Posted on May 27, 2021
The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor was one of eight ports in the United States to win a Pacesetter Award for its performance during the 2020 shipping season.
The U.S. Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. gives the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award, which was established in 1992, annually to recognize increases in international cargo tonnage that passes through the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Great Lakes. The deepwater port on Lake Michigan in Porter County has won the honor 13 times, most recently in 2018.
“We are pleased to receive the Pacesetter Award in recognition of the increased international shipping at the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor,” Ports of Indiana CEO Vanta E. Coda II said. “Indiana’s maritime success is directly attributable to our location at the ‘Crossroads of America,’ our world-class infrastructure for multimodal transportation and the exceptional companies that operate at our ports.”
International tonnage to the Port of Burns Harbor soared by 77.5% last year. Nearly 80 hulking international vessels known as salties delivered cargoes to the port, which received one of the largest shipments in its history — parts for a $1 billion power plant.
The port handled 2.27 million tons of cargo last year, including Indiana-grown grain shipped to international markets. It’s estimated that maritime operations at the port generate $5.2 billion per year in economic activity.
“I applaud the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor for their leadership and commitment to keeping the port thriving,” said Craig Middlebrook, deputy administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. “Earning the Pacesetter Award is a reflection of the hard work, dedication and vision of the committed professionals at the port and their faithful customers.”
The other Pacesetter recipients include The Port of Buffalo, the Conneaut Port Authority in Ohio, the Lorain Port and Finance Authority in Ohio, The Port of Milwaukee, the Port of Monroe in Michigan, the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority in New York, and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority in Ohio
The U.S. Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation estimates maritime commerce on the Great Lakes generates $35 billion in economic activity, supporting more than 237,000 jobs.
