Little Rock Port Authority

What Little Rock Port Authority does

The Little Rock Port Authority is a government port entity created by City of Little Rock ordinance on July 6, 1959, and opened in 1971 as part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. It operates a 4,000-acre industrial park in Little Rock, Arkansas, providing intermodal transportation infrastructure connecting manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution companies to global markets via year-round river access, a Surface Transportation Board-certified 20-mile short-line railroad linking to Union Pacific and BNSF Class I networks, five interstate highways, and Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport located less than one mile from the port. Core assets include the River Terminal (50-ton cargo lift, bulk handling up to 350 tons/hour outbound, 134,000 sq ft inside storage plus 15 acres outside), the 4,500-foot slackwater harbor (no current, 190-foot dock with barge berth), Foreign Trade Zone #14 (25-acre tract with 104,000 sq ft general-purpose building providing duty exemptions, deferrals, and inverted tariff benefits), and an industrial properties portfolio of available sites and buildings ranging from 6.7 to 150 acres. Customers include 40 enterprise tenants across food processing (Hormel Foods, J&M Foods, Sage V Foods), metals distribution and manufacturing (O'Neal Steel, Ryerson, Boyd Metals, Welspun Pipes), chemicals (Buzzi Unicem, Novus International, Safety-Kleen), e-commerce logistics (Amazon), and new heavy manufacturing entrants (Elopak, Faymonville).

The business model combines three primary revenue streams: (1) port operations and terminal fees — transaction-based charges for dock usage, cargo handling, and storage that generated approximately $1.5 million in net revenue in 2023 with $4.1 million in total revenue projected for 2024; (2) Port of Little Rock Railroad switching services — fees for inter-carrier switching and interchange with Union Pacific and BNSF; and (3) industrial property leases — recurring rental income from port-owned land and buildings leased to tenant businesses. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales executed in coordination with the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce (key contact Jack Thomas) and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, marketing directly to corporate site selectors and real estate teams. Anchor customer contracts run multi-year; recent tenant investments at the port exceed $170 million (Faymonville $100M+, Elopak $70M), with a forward pipeline representing more than 4,500 jobs and over $2.5 billion in central Arkansas economic impact.

The Port Authority is governed by a seven-person Board of Directors appointed by the Little Rock City Board of Directors (five-year terms), with the Mayor serving ex officio; current Chair Clay McGeorge (President of Jeffrey Sand Company, a Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel subsidiary) was elected in 2024 after appointment in 2018. Executive Director Bryan Day leads day-to-day operations, supported by a lean staff of fewer than 20 employees including Director of Operations, railroad supervisors and crew, and grants/special projects personnel. Recent capital sources have been overwhelmingly grant-based — nearly $10 million in federal funds since 2015 across DOT, FEMA/DHS, and FRA, with no PE/VC ownership or external equity. Forward infrastructure priorities include a $25M Dock Revitalization Project, the Bankhead Road corridor expansion, a $20M workforce training center with UA-Pulaski Technical College, and full build-out of the FAA-enabled 1,000-acre megasite.

Name

Little Rock Port Authority

Legal name

Little Rock Port Authority

Website

https://portoflittlerock.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Little Rock Port Authority is a government port entity operating a 4,000-acre industrial park in Little Rock, Arkansas, providing multimodal logistics — river, rail, road, and air — to manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution companies across food, metals, chemicals, and heavy industry, with 40 enterprise tenants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inland Port Operations & Industrial Real Estate

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (48831), Short Line Railroads (482112), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Inland Container Depots (ICD) / Inland Ports (TLALAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bonded Warehouses (Customs-Bonded Storage Facilities) (TLALAGAA), Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB), Inland / River Container Terminals (Barge-Served) (TLAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Inland port operations
• Intermodal transportation
• Railroad switching services
• Foreign trade zone
• Industrial property leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Port Operations and Terminal Fees: Revenue generated from dock fees, terminal operations, cargo handling services, and warehouse/storage facilities. The Port Authority generated approximately $1.5 million in net revenue in 2023 with projected total revenue of about $4.1 million for 2024.
2. Railroad Switching Services: Short-line railroad switching services for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution companies in the industrial district, including connections to Union Pacific and BNSF railroads.
3. Industrial Property Leases: Revenue from leasing port-owned land and facilities to tenant businesses. The port operates a 4,000 acre industrial park with multiple warehouse and manufacturing facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Little Rock Port Authority operates the Port of Little Rock, a 4,000-acre industrial park providing intermodal transportation infrastructure for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution tenants. Its offering combines a river terminal for bulk cargo handling, a slackwater harbor for year-round barge access, a 20-mile short-line railroad connecting to Union Pacific and BNSF Class I railroads, Foreign Trade Zone 14 customs benefits, and leasable industrial sites and warehouse space. Customers include manufacturing, metals, food products, chemical, and distribution enterprises requiring multi-modal logistics access from a central U.S. location.

Product overview

The Port of Little Rock operates as America's Best Connected Inland Port — a single unified industrial park and transportation hub spanning 4,000 acres. The core offering is the industrial park itself with intermodal transportation capabilities including the River Terminal (bulk cargo handling up to 50 tons), Slackwater Harbor (year-round inland waterway access), Port of Little Rock Railroad (20 miles of track with dual Class I railroad connections to Union Pacific and BNSF), and Foreign Trade Zone 14 (customs and duty benefits). The port's four target industry modules — Chemical Manufacturing, Machinery Manufacturing, Advanced Metals Manufacturing, and Advanced Food Products — are supported by various incentives and tax programs. Transportation infrastructure connects via road (Interstates 30, 40, 430, 440, 630) and nearby Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. The port serves over 40 companies across manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Port of Little Rock Industrial Park 4,000-acre industrial park offering intermodal transportation facilities and industrial sites for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution companies, connecting Arkansas to global markets via river, rail, road, and air.
• River Terminal Full-service waterway terminal at Mile 112.8 on the Arkansas River with 50-ton cargo lift capacity, bulk handling of 200 tons/hour inbound and 350 tons/hour outbound, 134,000 sq ft of inside storage, and 15 acres of outside storage. Handles forest products, metal products, and bulk commodities including agri-products, clay, bauxite, rock, fertilizer, and cement.
• Slackwater Harbor Inland channel measuring 4,500 feet long, 320 feet wide, and 15 feet deep with no current, providing year-round cargo handling. Features a 190-foot dock and barge berth facility allowing two barges two-deep on both sides, with a new rail-to-barge / barge-to-rail dock funded by a $6.2M TIGER grant.
• Port of Little Rock Railroad Surface Transportation Board-certified switching railroad operating on approximately 20 miles of track with two locomotives, providing switching services and intermodal connections between Union Pacific and BNSF Class I railroads, serving manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution tenants.
• Foreign Trade Zone 14 Designated Foreign Trade Zone on a 25-acre tract with a 104,000 sq ft general-purpose building providing duty exemptions, duty deferral, inverted tariff benefits, and streamlined customs procedures, also serving as an extension at Clinton National Airport.
• Leasable Industrial Properties and Warehouses Leased industrial sites and buildings across the 4,000-acre park including 6001 Lindsey Road (75,000 sq ft manufacturing/warehouse), Slackwater Harbor South Site (59 acres), Thibault Road (150 acres), Frazier Pike Site (37 acres), Zeuber Road Site (90 acres), Arkansas River Site (29 acres), Industrial Harbor Site (32 acres), Lindsey Road North Site (10 acres), and Slackwater Harbor North Site (6.7 acres).

Quantifiable outcome

• Barge transportation carries one ton of cargo 514 miles per gallon of fuel, compared to 202 miles for rail and 59 miles for truck
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• UA-Pulaski Technical CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026Workforce training center being built at the Port of Little Rock in partnership with the port and Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. The $20 million project will provide training space, equipment, and high-voltage lineman training to support manufacturing and logistics industries.
• City of Little RockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Little Rock founded the Port of Little Rock by city ordinance in 1959. The city government provides oversight through board appointments and has issued general obligation bonds to fund port development. The port serves as an economic development engine for the city.
• Little Rock Regional Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for business recruitment, site selector relations, and economic development. The chamber brokers properties in partnership with the port and provides economic development contact Jack Thomas as a key contact.
• Arkansas Economic Development CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency that provides funding, incentives, and business recruitment support. Manages Foreign Trade Zone #14 for the port and provides workforce training resources.
• Pulaski CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partnership for infrastructure development and economic initiatives. Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde noted 90% of county operations will be powered by solar energy through a solar farm at the port.
• Logistic Services Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSSA Marine subsidiary serves as the port's stevedore, providing professional cargo handling services for bulk, steel, and general cargoes. LSI handles cargo to and from railcars, trucks, containers and barges.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency responsible for maintaining the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The system includes 18 locks and dams providing year-round navigable channel from the Mississippi River to Tulsa.
• Inland Rivers Ports & TerminalsminorOthersIndustry association for inland river ports that provides networking, advocacy, and best practices sharing among member ports.
• National Waterways ConferenceminorOthersIndustry organization focused on waterway policy and advocacy at the national level.
• Arkansas Waterways AssociationminorOthersState association supporting Arkansas waterways and port development through advocacy and education.
• Arkansas Waterways CommissionminorOthersState government commission overseeing waterways development and coordination in Arkansas.
• Faymonville GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLuxembourg-based transportation company investing over $100 million to build a 409,000-square-foot manufacturing facility (expanding to 624,000 sq ft) at the port. Expected to create 500 jobs and generate $239 million economic impact.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Huntington Tri-State Port Authority: Inland port authority on the Ohio River in West Virginia operating a slackwater harbor, rail-truck-barge transfer facilities, and an industrial park. Closely comparable to Little Rock in scale, public-port governance, and multi-modal infrastructure offering.
• Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority: Public inland port on the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers providing barge, rail, and highway transfer with industrial sites. Comparable as a smaller-scale inland water-port authority serving advanced manufacturing tenants on a navigable water system.
• Port of Kansas City: Inland barge terminal on the Missouri River at the confluence with the Kansas River, with industrial real estate and rail access. Comparable as a public inland water-port serving manufacturing and bulk-cargo tenants in the U.S. interior.
• Tulsa Port of Catoosa: Inland water port on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System and the largest port in Oklahoma. Operates a 2,500-acre industrial park with rail, road, and barge access—directly comparable to Little Rock's intermodal inland-port model.
• Port of Pittsburgh Commission: Public inland port on three navigable rivers in southwestern Pennsylvania, focused on industrial development, terminal operations, and intermodal freight. Comparable as a public-port authority promoting river-based industrial growth and infrastructure grant capture.
• Port of Memphis (Port Commission): Five-state inland river port on the Mississippi River handling approximately 28 barge lines and four Class I railroads, with ~4,000 acres of industrial land. Compares directly to Little Rock on multi-modal inland-port operations, public-port governance, and large tenant industrial parks.
• Port of Indiana (Burns Harbor, Jeffersonville, Mount Vernon): State-operated inland port system on the Ohio River with bulk, break-bulk, and container capability plus short-line rail. Directly comparable as a public inland-port operator that combines river terminals, industrial parks, and FTZ-style benefits.

Others

• Ingram Barge Company: Major U.S. inland waterway barge operator serving the Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas River systems. Highly relevant ecosystem participant whose routes and capacity utilization directly shape volume at Little Rock's river terminal and slackwater harbor.
• Nationwide Foreign Trade Zone Operators (e.g., FTZ No. 124, Gramercy): Network of designated U.S. FTZ sites providing customs duty deferral and inverted-tariff benefits comparable to Little Rock's Foreign Trade Zone #14. Adjacent ecosystem competitors and peers for attracting international manufacturers seeking duty-optimized U.S. locations.
• Logistic Services Inc. (SSA Marine): SSA Marine subsidiary and key channel partner at the Port of Little Rock providing professional stevedoring and cargo-handling services. Comparable as a co-located operator delivering marine cargo handling (NAICS 2CJOCYZS) at Little Rock's terminal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/littlerockport
• Facebookfacebook.com/LRPortAuthority
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portoflittlerock

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Little Rock Port Authority