Today, during the 36^th annual event in partnership with the International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association of New Orleans (IFFCBANO), Michael A. Thomas, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Commission, gave the 2024 State of the Port Address, “Delivering Louisiana’s Future -Together,” to nearly 250 community, business and elected leaders.

Today, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) appointed global maritime expert Beth Ann Branch President & Chief Executive Officer of Port NOLA and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB), effective Dec. 1, 2024. Branch is a globally recognized commercial strategist with more than 20 years of experience in the transportation and logistics industry. She replaces Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Ronald Wendel Jr., who served as Port NOLA’s Acting President & CEO / Acting CEO of NOPB and moved key strategic initiatives, like the $1.8 billion-dollar Louisiana International Terminal, forward during this transitional period.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) is on track for a record number of passenger movements with 1.3 million anticipated by the end of the year, which will exceed pre-pandemic levels. Port NOLA is the 6th largest cruise port in the country, with strong demand for both oceangoing and river vessels. Cruise business represents more than 15% of Port NOLA and NOPB’s consolidated annual revenue.

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) and Heniff Transportation Systems, LLC (Heniff) announced today that they have signed an agreement for Heniff to manage rail transloading services at the newly opened New Orleans Transloading Industrial Park. This facility, located on Terminal Road in New Orleans East, will help shippers move goods more easily between trucks and trains, making it faster to transport freight to America’s heartland.

New Orleans — The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) today announced it was awarded $1,040,583 in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Port Security Grant Program to invest in physical and technology upgrades that will enhance Harbor Police Department’s (HPD) surveillance network and provide critical equipment to help in their response to emergency incidents. Work must be completed by August 31, 2027.

In 2024, FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program awarded $90 million to agencies to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, major disasters, or other emergencies.

Gov. Jeff Landry recently appointed Michael A. Thomas as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) for a five-year term. With the alignment of Port NOLA and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB), Thomas will also serve as Chairman of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Commission.

In a landmark move to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of the Mississippi River’s vital agricultural and industrial trade routes, the Upper and Lower Mississippi River ports signed their first-ever Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) at the National Waterways Conference’s Annual Meeting. This historic partnership is poised to drive significant advancements in cooperation efforts toward business development, infrastructure investment, and federal support for port operations along America’s Marine Highways 35 and 55.

NEW ORLEANS — The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and the New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB) have resumed all normal operations following Hurricane Francine.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) is currently conducting damage assessments following Hurricane Francine. Terminal operations are closed Thursday, September 12, 2024 for clean-up and to prepare the terminals to return to normal operations on Friday, September 13, 2024.

The Harbor Police Department (HPD) announced the promotion of three veteran officers during a promotional ceremony held earlier this week at the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA).

Today, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) announced significant progress on two major infrastructure enhancement projects - the Transloading Industrial Park and the Claiborne Yard expansion.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) today announced its purchase of the 210,000 square foot warehouse located at 5200 Coffee Drive in the Uptown Port of New Orleans Terminal, which is supported by a new, 10-year lease with The Kearney Companies, Inc. (The Kearney Companies), a subsidiary of Precision Terminal Logistics (PTL). This agreement marks another milestone in the longstanding relationship between Port NOLA, The Kearney Companies, and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB), which provides rail service to its facilities and connection to all six Class 1 Railroads (BNSF, CPKCS, CN, CSX, NS and UP).