Port of South Louisiana

Description

Port of South Louisiana’s performance demonstrates the strength and stability of its resident industry. The Port continues on its mission to promote maritime commerce, trade, and development and establish industrial facilities thereby creating jobs and a stronger tax base. Located within a 54-mile stretch of the lower Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the Port of South Louisiana offers shippers a strategic location at the intersection of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico and an inter-modal transportation network of waterways, roadways, rail, and air, featuring access to four interstate highways, four Class I railroads, the Louis Armstrong International Airport and the Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport.  As the largest tonnage port in the Western Hemisphere (in 2016, private industries within St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James Parishes handled over 294 million short tons of cargo brought to its terminals via over 4,500 ocean-going vessels and 59,700 barges), the Port of South Louisiana is not only the highest grain exporter in the United States (50 percent of the nation’s grain is exported via the Port of South Louisiana), it is also the highest ranked exporter in North America. With over 56 million short tons of crude oil imports per year, four major oil refineries, and 11 petrochemical manufacturing facilities, the Port of South Louisiana has been ranked as one of the top energy transfer ports in the nation. The Port also operates one of the most active Foreign Trade Zones (#124) in the country. With 16 zones, it received over $82 billion in merchandise and facilitated the employment of over 10,500 in 2015.

In the heart of the Port of South Louisiana lies the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal, a 335-acre maritime industrial park that provides handling and storage for bulk, break-bulk, and containerized cargos. Globalplex is designed to meet the specific needs of small- and mid-sized industrial, distribution, and manufacturing operations. To support and encourage tonnage growth, the Port of South Louisiana continues to make capital investments into its infrastructure that, at the same time, maintains and creates jobs in the River Region. The Port has secured $56.8 million for improvements of Port infrastructure and enhancements that are crucial in remaining competitive in the global market. Some improvements will commence in the near future, like the strengthening of Globalplex’s general cargo dock, an $8.4 million project. Other projects, like the $9.6 million expansion of an industrial warehouse funded by the Port Priority Program, is now complete.  BARTON International, a resident tenant of Globalplex since 2006, is using the warehouse for their garnet abrasive operation.

In order to serve the needs of those who do business in the River Region, the Port of South Louisiana continues to revitalize the Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport. Since its acquisition in 2009, the Executive Regional Airport’s runway length was extended to 5,150 ft. with a parallel taxiway, a state-of-the-art AWOS system was installed, new tanks for Jet-A and AvGas fuels were acquired, and the FBO terminal was refurbished. Currently, construction of a self-funded 10,000 square-foot transient hangar is complete. Also, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is funding two generators for the airport: one for the terminal building, the other for the airport taxiway lights. LA DOTD will also provide monies for reflectors that will extend the length of the taxiway. Lastly, a runway resurfacing project is slated for the latter part of 2018.

The Port of South Louisiana has one of North America’s largest concentration of heavy manufacturers, a reflection of the strategic location, comparative market access, and a highly-skilled labor pool that it enjoys. Industry leaders in the energy and chemical sectors continue to invest billions of dollars as they expand operations to capture market opportunities. Currently, the Port handles approximately $60 billion in trade annually that supports over 30 thousand direct jobs (6 out of 10 jobs) in the River Region, which translates to over 83 thousand jobs (1 out of 25) in the state of Louisiana. Regionally, it contributes $1.8 billion in income, $14.4 billion in revenue, and $72.5 million in state and local taxes. Industries from all over the globe have taken notice of the Port of South Louisiana’s competitive advantages. As a matter of fact, the region has attracted billions of dollars of investment –$23.462 billion to be exact– by companies in the petrochemical, fertilizer, and logistics industries. Projects like these are vital to sustaining and promoting further economic prosperity for the Port of South Louisiana, the River Region, and its labor force.