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BELLAIRE -- A local barge business is expanding to include rail service, with some investment help from the state.
On Wednesday the Ohio Rail Development Commission announced it approved a $500,000 loan to Mountaineer Products Inc., which does business as MPR Supply Chain Solutions. The money will allow the firm to expand its operations in Bellaire to include rail service. The planned facility in Bellaire will include rail-truck-river barge transload capabilities. The total investment is about $9,500,000.
MPR officials are eager to get started.
"In the early 1900s rail was abundant in the industrial town, Bellaire, Ohio. MPR is excited to expand its services and bring the rail back to Bellaire. We appreciate ORDC's support as we grow our business, create more jobs in Belmont County, and offer cost saving opportunities to eastern Ohio companies for inbound and outbound multi-mode transloading including rail, river and truck," Natalie Brown, president of MPR Transloading & Energy Services, said.
"It is always our goal to work with local and state economic development partners to promote investment and employment opportunities in Ohio. Working with our partners at JobsOhio, the MPR project will provide additional opportunities for companies to utilize both the rail and river network available to Ohio," ORDC Executive Director Matthew Dietrich said.
Belmont County Port Authority Director Larry Merry said the development is a sign of good things to come.
"From the port authority's perspective, this is just more good news. A company that is locally owned and continues to grow and invest in their community. I just can't say enough about the individuals that own this company," he said. "I think there'll continue to be good news coming."
MPR is a multi-modal transload center that is situated to serve nearly two-thirds of the United States' population within a day's transit. MPR's services allow numerous customers to take advantage of the strengths of various modes of transportation without the significant up-front cost involved in having those services on site. MPR purchased nearly 50 acres in Bellaire to create a multi-mode transloading facility with an emphasis on rail just 1 mile south of its current location. In addition to outside storage, the property will have warehouses for products to be stored. The site is situated along Interstate 470 and Ohio 7 in an industrial park.
Rail is to be installed off the Wheeling & Lake Erie line with the design intent to hold a train where transloading of fertilizer, polyethylene, steel, salt, friction reducer, pipe, sand and other commodities may occur. Rail frontage off Norfolk Southern is also on site, and future plans may include the installation of infrastructure to access that rail line.
ORDC assists Ohio companies and communities in creating and retaining jobs by preserving rail service to existing shippers and providing rail service to new customers. In addition, the ORDC funds projects to improve railroad-highway grade crossings to increase safety to the traveling public.
For additional information regarding this project or for additional information on ORDC, call Wende Jourdan at 614-728-9497.