Welcome

Jay Hardman, P.E.

The port welcomes all inquiries about available property and possible economic incentives for companies interested in locating at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge.

As an overview of activities anticipated for 2011 at the port, companies located at our facilities indicate positive projections for this year in terms of shipping, planned expansion, additional capital investment and jobs creation. Several companies operating at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, as well as several plants in the petrochemical corridor along the port’s 85-mile jurisdiction of the Mississippi River, have expanded or added new facilities in anticipation of future growth. This is very good news for the capital region and certainly reason to be optimistic about the economic viability and potential for this area of Louisiana.

In February 2011, port commissioners approved a proposal by Louis Dreyfus Commodities, LLC to lease the port’s public grain elevator and export facility. Plans to upgrade the facilities landside and on the river are underway to accommodate projected increases in grain throughput volumes and higher shipping traffic at the grain elevator. It is anticipated that there will be an indirect positive effect of jobs creation for longshoremen, stevedores, tugboat operators and other stakeholders in the maritime industry.

Port tonnage increased in 2010, due to shipments of pipe brought in by T.G. Mercer for the Haynesville Shale project, and from increased raw sugar shipped out from the port’s Bulk Sugar and Distribution Facility. We anticipate that the demand for these cargoes and increased tonnage through the port will continue through 2011.

Westway Terminal Company recently completed a $6 million expansion, increasing the terminal’s capacity by one third in 2010 and the demand for liquid bulk products is projected to grow. Center Point Terminal Company’s has also announced a planned expansion is scheduled to begin in 2011 and is expected to double the liquid bulk capacity at the oil terminal when completed.

The port recently purchased an additional 24 acres adjacent to the Inland Rivers Marine Terminal for future expansion. This additional land increases capacity at the IRMT to 84 acres.

Katoen Natie, Louisiana continues to expand their value-added services and capabilities for local manufactures by adding a second line for bagging commodities and has invested an additional $ 1 million in equipment at the Inland Rivers Marine Terminal.

Under the direction of the Port Commission, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge will continue to promote the assets of this public maritime facility and place emphasis in 2011 on strategic planning for future growth.

Jay Hardman, P.E.
Executive Director