The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) announced intermodal rail volumes are up more than 15% YTD, when comparing January through May. Through its growing intermodal service and efficient global and inland connections, Port NOLA ensures that goods arrive at homes across the nation, that businesses can efficiently move their products, and that economic prosperity and job creation for the state and region continues. Rail represents approximately 33% of Port NOLA and NOPB’s consolidated annual revenue.

The recent 2024 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature committed $230.5 million to Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) infrastructure projects including the Port’s new downriver container terminal, the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) and the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor, which is envisioned to connect the $1.8 billion LIT to the interstate system and deliver a road that has long been sought after by St. Bernard Parish leaders and residents.

Today, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) formally confirmed Ronald J. Wendel Jr., who is currently serving as Port NOLA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, to become the Acting President and CEO of Port NOLA and Acting CEO of NOPB in June following the departure of current President and CEO, Brandy Christian, who has accepted the role of CEO of Patriot Rail Company. Wendel, who joined Port NOLA in 2015, brings a wealth of experience to the role and is poised to ensure that key strategic initiatives, like the $1.8 billion-dollar Louisiana International Terminal, move forward without interruption.

Today, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) announced that its President and CEO Brandy D. Christian, a leading figure in the transportation industry, will step down mid-June 2024 to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. Christian has served as the President and CEO of Port NOLA since January 1, 2017, and as the CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) since its acquisition by Port NOLA on February 1, 2018, during which time Port NOLA increased operating revenues by 70 percent and NOPB increased operating income by 300 percent.

Trumpets blared aboard Carnival Liberty today as Carnival Cruise Line celebrated its 30th year sailing from New Orleans. Community leaders and the cruise line’s Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse, world-famous for his New Orleans cuisine, were on board to mark the important milestone just after the ship arrived in its new home of Port NOLA for the first time.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) announced today that it moved a total of 133,845 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) during the third quarter of fiscal year 2024 representing a 19% increase year over year and also a record quarter with container volume not seen since the supply chain issues in 2021. As containerized import volumes continue to steadily climb, due in part to Port NOLA’s investment in four new ship to shore container cranes, throughput efficiency (the number of containers that pass-through Port NOLA in a given timeframe) also continues to be high.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) will celebrate its eighth annual Maritime Month May 1-31 and National Maritime Day on May 22 to pay tribute to the region’s rich maritime history and to honor the hardworking men and women of the local maritime industry.  

Today the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) announced that it has named Amanda Coates as its Chief Commercial Officer. In this role, Coates will lead the port’s business development strategies and real estate operations, further strengthening its position as a market leader. Her appointment reflects Port NOLA’s commitment to not only attracting top talent and fostering a culture of excellence, but also to investing in and growing our workforce into positions of increasing responsibility.

The Port of New Orleans announced today that it has been awarded $7,117,567 from the Federal Highway Administration’s Reducing Truck Emissions at Port Facilities (RTEPF) Grant program that is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) today announced a new 10-year lease arrangement with The Kearney Companies, Inc. (The Kearney Companies), a subsidiary of Precision Terminal Logistics (PTL). This new lease marks a significant 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).

Today, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) selected new officers with the election of Walter J. Leger Jr. to serve as Board Chairman, James J. Carter Jr. as Vice Chairman, and Sharonda R. Williams as Secretary-Treasurer for a nine-month term. With the alignment of the Port NOLA and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, Port Commissioners and officers also serve on the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Commission.

The St. Bernard Transportation Corridor, a long-needed roadway for St. Bernard Parish that will connect the new $1.8 billion Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) to the interstate system, will receive $15 million in federal funding as part of the recently passed Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) Act for 2024.