Port of South Louisiana

What Port of South Louisiana does

Port of South Louisiana is a public port authority and political subdivision of the State of Louisiana, established in 1947 and governed by a nine-member Board of Commissioners. It operates a 54-mile stretch of deepwater Mississippi River frontage between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, encompassing more than 50 piers and docks in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes. The port is one of the largest tonnage port districts in the western hemisphere and America's leading grain exporting port district, with annual trade volume exceeding 300 million short tons. Its flagship facility is the 335-acre Globalplex Intermodal Terminal, handling bulk, breakbulk, and containerized cargo, supported by a 2,500 tons-per-hour bulk conveyor system, two 50K-ton storage domes, two Konecranes portal harbor cranes, and more than 112,000 square feet of covered transit sheds. The port is also the origin or terminus of major crude oil pipeline infrastructure, including the LOOP offshore superport (1.1 million barrels/day) and the Capline pipeline (1.3 million barrels/day).

The port generates revenue through five primary streams: port fees and tariff-based dockage/wharfage charges on cargo handling; long-term industrial real estate leases with tenants such as Evonik Industries, LaFarge Holcim, Barton International, Baumer Foods, and Natco Food Service; Foreign Trade Zone 124 services (ranked #2 nationally in merchandise received and #3 in exports); Executive Regional Airport (APS) FBO services including fuel sales, hangar rentals, and landing fees; and venue rentals for events. Its technology stack includes a proprietary in-house GIS portal for site and route tracking, an Incident Command Center with CCTV and satellite communications, and SmartPort technology initiatives funded by a $1.6M U.S. Department of Commerce award. Multimodal connectivity encompasses three Class I railroads (Union Pacific, Canadian National, Kansas City Southern), three interstate highways (I-10, I-55, I-59), six major oil and gas pipelines, and an inland barge system spanning 19,262 miles of waterway. The port pursues an enterprise/government field sales motion, engaging directly with shipping companies, industrial manufacturers, and logistics operators, and participates in AAPA conferences and River Region Chamber of Commerce events.

Recent strategic activity centers on three vectors: infrastructure expansion (notably the Avondale Global Gateway acquisition from T. Parker Host in 2023 and the February 2026 ribbon cutting for the Globalplex Dock Access Bridge), new vertical positioning (a $50M federal hydrogen cluster grant in 2022 and ElementUS's $800M rare earth elements project in Gramercy), and federal grant capture (cumulative infrastructure and technology grants exceeding $82M across TIGER, MARAD, FEMA, and U.S. Department of Commerce programs). Leadership transitioned through 2024-2025 following the passing of former Executive Director Paul Aucoin (October 2024), the resignation of Paul Matthews (August 2025), and the appointment of Julia Fisher-Cormier as Executive Director in December 2025.

Name

Port of South Louisiana

Legal name

Port of South Louisiana

Website

https://portsl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Port of South Louisiana is a public port authority operating a 54-mile stretch of deepwater Mississippi River frontage between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, handling over 300 million short tons annually for industrial shippers in grain, chemicals, petroleum, and bulk cargo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Reserve

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Port Fees and Charges: The port generates revenue through dockage fees, wharfage charges, and tariff-based fees for vessel and cargo handling services. The port publishes a Tariff Schedule governing rates for port services.
2. Industrial Real Estate Leases: The port leases land, warehouses, and facilities to industrial tenants including Barton International, Baumer Foods, Natco Food Svc, Evonik Industries, and others. Lease income forms a core revenue stream.
3. Foreign Trade Zone Services: FTZ 124 (Foreign Trade Zone) generates fees for activated zone operations. The port's FTZ ranks #2 in merchandise received and #3 in exports nationally. Customs duties are deferred or reduced for goods moving through the zone.
4. Executive Regional Airport Services: The Executive Regional Airport (APS) generates revenue from aviation fuel sales (Jet-A and AvGas), hangar rentals, landing fees, overnight parking fees, and FBO services. Special event fees are charged during major events.
5. Venue and Conference Facilities: The port offers the Guesthouse, boardroom, and conference rooms for event rentals, generating venue rental fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Port of South Louisiana operates a 54-mile public maritime port district along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, providing intermodal cargo handling, dockage, wharfage, bulk and breakbulk terminal operations, industrial real estate leasing, Foreign Trade Zone 124 services, and Executive Regional Airport FBO services for shipping companies, manufacturers, and logistics operators.

Product overview

Port of South Louisiana is a multimodal maritime infrastructure authority operating as a unified platform of intermodal facilities. The core offering is the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal (335-acre maritime industrial park) serving as the primary cargo handling hub, supplemented by the Executive Regional Airport for aerial logistics, a Bulk Facility for cement/mineral/woodchip handling, and a General Cargo Facility for breakbulk operations. Supporting services include Foreign Trade Zone 124 for customs optimization, Marine Response Vessels for emergency response, the Incident Command Center for safety coordination, Marine Pipeline Safety services, and RREDI economic development initiatives. Associated Terminals operates the general cargo facility under a third-party arrangement. The port connects water, rail (CN and KCS), highway (I-10, I-55, I-59), and air transportation modes to serve industrial customers in petrochemical, manufacturing, and logistics sectors along the Mississippi River corridor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Globalplex Intermodal Terminal A 335-acre (135-hectare) public maritime industrial park and intermodal terminal handling bulk, breakbulk, and containerized cargo with rail access via Canadian National (CN) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) rail lines, serving industrial tenants and shipping operators on the Mississippi River.
• Executive Regional Airport (APS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 258 million short tons of cargo moved via inland barge system per year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lower Mississippi PortscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 August 2025Lower Mississippi ports (including Port of South Louisiana, Port of New Orleans, Port of Baton Rouge, and others) partnered on a unified marketing strategy to promote the region's collective port capabilities and compete for cargo. Governor Jeff Landry's trade plan aims to coordinate Louisiana ports.
• Ukraine Sea Ports AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2023The Port of South Louisiana signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ukraine Sea Ports Authority in August 2023 to foster cooperation and information sharing between the two port systems.
• GNO Inc. / Hydrogen Cluster InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2022A regional partnership that includes the Port of South Louisiana was awarded a $50 million federal grant to create a hydrogen cluster in Southeast Louisiana. The port is positioned as a potential clean hydrogen hub.
• Nicholls State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2019The Port of South Louisiana partnered with Nicholls State University in August 2019 to support workforce development, research, and educational programs aligned with the maritime and logistics industries. The port has also made donations to Nicholls Farm to support coastal restoration.
• River Region Economic Development Initiative (RREDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRREDI is a marketing coalition formed in 2004 comprising St. Charles Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. James Parish, and the Port of South Louisiana, committed to working in tandem for the economic benefit of the region. The coalition focuses on diversifying the economic base and targeting growth-conducive industries.
• Castleton Commodities International LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCastleton Commodities International LLC is listed as a subzone within Foreign Trade Zone 124 under the Alternative Site Framework (ASF), alongside Globalplex. This indicates an active FTZ subzone relationship.
• Associated TerminalscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAssociated Terminals operates the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal's general cargo facility under a contractual arrangement. The company handles cargo loading/unloading operations at the port's docks.
• T. Parker Host / Avondale Global GatewaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Port of South Louisiana entered an agreement in January 2023 to purchase Avondale Global Gateway from T. Parker Host. The port conducted due diligence through 2023 and agreed on a final purchase price in August 2023. The acquisition was presented to the State Bond Commission in September 2023. The deal was deferred for bond commission approval in October 2023.
• Maritime Security Operations Centers (MSOCs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe port operates MSOCs (Maritime Security Operations Centers) in coordination with St. Bernard and Plaquemines ports as part of the Lower Mississippi River Port Security Workgroup. The workgroup conducts regular communications exercises (NOLASEC).
• Big River CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe port partnered with the Big River Coalition, which released a December 2025 study highlighting the Mississippi River Ship Channel's $226.5 billion annual trade impact. The coalition advocates for Mississippi River navigation and deepening projects.
• IAMPE (Institute of Association of Maritime Professionals)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Port of South Louisiana joined the IAMPE Port Educational Partnership in October 2018, supporting professional education and training for port and maritime industry personnel.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Port of Corpus Christi: Major U.S. public port authority and the leading U.S. crude oil export gateway. Competes with Port of South Louisiana for Gulf Coast petrochemical, crude, and bulk cargo flows and operates on a much larger enterprise scale.
• Maryland Port Administration: State-operated public port authority managing the Port of Baltimore. Operates under similar political subdivision governance and serves comparable industrial, bulk, and breakbulk customers, making it a structurally comparable U.S. public port peer.
• Port of Los Angeles: Large U.S. public container port operating under a public-port governance model similar to Port of South Louisiana. Differs in cargo mix (container-dominant) but is structurally comparable as a public port authority competing for U.S. import/export traffic.
• Port Houston: One of the largest U.S. public port authorities, operating container, breakbulk, and bulk facilities on the Houston Ship Channel. Comparable public-port governance structure and similar petrochemical/cargo mix, though significantly larger scale.
• Virginia Port Authority: State-owned public port authority operating Port of Virginia terminals. Shares the political-subdivision governance model, public-port operations culture, and infrastructure-grant funding pattern with Port of South Louisiana.

Others

• Associated Terminals: Third-party terminal operator that operates the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal general cargo facility under contract with Port of South Louisiana. A key operational partner and channel for cargo handling services at the port.

Regional players

• Port of St. Bernard: Small Louisiana public port near New Orleans that partners with Port of South Louisiana through the Lower Mississippi River Port Security Workgroup. Operates in the same regional cargo ecosystem and serves similar industrial shippers.
• Plaquemines Port, Harbor & Terminal District: Louisiana Gulf Coast port authority operating at the mouth of the Mississippi River. A regional Louisiana port handling comparable bulk, oil-and-gas, and breakbulk cargo with overlapping maritime customer base.

Direct peers

• Port of New Orleans: A public port authority on the Lower Mississippi River in direct regional competition with Port of South Louisiana. Both ports compete for the same grain, chemical, and breakbulk cargo flows and are part of the unified Lower Mississippi Ports marketing coalition formed in 2025.
• Port of Baton Rouge: Upriver Mississippi River public port serving similar petrochemical, grain, and bulk customers. Direct regional competitor within the Lower Mississippi corridor and member of the unified marketing partnership with Port of South Louisiana.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/port-of-south-louisiana-comm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Port of South Louisiana