The expansion and growth of the Ports of Indiana in recent years is credited to former CEO Rich Cooper.
For his work, the Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals Inc., during its recent annual conference in Baton Rouge, La., presented its inaugural lifetime achievement award to Cooper.
Inland Rivers, Ports and Terminals Inc., which the Ports of Indiana is a long-time member, is a nationwide trade association for users of the U.S. Inland Waterway system. IRPT promotes the use of the nation’s rivers as a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly form of transportation, keeps members informed on federal legislation and security issues affecting the country’s river system, promotes and markets the U.S. inland waterway system, and works with port leaders to unify the inland ports, terminals, and river systems.
“As an industry, we have only come this far thanks to the dedication and leaders before us,” said Aimee Andres, executive director of IRPT. “It is because of leaders, like Rich, who focused attention on freight transportation, building our network and providing leadership, that the ports and terminals along our inland rivers system can continuously thrive.”
Cooper was appointed CEO for the Ports of Indiana in 2005. Under Cooper’s leadership, the organization experienced unprecedented growth and became a completely self-funded enterprise, the Ports of Indiana said in a statement.
“During his tenure, Rich helped the Ports of Indiana thrive as a self-funded, business-driven enterprise that contributes to growing Indiana’s economy,” said Vanta E. Coda, CEO for the Ports of Indiana, who replaced Cooper after his retirement July 1. “Rich is the right person to receive the IRPT’s first-ever lifetime achievement award because he helped shape a new vision for the Ports of Indiana to be a premier inland port system in North America.”
Indiana’s three-port system had its best year in 2018.
The Ports of Indiana, which includes the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville and the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon, handled 14.8 million tons of cargo, a 25 percent increase from 2017 and a 21 percent increase over its previous record year in 2015.
