Ports Of Indiana Wins Steel Industry Logistics Honor
The American Metal Market (AMM) has named Ports of Indiana the Logistics/Transportation Provider of the Year for 2018. The ninth annual Awards for Steel Excellence were recently announced at AMM’s Steel Awards Dinner, held in conjunction with the global Steel Success Strategies XXXIII Conference in New York.
Steel activity at the state’s three public ports generates some impressive numbers, AMM said. “On an annual basis, the Ports of Indiana at its three locations handles: 2 million tons of steel; 100 ocean-going ships; 200 Great Lakes vessels; 5,000 U.S. inland river barges; 65,000 rail cars; and 710,000 trucks. Because all steel supply chain needs are met on the ports’ property, steel companies are said to generally experience savings of $10 per ton in supply-chain costs compared with non-port activities,” AMM reported on its website, in an article titled “A Growing Gateway For Steel Transportation.”
“This is an extraordinary honor for our ports,” said Vanta Coda II, CEO for the Ports of Indiana. “This award further defines our ports’ extensive experience with the steel industry, maritime operations, multimodal transportation and global supply chains. Indiana is the No. 1 steel producer in the United States, and this award helps us illustrate what we can offer steel companies that are interested in building and growing their businesses.”
The Ports of Indiana operates three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan in the heart of the world’s largest steel producing region, and generates $7 billion per year in economic activity while handling cargo for all 50 states and more than 30 countries.
“The AMM awards are essentially the ‘Oscars’ for the steel industry, and we are honored to be recognized as their top logistics and transportation provider in 2018,” said Jody Peacock, senior vice president for the Ports of Indiana. “More than half of the companies located at our three ports are related to the steel industry and our ports provide unmatched advantages for steel-related businesses that need multimodal access to international and domestic markets.”
Currently, the Ports of Indiana is completing $40 million in port expansions at its Burns Harbor and Jeffersonville facilities, and marketing a 500-acre mega site for steel developments at its Mount Vernon port. The organization is also considering building a new port on the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg that could further expand its services to steel customers.
“For those in the steel industry, Indiana’s ports offer not only a robust, unique and extensive transportation network that spans rail, interstate and global water access, but our ports also offer room for businesses to grow,” Coda said. “When our accomplishments are recognized in this way, it helps us demonstrate the value that our port sites offer steel companies. We have 1,000 acres of land available near major U.S markets and already manage high volumes of steel-related products on river barges, ocean vessels and Great Lakes carriers, with connections to almost all Class I railroads. This is a truly unique value proposition for the steel industry.”
The AMM is the premier trade publication for the global steel industry. The 2018 Awards for Steel Excellence recognize the highest achieving companies who embody best-in-class practices as measured by global standards.
“These awards recognize the best and the brightest firms throughout the steel industry supply chain,” said AMM Chief Executive Officer Raju Daswani. “This year’s awards saw an extraordinary number of high-quality nominations, creating a challenging selection process. Although each company is unique, they are united in their quest for excellence and innovation, and we, as an industry, benefit from their high standards of performance.”
