THE ANNIVERSARY
In April, the Port of South Louisiana commemorated the 25th anniversary of operations of its transshipment center, Globalplex Intermodal Terminal. The 335-acre multipurpose terminal handles, on average, 1.1 million tons of cargo annually and can accommodate dry bulk, breakbulk, containers and, with some retrofitting, liquid bulk. Globalplex is accessible by land, water, rail and air.
THE INVESTMENT
Globalplex is located in Reserve, Louisiana, at the site of a former sugar mill on the Mississippi River. Since acquiring the site in 1992, the Port of South Louisiana has invested over $104 million in construction, upgrades and improvements, including structures such as a general cargo dock (and, subsequently, a finger pier), two Manitowoc 2250 pedestal-mounted cranes on gantries that can travel the entire length of the dock, two 50,000-ton cement storage domes, covered warehouses and a paved open storage area, and a 130-acre tract of land that the port is actively marketing to attract additional tenants.
THE TRANSFORMATION
“Globalplex’s transformation has been remarkable,” says Paul Aucoin, Port of South Louisiana’s executive director. “From a site filled with abandoned, dilapidated buildings and not much traffic to the vibrant terminal it is today. I’m sure that our Port of South Louisiana family will continue to work towards making the future of Globalplex even better than its past.” As a result of Globalplex’s development and construction, the Port of South Louisiana’s staff numbers have tripled since 1992.
THE PLAYERS
The backbone of the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal operation is Associated Terminals, which has been the terminal operator of the facility since March 2005. Founded in 1990, Associated Terminals proficiently coordinates all aspects of cargo logistics with hard work, support and expertise. Resident tenants include Evonik, BARTON International, Pinnacle Polymers, LafargeHolcim, CRC Logistics Solutions, NATCO and Crystal Baumer Foods.
THE OUTLOOK
Future plans for the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal include further construction of warehouses and buildings to attract new tenants and users and a new administration building built on-site to house the full staff of the Port of South Louisiana.
