Rick Heimann News

“November was a good month for the export of agricultural products and shipments of aluminum ingots on the Great Lakes Seaway System,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “Under the binational trade development program known as ‘Highway H2O’, the U.S. Sutton added, “The U.S. Great Lakes ports of Toledo, Ohio; Duluth, Minn.; Burns Harbor, Ind.; and Milwaukee, Wis. handled corn, soybeans and wheat exports bound for Europe, South America, and Central America.

“The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System saw a steady flow of traditional cargoes during the month of October,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “Last month, shipments of aluminum, steel, generators, crane components, iron ore and containerized goods moved in the system. Thanks to a robust U.S and Canadian grain crop, agricultural products including corn, soy beans, wheat and sugar beet pellets made up the majority of the…

While U.S. ports have been busy, overall the beginning of the shipping season has been slower than anticipated. “Although the overall cargo numbers remain down when compared to the same time frame last year, in June we were above the five-year average,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “Imports arriving in the Great Lakes Seaway System kept longshoremen busy during the month of June. About 45 ships arrived from 19 different countries with high value cargo like windmill components, machinery, aluminum ingots, steel, sugar, and general cargo.

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened two weeks earlier this shipping season and U.S. ports took advantage of the warm weather to move cargo for their customers. Betty Sutton, Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation said, “During the first nine weeks of the 2016 navigation season, ships arrived from 30 countries and delivered high value cargo that supported a wide range of manufacturing. Our longshoremen worked diligently to offload cargo ships delivering transformers bound for electric power companies…

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor opened the 2016 international shipping season today with the arrival of the M.V. Lubie , a 623-foot bulk carrier from Europe. "Our port handles lakers and river barges year-round, but the first ocean vessel is always energizing for businesses and our workforce at the port," said Port Director Rick Heimann. "The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway provide a global connection for Indiana companies to ship goods to and from world markets. Having access to this international trade route is vitally important for the U.S. Owned and operated by the Polsteam Shipping Co., and built in 2011, the Bahamas-flagged Lubie picked up its steel cargo in Ijmuiden, Holland, and stopped in Cleveland before coming to the Port of Indiana.

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handled 2.8 million tons of cargo in 2015, the second highest tonnage in over two decades. Following 2014's all-time record volume, the year marked only the third time the port handled 2.8 million tons or more in the port's 45-year history. Increased shipments of heavy-lift project cargoes (up 96 percent), carbon products (up 37 percent), limestone (up nearly 12 percent) and oils (up 72 percent) helped drive the increased volume. "Our port continues to be a major inland hub for heavy-lift cargoes as our terminal operators handled nearly double the number of large dimensional shipments during 2015 over the previous year," said Port Director Rick Heimann.

“Agricultural commodities along with dry bulk, general cargo and containerized goods continued to enhance cargo tonnage on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System during the month of November,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The general cargo dock operated by Midwest Terminals had a good month of November at the Port of Toledo. “The ability to handle a diverse array of cargo at this large facility with new material handling equipment is really helping move the economy of Northwest Ohio forward…

June was an active month for U.S. ports receiving a variety of general cargo shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway. “What’s notable about the June tonnage numbers were increases in the export of U.S. grain to Europe and the import of aluminum and steel to the ports of Cleveland, Toledo, Oswego, Detroit, and Burns Harbor. Cargo activity like this is a true reflection of just how hard our port representatives are working to market their operations to current and potential customers worldwide,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

The arrival of the 655-foot bulk carrier M/V Irma at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor signals the official opening of the port’s international shipping season. Port officials welcomed 2015's first ocean vessel on Monday with a ceremony presenting the Ports of Indiana "Steel Stein" to the ship's captain. "Our port is open year-round handling Great Lakes ships and river barges, but the first ocean vessel of the year signifies the opening of Northwest Indiana's gateway to the world," said Port Director Rick Heimann.

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handled more shipments in 2014 than any year since the port opened in 1970. Total tonnage was up 30 percent over 2013 driven by strong shipments of steel, grain and salt. "It was a terrific year thanks to our port companies, steelmakers and businesses that use our port," said Rich Cooper, CEO for the Ports of Indiana. "Federal Marine Terminals, the port's terminal operator, and its labor force did a tremendous job handling the significant cargo increases that arrived at the port by ship and barge.

The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date cargo shipments of more than 24 million metric tons moved through the system for the period March 28 to September 30 – an increase of nearly 5 percent over September 2013. U.S. grain continued its upward trend posting a 14.6 percent increase over the same time last year. “Cargo tonnage moved through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System during the month of September continues to be robust and reflects positively on the economy and the shipping industry,” said Administrator Betty Sutton of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Over 15 million metric tons of cargo moved through the St. Lawrence Seaway during the month of July, down just 4 percent over last year, marking a sustained comeback after the slow start to the shipping season. "The month of July was extremely busy for our ports on the Great Lakes-Seaway System as they handled high value cargoes like steel, wind components, and machinery that arrived from 13 different countries," said Rebecca Spruill, Director of Trade Development for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to October 31 were 28 million metric tons, down 7% over the same period in 2012. With only two months left in the shipping season, U.S. ports are hustling to move as much cargo as possible. "The Seaway's principal commodities - iron ore, coal and grain - helped move the scales in the right direction for cargo tonnage handled on the Great Lakes-Seaway System," said Rebecca Spruill, Director of Trade Development at the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22-September 30 were 23 million metric tons. While this number is down 11% over the same period in 2012, U.S. ports continue to beat the odds with increased tonnage in several cargo categories. "At least a dozen ships from Europe unloaded steel products at the ports of Cleveland, Milwaukee, Burns Harbor and Detroit over the past month; a clear sign that the end of the navigation season…

While total cargo movements through the St. Lawrence Seaway in August remained in the negative column (down 9 percent over 2012), the 19.3 million metric tons of cargo moved through the system represented an improvement over last month's statistics. Ingenuity and resourcefulness, hallmarks of the Seaway System and its users, were evident at U.S. ports around the region. U.S. ports spent the generally slow month of August continuing work on infrastructure projects and securing new cargo shipments. "So far in 2013 we have seen general cargo volumes double over last year at the Port of Toledo. This is a good sign that the port is building momentum and that our investments in the equipment and infrastructure at the facility are paying off…

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor celebrates the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway 2013 international shipping season with the recent arrival of two vessels. On March 22, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened its locks for ocean vessels from around the world to enter the Great Lakes and deliver cargo to U.S. and Canadian ports for the 55th annual international shipping season. The 2,340-mile deep draft waterway is open to ocean vessels from mid-March through December, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the heart of North America.

The Ports of Indiana named Rick Heimann Port Director for the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor effective January 16. Heimann recently served as Sourcing Manager, specializing in rail and water transportation, for ArcelorMittal USA in East Chicago. “The opportunity to lead the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor is an exciting endeavor,” said Heimann. Prior to joining ArcelorMittal USA, Heimann served as Transportation Manager for AK Steel and Sales Manager for barge line, The Ohio River Co. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. Joseph’s College and a master’s degree from Xavier University, also in business administration. Heimann and his wife, Debbie, live in Schererville, Indiana.