollars ($20,000) may be awarded at the discretion of the CEO and Board of Directors or theCommittee,     c. Annual Performance Bonus. Beginning ninety (90) days after the startup, Employeewill be eligible for an annual performance bonus up to and including, but not greater than, 50% ofhis base salary at the discretion of the CEO and Board of Directors. Such bonus will be based uponachievement of certain profitability and operational efficiencies relative to the industry andsuch other criteria that the CEO from time to time, determine in their sole discretion.     d. Employee Benefits. While Employee is employed by E Energy hereunder, Employee willbe entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans and programs of E ENERGY, includingwithout limitations, a 401(K) plan, Section 125 Cafeteria Plan, and medical, dental, life, longterm disability and disability insurance plans, to the extent E ENERGY offers such plans , in itssole discretion, and to the extent that Employee meets the eligibility requirements of eachindividual plan or program as generally applicable to other employees of E ENERGY: provided,however, that except as herein otherwise provided E ENERGY provides no assurance as to the adoptionor continuance of any
 

 
particular employee benefit plan or program and Employee’s participation in such plan orprogram is subject to the provisions, rules and regulations generally applicable to other employeesof E ENERGY.     e. Expenses. While Employee is employed by E ENERGY hereunder, E ENERGY will reimburseEmployee for reasonable and necessary out-of-pocket business, travel and educational expensesincurred by him in the performance of his duties and responsibilities hereunder, subject to EENERGY’S policies and procedures for expense verification and documentation in effect from time totime     f. Paid Time Off and Holidays. While Employee is employed by E ENERGY hereunder,Employee shall be entitled to paid PTO days as follows:1 to 4 years of employment 15 days per year*