After an extensive feasibility study with the state of West Virginia, Empire Trimodal Terminal now is authorized to operate as “The Port of West Virginia,” according to parent company Empire Diversified Energy.
“We are very excited about this opportunity to represent the great state of West Virginia,” said Frank Rosso, CEO of Empire Diversified. “Our plan to build a multifunctional inland water port terminal is already in progress.”
Empire recently completed a $26 million bond issuance with the West Virginia Economic Development Authority for Dock and Wharf Development on the Ohio River in Follansbee WV.
“With over 5 miles of existing rail on our site, and truck access to the Midwest, we intend to expand our current operations by adding a breakbulk container terminal on the South Terminal property,” Rosso added.
The CEO also credited current economic conditions for creating a positive environment for this type of development.
“The completed expansion of the Panama Canal has seen oversize Post Panamax ships (24,000 containers) coming into the United States every day,” Rosso concluded. “This expansion has created a need for new inland water terminals to accommodate this increasing traffic and assist in distribution. We believe Empire, through ‘The Port of West Virginia,’ is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this opportunity, both in terms of inbound and outbound container movement.”