News

New maritime ag export facility opens in Milwaukee

Great Lakes region farmers have a new way of getting their commodities to export markets. 

After two years of construction, the DeLong Company’s new Agricultural Maritime Export Facility is open at the Port of Milwaukee.  Vice President Bo DeLong tells Brownfield the first shipment has reached its destination. “We shipped a small vessel of dry distillers grains made from Wisconsin ethanol plants with corn produced in Wisconsin about three weeks ago, and it just arrived in Ireland this past weekend and they’re unloading it currently.”

Brandon Bickham is DeLong’s Director of Exports, who developed the facility concept. “It started off with demand overseas, and we were trying to fill that demand.”

Randy Hughes with the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board tells Brownfield this new export facility opens markets for Wisconsin farmers they didn’t have before. “Now, with the St. Lawrence Seaway, with them, this is exactly what we need. It’s a whole new market for us, and that’s great news.”

DeLong says when the St. Lawrence Seaway closes in the winter, they can run barges to the gulf down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, making the facility functional year-round.

The DeLong Agricultural Maritime Export Facility can store 30 thousand tons of DDGs or 45 thousand metric tons of soybeans and can load ships or barges at one thousand metric tons per hour.  Incoming commodities arrive by truck or rail car.  DeLong expects the facility to ship up to 400-thousand metric tons per year.

Audio: Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers comments on the new DeLong Agricultural Maritime Export Facility

AUDIO: Bo DeLong speaks with Brownfield’s Larry Lee about the new Agricultural Maritime Export Facility

AUDIO: DeLong’s Brandon Bickham discusses export demand prompting the Milwaukee investment with Brownfield’s Larry Lee

AUDIO: Wisconsin Corn Grower Randy Hughes tells Brownfield the new export facility opens new markets for farmers.