Indiana Ports Hit Record Shipments
(Image courtesy of the Ports of Indiana.)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Ports of Indiana is celebrating a record number of shipments in 2018. The state’s three ports, located in Burns Harbor, Jeffersonville and Mount Vernon, handled 14.8 million tons of cargo last year, marking a 21 percent increase over the previous record set in 2015.
The organization says it is the first time the ports set records in each quarter and the fifth consecutive year they handled more than 10 million tons of cargo. The results were driven by large increases in shipments of coal, soy products, grain and steel.
"We are so grateful for such an extraordinary year and fully appreciate what it took on behalf of all our port businesses and employees to achieve this kind of highwater mark," said Vanta Coda, chief executive officer of the Ports of Indiana. "Each of our ports builds and maintains exceptional infrastructure to allow our world-class port businesses to leverage what Indiana does exceedingly well – manufacture the products essential for modern life and move food products for the world. Our essential multimodal connections provide companies access to water, rail and road, and provide critical avenues for businesses to meet market demands and remain globally competitive."
The ports at Burns Harbor and Jeffersonville collectively shipped more than two million tons of steel, which is the largest commodity at each port. The Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon handled 61 percent more coal this year, compared to 2017, and also saw increases in ethanol, soy products, and dried distillers grain.
The Ports of Indiana says the results come as it increased investments in its existing infrastructure at each port, pursued expansion at facilities in Burns Harbor and Jeffersonville, as well as began the process to replace an overhead crane at Mount Vernon.