Scottsboro-Jackson County Port Reopens

Local leaders, community members and business representatives gathered August 28 in Bridgeport, Ala., to cut the ribbon on the Scottsboro-Jackson County Port Authority’s renewed port facility.

The opening signifies the return of an active port in Jackson County after 20 years. Officials at the port regarded the ribbon-cutting ceremony as an important step toward increasing the county’s footprint on the Tennessee River.

Jackson County Marine Services will provide marine-related services and support activity associated with the river and the county’s waterfront assets. Guntersville Marine Inc. President Mike Lueken said the company’s role at the facility will focus on supply-chain operations.

“It’s all about supply chain,” Lueken said. “We do the fleeting and switching on that part of the river.”

Northern Alabama is continuing to grow, creating opportunities for marine transportation and logistics services, Leuken said.

“Northern Alabama is really growing, from Huntsville all the way to Bridgeport,” he said. “There are numerous opportunities now and in the near future.”

The facility is expected to handle a variety of cargo, including agricultural products, aggregates, manufactured products and raw materials.

Guntersville Marine currently operates a Sennebogen 860 material handler at the facility for loadout capabilities, switching and fleeting, as well as unloading and barge-transfer operations. It also offers storage opportunities through a storage pad and warehouse space.

The port’s location along the Tennessee River can provide another option for businesses managing the movement of materials and supplies.

“It benefits existing industry because everyone’s looking for ways to better manage inventory and supplies as the supply chain itself goes through changes,” Lueken said.

The reopening of the facility has also generated interest among local leaders and community members. Lueken said the renewed facility received a warm reception from those attending and that there is interest in what could come to the area in the future.

“Existing industries will definitely benefit,” Lueken said. “Northern Alabama is expanding. We’ll see what fits best.”

Looking ahead, Guntersville Marine views the Jackson County port as a complement to its existing Guntersville port, with one on the south side of the Tennessee River and the other on the north side.

The reopening gives Jackson County another active port facility along the Tennessee River, with marine services, freight handling and storage capabilities available to support area industries. As activity develops, the facility will provide another location for businesses to move agricultural products, aggregates, manufactured goods and raw materials by water.

Featured photo caption: Local officials and representatives of the Scottsboro-Jackson County Port Authority and Jackson County Marine Services participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the reopening of the port facility in Bridgeport, Ala.