Ports of Indiana CEO recaps 2022 shipping year

One month into the job, the new chief executive officer of the Ports of Indiana says he is excited about the future of the three ports that the authority operates. Jody Peacock is no stranger to the organization, having been with the port system for 22 years. Last month, the authority reported the three facilities handled 11.9 million tons of cargo in 2022, a 6% increase over 2021 and 42% higher than 2020.

In an interview on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, Peacock said the ports have had a steady comeback following down years related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re a very diverse port system. We have a lot of different cargoes. But we’re seeing growth now in steel, ag products, fertilizer, ethanol, DDGs,” said Peacock. ”It’s nice to see everything coming back. And, you know, we’re at record levels at two ports, and we see more growth yet to come.”

The Burns Harbor facility along Lake Michigan handled 3.45 million tons, up two percent compared to 2021. The Ports authority says that is the second-consecutive year the port reached its highest annual shipment total since it began operation in 1970.

On the Ohio River, Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville handled 3.46 million tons, seven percent higher than 2021. The organization Jeffersonville says its highest annual shipment total since it began operating in 1985.

The facility in Mount Vernon, which is also on the Ohio River, did not set a record in 2022, however it did see increased tonnage. It handled five million tons, up 7.8% compared to the previous year.

Peacock says outsiders may think Indiana’s nickname, “Crossroads of America,” implies nothing but highways. But he reminds people that 57% of the state’s border is water, including a lengthy stretch of the Ohio River, Lake Michigan shoreline, and the Wabash River.

“If you look at domestic shipments, what’s moving in between the states, we’re sixth in the country in waterborne shipping,” said Peacock. “We ship over 50 million tons per year as a state. And that puts us right in the mix of the top states in the country. Twelfth in the country.”

To stay competitive, the ports must be continually updated. Peacock says the three ports are currently working on $60 million dollars in new projects.

“Federal dollars are the way to grow your ports. We’re not funded by the state. We get no taxpayer dollars going into our ports from the state. So, we apply for federal grants and compete across the country. And we’ve been very successful in getting grants,” said Peacock.

The ports authority says the projects include three new shipping berths and a bulk warehouse at Burns Harbor, a new barge shuttle storage facility at Jeffersonville, as well as a new dock winch system and major maintenance projects at Mount Vernon.

Peacock succeeds Vanta Coda, who led the organization from 2018 to 2022.