74 Business View - November 2015
world markets.”
George Nelson was present at the dedication of Burns
Harbor port in 1970, almost 40 years after he envisioned
a public port on the shores of Lake Michigan. One won-
ders if he could have imagined the phenomenal growth
that has taken place in the ensuing 40-plus years.
Peacock elaborates: “We’ve seen a steady increase in
economic activity and cargo shipments since the ports
opened. In 2014, all three of our ports established new
shipping records. Overall, the Ports of Indiana handled
more than 10 million tons of cargo for the first time, and
the 10.4 million tons was a 26 percent increase from the
previous year.”
As successful as the Ports of Indiana has been, Peacock
details an ambitious agenda for each part of the state’s
system over the next several years. “Our bread and but-
ter is attracting multi-modal companies to locate at our
ports so they can leverage the waterways, rail connec-
tions, and port synergies to experience a long-term com-
petitive advantage,” he explains. “In the last three years
the Ports of Indiana has attracted roughly $150 million
in investments from companies either opening new facili-
ties or expanding their current facilities. For us, business
attraction focuses on the companies at our ports and
who their customers and suppliers are, and how we can
help grow their businesses by bringing in new customers
and suppliers. We have roughly 2,300 acres of land at
our three ports, and of that, about 1,000 acres are avail-
able for development.”
Burns Harbor was first on the list: “This is our oldest port,
located in the ‘Steel Capital of North America.’ It only has
85 acres left for development, but it has one the most
prized pieces of real estate in all of the Great Lakes. We
have a 57-acre plot of land on a working dock with onsite
access for ships, barges and rail. It presents some tre-
mendous opportunities for companies looking to launch
new shipping ventures on the Great Lakes.”
The Jeffersonville port opened in 1985 and is the newest
LOGISTICS
Coal is the number one commodity handled by the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon.
