Tenn-Tom Port Hires Federal Marine Terminals To Be Stevedoring, Logistics Services Provider
Montreal-based Federal Marine Terminals Inc. (FMT) has signed an operating agreement with Port Itawamba, located on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (Tenn-Tom) near the city of Fulton, Miss.
With the agreement, Federal Marine Terminals further expands its reach into the southeastern United States. The company already has operations in Florida at Port Manatee and Tampa and in Lake Charles, La., within the Port of Lake Charles.
The new operation within Port Itawamba offers Federal Marine Terminals connections to the south to the Port of Mobile and other ports along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. To the north, Port Itawamba offers Federal Marine Terminals connections to the Midwestern states via the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and beyond.
The port, located just below the Glover Wilkins Lock near Mile 375 on the Tenn-Tom, has two berths with a capacity of six to eight barges per berth. There is also a conveyor system, 15,000 square feet of warehouse space and five acres of open storage. The facility offers connections to BNSF and KCS railroads and both state highways and Interstate 22. Equipment on site includes one crane with a lifting capacity of 60 metric tons, a crane cell for 250-ton loading capacity, forklifts, a bulk loader, a truck scale and a Roll-On, Roll-Off ramp.
Typical commodities handled at Port Itawamba include steel, bulk cargoes, forest products, project cargo, containers and breakbulk cargoes.
Federal Marine Terminals President Louis Saint-Cyr said he’s eager to see how the port will grow through the course of FMT’s multiyear lease as its exclusive stevedoring and logistics service provider.
“We are excited to expand our current footprint by partnering with the Itawamba County Port to help drive new revenue streams for the port and its community,” Saint-Cyr said. “Our strong expertise in logistics services will be an asset.”
Untapped Potential
Itawamba area port leaders likewise celebrated the new partnership with FMT.
“The Itawamba County Board of Supervisors looks forward to developing new business relationships and exploring ways to maximize the untapped potential of the port and county,” said Bill Sheffield, president of the Itawamba County Board of Supervisors.
Marvin Little, board president of the Itawamba County Port Commission, said he hopes the long-term agreement will usher in a period of expansion for the port.
“Federal Marine Terminals is a globally-recognized company, and the Itawamba County Port Commission is excited about the new partnership and opportunities of increased economic activity at the Port of Itawamba,” Little said.
Federal Marine Terminals was launched in 1965 as the maritime arm of freight operator Fednav Limited. Today, FMT operates in 13 terminals in the East Coast, Gulf Coast, Great Lakes and Arctic regions.
