Port of Milwaukee

What Port of Milwaukee does

Port Milwaukee is a municipal port authority operated by the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing multimodal cargo handling, cruise and ferry services, and Foreign Trade Zone administration from its Jones Island facilities. The port operates Terminal 2 (a 53,000 sq ft building constructed in 1966), Terminal 5, and a Heavy Lift Dock as the core cargo infrastructure, supporting agriculture, breakbulk, bulk, heavy lift, and liquid bulk cargoes routed through Great Lakes sea lanes with rail and interstate connections. The port also administers Foreign Trade Zone No. 41, which offers tariff deferral and duty reduction for importers and exporters, and operates cruise (Great Lakes Cruises, with Viking Cruises as the current anchor operator), high-speed ferry (Lake Express to Muskegon, Michigan), and waterfront recreation assets including Discovery World.

The port's business model rests on port tariffs (referenced but not publicly disclosed), Foreign Trade Zone service fees, property leasing to commercial tenants, and cruise/passenger terminal fees. It does not publish operating revenue; the disclosed $155.7 million in annual economic activity and $100.3 million in income represent broader regional impact across cargo tenants, shippers, and downstream users rather than the port's own revenue capture. Distribution is direct — the port sells to enterprise commercial customers (exporters, manufacturers, industrial cargo owners) through its terminals, with no intermediary partners. Marketing is conducted through the port's official website (port.milwaukee.gov) and earned media coverage of infrastructure investments and partnerships.

Recent strategic activity centers on capital expansion and regional collaboration: a $17 million South Shore Cruise Dock (groundbreaking October 2025, expected completion June 2026) designed for Seawaymax vessels to double cruise visits from 22 to 55 annually; a $1.4 million Wisconsin DOT Harbor Assistance Program grant (January 2026) for Terminal 2 roof and Terminal 5 ventilation upgrades; and a February 2026 Great Lakes–Inland Waterways market study partnership with American Great Lakes Ports Association, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Ports of Indiana, and Illinois International Port District. Leadership is provided by Port Director Benji Timm under the oversight of the Harbor Commission.

Name

Port of Milwaukee

Legal name

Port Milwaukee

Website

https://portmilwaukee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1835

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Port Milwaukee is a municipal port authority in Milwaukee, Wisconsin providing multimodal cargo handling (agriculture, breakbulk, bulk, heavy lift, liquid bulk), cruise and ferry terminal services, Foreign Trade Zone No. 41 administration, and waterfront recreation across its Jones Island facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port and Maritime Logistics Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (48831), Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Coastal and Great Lakes Freight Transportation (483113), Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Port Stakeholder Coordination (Terminal, Agents, Customs, Pilots, Tugs) (TLAHAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ferry Terminal, Port & Passenger Handling Services (THAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Port operations services
• Cargo handling logistics
• Maritime freight distribution
• Multimodal transportation solutions
• Cruise terminal operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

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, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Port Milwaukee is a municipal port authority operating multimodal maritime cargo handling and distribution services through its Jones Island Terminal Complex. It provides specialized handling for agriculture, breakbulk, bulk, heavy lift, and liquid bulk cargoes, complemented by cruise terminal services, ferry operations, and Foreign Trade Zone No. 41 administration for international trade facilitation.

Product overview

Port Milwaukee is a municipal port authority providing maritime cargo handling, logistics, and cruise/recreational services through a network of specialized terminals and infrastructure. The port offers cargo services including agriculture, breakbulk, bulk, heavy lift, and liquid bulk operations, alongside cruise terminal facilities (Great Lakes Cruises, South Shore Cruise Dock), ferry services (Lake Express), and Foreign Trade Zone No. 41 for international trade facilitation. Key infrastructure includes Terminal 2 (53,000 sq ft, built 1966) and Terminal 5 on Jones Island, supporting approximately 2.3 million metric tons of cargo annually and $155.7 million in economic activity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.3 million metric tons of cargo handled annually
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Great Lakes Ports AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Leading the comprehensive market analysis study in partnership with Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation to expand cargo movement between Great Lakes and Inland Waterways systems. Port Milwaukee is one of three ports providing local funding alongside Ports of Indiana and Illinois International Port District.
• Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Federal partner leading the market study with American Great Lakes Ports Association to analyze market demand, identify cargo flow opportunities, and assess infrastructure requirements for expanding waterborne commerce between Great Lakes and Inland Waterways systems.
• Ports of IndianaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funding partner in the Great Lakes-Inland Waterways market study alongside Port Milwaukee and Illinois International Port District.
• Illinois International Port DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funding partner in the Great Lakes-Inland Waterways market study alongside Port Milwaukee and Ports of Indiana.
• CPCS Transcom Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm contracted to conduct the research across participating ports in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin, examining market demand, infrastructure needs, and operational requirements for river-lake cargo connections.
• Viking CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor cruise operator currently using Heavy Lift Dock on Jones Island for temporary mooring. The $17 million South Shore Cruise Dock project will replace this temporary arrangement with a purpose-built passenger facility designed for Seawaymax vessels, expected to double cruise visits from 22 to 55 annually.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Port of Indiana (Burns Harbor): Port of Indiana operates Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan, a Great Lakes deep-water port handling bulk, breakbulk, and project cargo. Direct peer: explicitly named co-funding partner in the same Great Lakes-Inland Waterways market study and operates similar multimodal cargo services in the same region.
• Port of Detroit: Port of Detroit is a Great Lakes municipal port handling bulk, breakbulk, and heavy lift cargo, serving southeastern Michigan industrial markets. Direct peer: Great Lakes port authority with similar multimodal capabilities and competing for Midwest industrial shipper demand.
• Port of Duluth-Superior: Port of Duluth-Superior is the largest Great Lakes port by tonnage, handling iron ore, coal, and grain with extensive rail connections. Direct peer: Great Lakes municipal port authority operating in the same waterway system with overlapping bulk cargo capabilities.
• Port of Toledo: Port of Toledo is a Great Lakes municipal port handling coal, grain, and bulk commodities with intermodal connections. Direct peer: similar municipal ownership, comparable tonnage throughput, and overlapping regional industrial customers in manufacturing and agriculture.
• Port of Cleveland: Port of Cleveland is a Great Lakes municipal port authority handling bulk, breakbulk, and project cargo with multimodal connections. Direct peer: similar governance structure (municipal port authority), comparable cargo mix, and competing for the same Great Lakes shipper base.
• Illinois International Port District: Illinois International Port District operates Port of Chicago on Lake Calumet, handling containerized, bulk, and breakbulk cargo on the Great Lakes. Direct peer: explicitly named co-funding partner in the Great Lakes-Inland Waterways market study alongside Port Milwaukee, with overlapping cargo types and customer base.
• Port of Buffalo: Port of Buffalo operates on Lake Erie as part of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system, handling bulk cargo with rail connectivity. Direct peer: Great Lakes port serving similar industrial Midwest markets with comparable infrastructure scale and cargo mix.

Others

• Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation: Federal entity managing the US portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Other: infrastructure partner and study collaborator with Port Milwaukee; relevant as the governing body for vessel transit on the waterway system the port depends on.

Broad incumbents

• Virginia International Port Authority: Virginia International Port Authority operates multiple terminals handling containerized and breakbulk cargo on the US East Coast. Broad incumbent: much larger container-focused port authority; relevant for benchmarking infrastructure investment strategies and FTZ operations even though geography differs.

Regional players

• Port of Green Bay: Port of Green Bay is a smaller Wisconsin Great Lakes port handling coal, limestone, and forest products. Regional peer: same state and waterway system, but smaller scale and limited overlap in customer base, positioning as a Wisconsin peer for state-level funding and policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PortMilwaukee
• Facebookfacebook.com/PortMilwaukee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portmilwaukee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Port of Milwaukee