High demand for coal and agricultural products resulted in a record six-month period for the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon.
The Ports of Indiana reported about 4.7 million tons of cargo moved through the port between January and June, an increase of 36 percent when compared to the same period last year. Record shipments included maritime shipping increases in coal, grain, dried distillers grain, calcined coke, salt and soy products.
The 2018 six-month volume for Mount Vernon ranks eighth overall in annual total in the port’s 42-year history. The port also recorded its third-highest monthly total of the year in July at 812,128 tons.
“Our previous six-month record occurred in 2016 when port shipments registered 4 million tons,” said Phil Wilzbacher, port director for the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon. “As the sixth largest inland port district in the country, this port serves a significant region of the Midwest by providing multimodal infrastructure for industries requiring access to river, rail and roadway logistics. It is very encouraging to see substantial growth continue to build over the past three years as our southwestern Indiana port serves as a hub for global and domestic markets.”
The Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon is also home to the largest maritime greenfield property available in the Midwest. Burns Harbor and Jeffersonville on the Ohio River are the other ports in the Indiana network.
“We are determined to ensure our port companies have access to essential distribution channels through our logistics network,” said Vanta Coda, CEO for the Ports of Indiana.
