On July 19, Port Milwaukee and The DeLong Co. celebrated the opening of the $40 million DeLong Co. Agricultural Maritime Export Facility on Jones Island.
Representatives from the port, DeLong and the city of Milwaukee were joined by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and federal, state, and local officials to celebrate the completion of the export facility.
The facility, located on the west side of Jones Island, will be one of the first on the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway (GLSLS) system to handle various agricultural commodities via truck, rail and international vessel, including DDGs, an animal feed supplement derived as a byproduct of ethanol.
Thanks to a robust public-private partnership, this development is the largest one-time investment in Port Milwaukee since the 1950s, said a statement from The DeLong Co. Port Milwaukee was one of the first nationwide grant recipients of the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
This facility will open Wisconsin’s maritime and agricultural economies to new international markets for this and other products, said the statement. Future service at the facility may also include the export of Wisconsin-grown soybeans, corn and grain.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has estimated the DeLong terminal will generate $63 million in new statewide economic impact annually, increasing exports through Port Milwaukee by as much as 400,000 metric tons per year.
“This new facility will have a tremendous impact here in the local Milwaukee community and around the state and will help ensure more of our farmers’ best-in-class, Wisconsin-made goods will be shared with folks all over the world,” said Governor Evers. “I want to congratulate the DeLong Company, Port Milwaukee, and everyone that played a role in getting this project over the finish line. Port Milwaukee is a vital point of connection in our state and nation’s supply chain, and this project paints a clear picture as to why we must continue to invest in the success of our transportation systems and cornerstone Wisconsin industries, especially in Milwaukee.”
