Warehouse #19 (foreground) adjacent to its new annex (background). Photo courtesy of Bryce Ell Photography.
Warehouse #19 (foreground) adjacent to its new annex (background). Photo courtesy of Bryce Ell Photography.
RESERVE, LA. - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) Intermodal Transportation’s Deputy Assistant Secretary Phil Jones, BARTON International Chairman/CEO Charles “Chuck” Bracken, and Associated Terminals President Todd Fuller joined Port of South Louisiana Executive Director Paul Aucoin and Commission Vice President Judy Songy in a ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the official opening of the expansion to warehouse #19 at Globalplex Intermodal Terminal. The $9.6 million expansion, which created 22 new jobs while retaining 19, was funded in part (approximately 90%) by LA DOTD’s Port Construction and Development Priority Program.
Pictured L-R: Natalie Robottom, St. John the Baptist Parish President; Judy Songy, Vice President of Port of South Louisiana Commission; Todd Fuller, President of Associated Terminals; Charles “Chuck” Bracken, Chairman/CEO of BARTON International; Phil Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary of LA DOTD Intermodal Transportation; Paul Aucoin, Executive Director of Port of South Louisiana; Dale Hymel, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of Port of South Louisiana; Steve Nosacka, Mayor, Town of Gramercy; and Roy Quezaire, Deputy Director of Port of South Louisiana
Pictured L-R: Natalie Robottom, St. John the Baptist Parish President; Judy Songy, Vice President of Port of South Louisiana Commission; Todd Fuller, President of Associated Terminals; Charles “Chuck” Bracken, Chairman/CEO of BARTON International; Phil Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary of LA DOTD Intermodal Transportation; Paul Aucoin, Executive Director of Port of South Louisiana; Dale Hymel, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of Port of South Louisiana; Steve Nosacka, Mayor, Town of Gramercy; and Roy Quezaire, Deputy Director of Port of South Louisiana
The 77,520 square-foot annex, which was designed to store and process bulk commodities, consists of a 14” thick pile-supported concrete floor with a load capacity of 2,160 pounds per square foot, a metal frame designed to resist up to 136 MPH hurricane-force winds, and a pitched metal roof deck 67’10” in height overall and 36’ eaves. Its six bays have a storage capacity of 106,000 cubic feet each for a total storage capacity of approximately 45,000 tons of material. Connected to the existing 35,000 square foot warehouse #19, the Port of South Louisiana planned this extension based on the needs of BARTON International. Designed by URS Corporation, the annex improves functionality and increases the storage capacity of the warehouse. The expansion project also included a new roadway and other paved areas, a loading dock ramp, truck scales, conveyors, bulk storage bins, and the acquisition of a Hyundai HL-980XTD wheel loader.
Interior of Warehouse #19 annex.
Interior of Warehouse #19 annex.
“We dedicate a beautiful warehouse today,” said Aucoin during the event. “This is the result of a joint effort by the Port of South Louisiana, the State of Louisiana, Associated Terminals and Barton International.  We couldn’t be more pleased.” BARTON International, a resident tenant of Globalplex since 2006, is using the warehouse for their garnet abrasive operation. The expanded facility, which triples their previous storage footprint, will hold vast quantities of industrial garnet used in waterjet cutting, coatings removal, and other specialized abrasives applications. Associated Terminals will continue to provide the bulk logistics services (vessel unloading, storage of raw product, product processing, finished product storage, and finished product loading and distribution) as they have done in the past. "We are excited to be a part of the continuing growth story of the Port of South Louisiana, which is the premier sea gateway for U.S. export and import traffic," BARTON International CEO & Chairman Charles H. ("Chuck") Bracken Jr. said. "BARTON International's expanded warehouse and processing center is proud to join the other first-class port facilities at America’s largest tonnage port district. BARTON's new facilities include an additional processing line, as well as a state-of-the-art air washing process, a sophisticated screening operation that ensures high product consistency and quality, and a high-tech packaging unit. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Port of South Louisiana, BARTON has been able to streamline, consolidate, and centralize our garnet abrasives operations under one roof in this wonderful new facility." “This warehouse is another example of the Port of South Louisiana’s and Associated Terminals' commitment to helping customers create strategic solutions for their operating requirements,” said Fuller. “BARTON International has had a presence in the Port of South Louisiana with their services provided by Associated Terminals for more than a decade. We want to thank Barton for putting their trust in our team to handle their high quality abrasive products for their processing and distribution functions.”   Among those in attendance were St. John the Baptist Parish President Natalie Robottom and Sherri LeBas, who was LA DOTD Secretary when this project was initiated.