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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
First of two new agriculture transloading facilities breaks ground in Portsmouth
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Leaders from The DeLong Company were joined by federal, state and local leaders to break ground Thursday on a $26 million project that'll take grains and feedstuffs from across the country and prepare them for international shipment. The Portsmouth Agricultural Intermodal Export Facility will sit on the former CSX Intermodal Yard at Pinners Point. The Wisconsin-based company is leasing the property from the railroad and using a $750,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia to upgrade the railyard. It'll be the first facility of its type not only for Portsmouth, but also the East Coast. Unlike other transload terminals that receive agriculture products after trains drop off other cargo at rail yards, unit trains carrying exclusively grain will be able to pull in to the Pinners Point facility. Portsmouth to become 'international hub' for shipping of agriculture products, mayor says 'You achieve higher efficiency, better rates, so that's the big difference,' said Brandon Bickham, vice president of exports at The DeLong Company. Bickham said it was in 2023 when DeLong, CSX and the city of Portsmouth Economic Development Department began negotiations to locate in Hampton Roads. However, Bickham said DeLong has been working with the Port of Virginia for several years. 'There's a great local supply of grain, and we really wanted to tie a local supply with the Midwest origination area,' Bickham said. 'And this site, this port, allowed us to do that. We've had a great working relationship with the Port of Virginia.' Part of the development will include a 15,000-metric-ton storage silo and a 'grain leg' that'll rise to roughly 150 feet above ground. When a truck or train comes into the terminal, the soybeans, corn, wheat, DDGs or soybean meal will be transferred into shipping containers bound for Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and China. The facility is expected to handle 15,000 to 20,000 containers annually and help cut down on empty containers being placed on ships. Bickham said it's also expected to aid local farmers. Soybeans are the top agricultural export in Virginia, accounting for $1.4 billion in exports in 2023, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 'It should actually, improve [local farmers'] revenue,' Bickham said. 'So they'll have another grain bid. We should add value to the current price of grain.' Bickham said roughly 15 to 20 new jobs will be created by the export facility. This is the the first of two proposed facilities focusing on agribusiness in the city. Less than a mile away in Port Norfolk, Canadian-based Ray-Mont Logistics plans to do just the same at the Norfolk Portsmouth Beltline Railroad. Portsmouth to become 'international hub' for shipping of agriculture products, mayor says The pair of companies will join Perdue Agribusiness in Chesapeake in the exporting of grain. 'In Hampton Roads, we have a strong farming community in many of our cities,' Mayor Shannon Glover said. 'And so what this facility will enable them to do is to participate in moving their products to different markets. I think that's incredible. And I think it's something that shows collaboration, regionalism with a focus on helping our businesses to grow and prosper.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Portsmouth to become ‘international hub' for shipping of agriculture products, mayor says
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — As part of his State of the City address Friday, Mayor Shannon Glover announced the waterfront could soon be known as 'an international hub for the shipment of grains, soybeans and livestock feed to cities all over the world.' Portsmouth betting on new hotel at Rivers Casino to drive economic growth Later this month, The DeLong Company of Wisconsin will break ground on a new Agricultural Intermodal Export Facility at the CSX yard that formally served the Portsmouth Marine Terminal. Less than a mile away in Port Norfolk, Canadian-based Ray-Mont Logistics plans to do just the same at the Norfolk Portsmouth Beltline Railroad. While both are seeking grants to offset their investments, Glover said the new industry for the city can only be beneficial. 'It puts us on the map for something different,' Glover said. 'In addition to that, it's business. It brings business, which brings tax revenue, which does good things for the city of Portsmouth. So anytime we can bring a new business and a new concept, perhaps, that may attract other similar businesses that may want to come to Portsmouth as well.' A view of what The DeLong Company plans to construct off Harper Lane in Portsmouth Virginia. (Courtesy: The DeLong Co.) The DeLong facility will have the capability to receive unit trains and transload product into containers for export, according to a release from the company. When operational, whole grains and feedstuffs produced and processed locally and throughout the Midwest will be brought to the CSX yard by train and trucks. The product will then be transloaded into shipping export containers and trucked to the Port of Virginia. The facility is expected to handle 15,000-20,000 containers annually and help cut down on empty containers being placed on ships. 'This project represents a major step in strengthening the economic, agricultural and logistical landscape of Virginia and the greater East Coast to Midwest regions,' said Brandon Bickham, vice president of exports at The DeLong Co. said. 'We have been collaborating on this project with the Port of Virginia and CSX Railroad, and we are excited to bring this project to Portsmouth. The new facility will not only open new markets to agricultural producers, but also contribute to the area's long-term growth and success.' The project will be the first transload facility on the East Coast that can handle 90 car shuttle trains carrying renewable energy feed by-products, according to a presentation to the Portsmouth Port & Industrial Commission in March. Two 70-foot diameter concrete bins will be constructed, along with optimized rail loading equipment. In total, it's estimated that the two phase project could cost nearly $40 million. DeLong has applied for a $750,000 Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation rail industrial access grant and will apply to the Port Infrastructure Development Program for funds as well. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
