Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority

What Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority does

The Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority is a government riverport authority established in 1964 by the legislative bodies of McCracken County and the City of Paducah, Kentucky, operating a full-service inland port on approximately 48 acres at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. The facility handles containerized, break-bulk, and bulk cargoes and stores cargoes on terminal or in warehouse facilities, supported by a $4.2 million Linden Comansa 30LC1450 flat-top tower crane (53 US ton capacity, largest in North America), a Sennebogen 870E bulk material crane, and an integrated conveyor network connecting bulk shipments to warehouse and outdoor storage areas. The authority administers Foreign Trade Zone #294, providing duty deferral, inverted tariff benefits, and zone-to-zone transfer capabilities for shippers engaged in international trade, and holds U.S. DOT Maritime Administration Marine Highway Designated Port status.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: transaction-based cargo handling fees (containerized, break-bulk, and bulk via crane operations, conveyors, and material handling equipment), recurring warehouse and storage fees (70,000 sq ft general cargo warehouse, 14,000-ton indoor bulk storage, 100,000-ton outdoor storage across 27 acres, plus bagging and repackaging services), and licensing/royalty-equivalent income from FTZ #294 administration. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales targeting shippers, manufacturers, and logistics companies in international trade, bulk commodities, containerized cargo, and marine highway transportation, supplemented by a partnership with Greater Paducah Economic Development for regional business development. The addressable market is anchored by the port's location at the only U.S. inland point where four major Eastern river systems converge, providing one-day highway access to over 65% of the U.S. population and direct waterway access to U.S. Gulf ports.

Name

Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority

Legal name

Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority

Website

https://paducahriverport.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority is a government inland port facility at the Ohio-Tennessee River confluence in Kentucky, offering cargo handling, warehousing, Foreign Trade Zone #294, and container-on-barge services to shippers, manufacturers, and logistics companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inland Port Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Inland Water Freight Transportation (483211), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Inland / River Container Terminals (Barge-Served) (TLAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Inland port services
• Cargo handling
• Foreign trade zone
• Container on barge
• Bulk material handling

Headquarters

HQ city

Paducah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Cargo Handling Services: Handling fees for containerized, break-bulk, and bulk cargo including unloading, loading, and transfer services. Revenue from crane operations, conveyor systems, and material handling equipment.
2. Warehouse and Storage Services: Storage fees for 70,000 sq ft of warehouse capacity, 14,000-ton bulk storage, 100,000-ton open storage yard (27 acres), and bagging/bundling/repackaging services.
3. Foreign Trade Zone Administration: Administration of FTZ #294 providing benefits to shippers involved in international trade including duty deferral and zone to zone transfers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority operates a full-service inland port facility on approximately 48 acres at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. It provides containerized, break-bulk, and bulk cargo handling, warehouse and bulk storage, container-on-barge transportation, and administration of Foreign Trade Zone #294.

Product overview

The Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority operates as a full-service inland port facility offering an integrated suite of logistics and cargo handling services. The portfolio includes Container on Barge Transportation for safe waterway transport to Gulf ports, Container & General Cargo Handling with advanced crane capabilities (Linden Comansa 30LC1450 at 53-ton capacity), and Bulk Cargo Handling using specialized equipment including Sennebogen cranes. The Foreign Trade Zone #294 provides duty deferral and tariff benefits for international trade. Supporting services include Warehouse & Storage Services with 70,000 sq ft of covered storage and 27 acres of outdoor storage, plus the Fertilizer Handling Facility built in partnership with Southern FS. The port handles containerized, break-bulk, and bulk cargoes, providing year-round operations as the northernmost ice-free riverport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Container & General Cargo Handling Handling of containerized cargoes, steel, wire rod, steel coil, break bulk, raw metals, and major lifts for the marine industry. Utilizes the Linden Comansa 30LC1450 flat top tower crane capable of lifting 53 US tons with 40% greater reach than previous equipment.
• Bulk Cargo Handling Unloading and processing of aggregate, fertilizer, sand, gravel, petroleum coke, and dry bulk materials. Utilizes Sennebogen 870E crane with 4.5 yd clam bucket and conveyor systems to transfer materials directly to bulk storage yard with three radial stackers.
• Container on Barge Transportation Safe and secure method of inland waterway transportation connecting to U.S. Gulf ports via the Mississippi River and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Provides uncongested waterway access with reduced carbon footprint versus highway transport. Recipient of the 2016 America's Marine Highway Leadership Award from the U.S. DOT Maritime Administration.
• Foreign Trade Zone #294 Administered Foreign Trade Zone allowing shippers to import, store, exhibit, assemble, or manufacture goods without being subject to Customs entry procedures and duties. Provides Zone to Zone transfers, duty deferral, duty reductions, and inverted tariff benefits.
• Fertilizer Handling Facility State-of-the-art fertilizer handling facility built in partnership with Southern FS, featuring indoor storage capacity of 14,000 net tons and conveyor systems for fertilizer distribution.
• Warehouse & Storage Services Warehousing and storage services including 70,000 sq ft of general cargo warehousing, 14,000-ton bulk storage capacity, 100,000-ton outdoor storage on 27 acres, and bagging, bundling, and repackaging capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to 65% of U.S. population within one day's drive
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American Bridge CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2021American Bridge Company, in coordination with Jim Smith Contracting Company, constructing significant portions of the new $63.6 million Smithland Bridge at the Riverport Authority facility. Creating 30 jobs during 18 months. Utilizing Riverport's facility and equipment to construct bridge sections on barges for transport via Ohio River.
• Jim Smith Contracting CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2021Joint partnership with American Bridge Company for the Smithland Bridge construction project. Working together with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to deliver the infrastructure project.
• Southern FScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2016Partnership to build a state-of-the-art fertilizer handling facility at the Riverport. Southern FS is partnering with the Riverport Authority to develop infrastructure for fertilizer handling operations.
• Greater Paducah Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development partnership for regional business development, marketing the region, and improving regional business conditions through policy, workforce, and research initiatives.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Watco Companies: Privately-held transportation and terminal services company operating rail terminals, ports, and short-line railroads across the U.S. Comparable as a multi-modal terminal operator providing adjacent/competing services to inland waterway shippers, though primarily a private operator rather than a public authority.
• Ingram Barge Company: One of the largest privately-held marine transportation companies in the U.S., operating a fleet of barges on the inland waterway system including the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. Comparable as a downstream ecosystem partner with overlapping customer base rather than a direct port operator.

Broad incumbents

• Port of South Louisiana: Largest tonnage port in the Western Hemisphere, located on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Comparable as a public inland port handling bulk and containerized cargo at meaningfully larger scale, providing a benchmark for upper-bound operational scope.

Direct peers

• Port of Pittsburgh Commission: Government inland port authority operating on the Ohio River system in western Pennsylvania. Comparable as a publicly-operated riverport handling bulk and break-bulk cargoes with adjacent warehousing and intermodal connections.
• Port of Huntington Tri-State: Multi-state inland port authority on the Ohio River serving Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio. Directly comparable as a government-chartered inland riverport offering container, bulk, and break-bulk handling in the same Mid-South/Ohio River corridor.
• Port of Indiana: State-operated inland port system with three facilities on the Ohio River handling containers, steel, bulk, and break-bulk cargo. Directly comparable in operating model and customer mix, with similar connections to rail and highway intermodal networks.
• Port of Memphis: Five-state inland port authority on the Mississippi River handling containerized, bulk, and break-bulk cargo. Comparable in operating model (public authority) and cargo mix, though at meaningfully larger scale, making it a relevant benchmark for Paducah's service offering.
• Tulsa Port of Catoosa: Inland port authority in Oklahoma on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System handling containers, bulk, and break-bulk cargo. Comparable as a public inland riverport offering intermodal connections to rail and highway.
• Greater Cincinnati Port Authority: Public port authority serving the Cincinnati region on the Ohio River, focused on economic development and river commerce. Comparable as a similarly-sized Ohio River government port authority with overlapping regional customer base.
• Port of Decatur: Municipal inland port on the Tennessee River in Alabama handling containerized and bulk cargo. Highly comparable given its location on the same Tennessee River waterway Paducah serves and similar government-owned operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/padriverport
• Facebookfacebook.com/PadRiverport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/padriverport

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority