Grainnet

ADM's ARTCO and St. James Stevedoring Company Form Stevedoring Joint Venture, St. James Stevedoring Partners

American River Transportation Company (ARTCO) and St. James Stevedoring Company LLC (SJS) announced on Jan. 16 the formation of a stevedoring joint venture.

The venture will operate under the name of St. James Stevedoring Partners LLC and will be headquartered in Convent, LA.

St. James Stevedoring Partners will provide the midstream transloading of bulk and break bulk cargo between ships and river barges in the lower Mississippi River area.

St. James Stevedoring Partners will primarily operate from seven mooring buoy locations spread between Mile 167, Mile 158 and Mile 121 on the lower Mississippi River.

Additionally, the company is permitted to operate at most potential stevedoring locations between Baton Rouge and the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The company’s operations will use five Gottwald cranes and six friction cranes to accomplish cargo transfers.

The Gottwald cranes represent the state of the art in stevedoring bulk crane transfer and have become ubiquitous on the world stage.

Among the crane features is a gross lift of 40 metric tons at a 117-feet radius.

Each Gottwald crane utilizes both 44-yard and 20-yard buckets and is PLC controlled.

The operator sits at 73 feet which provides excellent visibility of work area, enhancing worker safety and improving productivity.

Current customers of ARTCO and SJS will benefit from the joint venture through an enhanced service package.

“We’re pleased to partner with St. James Stevedoring Company.

"Together, our expertise in transportation markets will provide productive, cost efficient stevedoring packages to current and future customers,” said Royce Wilken, President of ARTCO.

“Bringing five Gottwald cranes together will change the stevedoring landscape of the lower Mississippi River as we provide excellent service and a commitment to communication and technological development to the bulk industry,” said Paul Morton, President of St. James Stevedoring Company LLC.

“For 23 years we have provided a high level of service, and this step takes us into the future.”

The administrative offices of St. James Stevedoring Partners will be located at the existing St. James Stevedoring Company offices in Convent.

ARTCO is a wholly owned subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM).

For more information, call ADM Media Relations at 217-424-5413.