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Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 FORM 10 - K x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( D ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 or O TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission file number 001-32924 GREEN PLAINS INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Iowa ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) 1811 Aksarben Drive , Omaha , NE 68106 ( Address of principal executive offices , including zip code ) ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) ( 402 ) 884-8700 ( Registrant's telephone number , including area code ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : 84-1652107 Title of each class Common Stock , par value $ 0.001 per share Trading Symbol GPRE Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes x No o Name of each exchange on which registered The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes o No x Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes x No o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( §232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes x No o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Accelerated filer x Large accelerated filer o Non - accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company o Emerging growth company o If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . x Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Act ) . Yes o No x The aggregate market value of the company's voting common stock held by non - affiliates of the registrant as of June 30 , 2020 ( the last business day of the second quarter ) , based on the last sale price of the common stock on that date of $ 10.22 , was approximately $ 344.0 million . For purposes of this calculation , executive officers and directors are deemed to be affiliates of the registrant . As of February 11 , 2021 , there were 35,651,123 shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference in Part III herein . The company intends to file such Proxy Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of the period covered by this report on Form 10 - K .