The Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon recorded the highest quarterly shipments by any port in Ports of Indiana’s over 50-plus year history during the first quarter of 2015. This was the second consecutive quarter the port broke this record.
First quarter shipments increased three percent over the fourth quarter of 2014 and were up 48 percent over 2014’s first quarter. A key driver for the high volumes was a 36 percent increase in grain shipments.
“Being located in the most fertile agricultural region in the world, grain is one of the largest volume commodities handled through the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon,” said Phil Wilzbacher, Port Director. “On an annual basis, port companies trade or process approximately 75 million bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat.
During the first quarter, Consolidated Grain and Barge handled a significant increase in corn shipments. CGB is a very progressive grain trading business and our partnership with this company continues to grow even after more than 30 years.”Grain volumes were helped in part by the record harvest of 2014 while fertilizer and steel shipments were up 16 percent and 10 percent, respectively.