Arcosa Marine will invest $7.5 million to reopen the idle barge manufacturing operations in Madisonville, with a goal of beginning customer deliveries later this year.
A division of Dallas-based Arcosa Inc., the company will install new equipment and complete facility. The company is a leading manufacturer of barges for inland waterways, and will produce multiple barge types at the Madisonville site. The plant is located off La. 21 along the Tchefuncte River.
Arcosa was spun off from Dallas-based Trinity Industries. Trinity Marine Products Inc., a division of Trinity Industries, was the last company to operate the Madisonville barge yard.
The facility has been largely idle since Trinity Marine closed the site in December 2015. Trinity has owned the facility for decades; it routinely adjusts operations based on demand for its products. The barges transport cargo and liquids on rivers and other inland waterways.
Arcosa Marine operates within the Transportation Products Group, one of three principal business segments for Arcosa Inc., which also includes the Construction Products Group and the Energy Equipment Group.
“Due to encouraging conditions in the barge construction market, we are pleased that Arcosa Marine is restoring the Madisonville barge facility to full operation,” company President Thomas Faherty said in a statement. “Arcosa Marine is preparing the facility to produce barges for customer delivery in 2019.”
LED began discussions with Arcosa about a potential expansion project at the 230-acre Madisonville site in December 2018. Incentives include LED FastStart® and the Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. The company anticipates creating 149 jobs.
