THE HUB OF THE NATION'S INLAND WATERWAYS

Paducah, with it's thousands of employees that work in the area's river industry, is rightly described as the hub of the nation's inland waterways. Today, representatives of Paducah's largest entities in that industry said business is good. Three river industry executives gave an overview of their respective companies and how it all affects the area's economy.

Jerry Knapper of Ingram Barge, the largest employer in our area, said there will be a 20% growth in river freight traffic in the next 12 years. Ingram Barge owns 4,165 barges, mostly dry bulk cargo barges, that carry coal, grains, fertilizer and sand up and down the rivers. They employ about 600 in the Paducah area.

One barge can economically transport the equivalent of 58 semis or 15 rail cars. Typically, there's 15 barges to one boat that take up one quarter mile on the river. An equivalent amount of freight would translate to 12 miles of semis on the highway.

Marquette Transportation, which moved its headquarters here from Wisconsin in 1990, is rapidly growing. CFO Bruce Hahn said the company owns nearly 700 dry barges, but charters those out to freight companies. Marquette has expanded its operations inland and out to the "blue water" of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America.

Brent Gaines, the Sales and Marketing Director for locally-owned and operated, James Marine, said the company has experienced phenomenal growth since founder Ronnie James first opened the business in 1986.

Today, James Marine has numerous divisions, including vessel construction and repair and midstream refueling. In fact, James Marine operates the only barge painting of its kind in the nation near Calvert City, and is awaiting a patent on the company's process. Painting barges in an environmentally friendly method can add as much 6 years to a barge's lifespan, which can cost up to $600,000 each.

They are also currently constructing 20 new tank barges for Ingram Barge, and will soon open a new repair facility at Wickliffe at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

Gaines says through growth and acquisitions of local companies, such as Tennessee Valley Towing from our own Bill Dyer, and Walker Boatyard, employment leaped from 250 to 950.

All three executives said for the industry to continue to grow, infrastructure was key. As Knuepper pointed out, a reliable system of locks and dams along the inland waterways keep the barges moving. There are 257 such systems and 117 of them are 50 years old or older, with 7 of them coming in at over 100 years old. All need proper maintenance, repair, or replacement, which has been delayed due to federal government funding.

The nearby Olmsted Lock and Dam was first authorized by Congress in 1988. It was to be completed four years ago at a total cost of $750 million. Today, it is projected to completed in 2015 at a cost of nearing $2 billion.

Meanwhile, Gaines said one of the biggest challenges for James Marine was finding skilled workers, specifically welders and fitters.

Although no comprehensive figures were available for the Paducah area, the river industry makes up 16% of the U.S. Economy. It is safe to say that at around 2,000 jobs, the economic impact locally of this booming industry runs into several million dollars annually.

NEXT WEEK

January 30 - Julie Harris, Glen Anderson; River Heritage Museum - It's Plan and How It Will Be Achieved