For years, it’s simply been the riverfront around the Follansbee area.
But now, it’s The Port of West Virginia.
On Wednesday, officials hosted a day-long event they termed an economic development forum.
They describe the port as “perfectly situated on the epicenter of steel country.”
They plan to build a Midwest distribution center for containers, bulk—anything that needs to be shipped.
Already operating in Follansbee, The Port of West Virginia is accepting whatever needs to be moved.
“Shipping containers, aggregate, dry goods, really any kind of freight that can be transported by rail, barge or truck,” said Scotty Ewusiac, president of Empire Diversified Energy, the parent company of The Port.
“Internationally, they’re shipping things but what they really want to do is expand that linear footage of the port up to 8,000 or 9,000 feet and that’s just really going to make it one of the greatest and biggest inland ports in the United States,” noted David Velegol, Follansbee mayor.
They’re not lamenting what’s gone; they’re looking forward.
“Especially now with everything that has changed with the coke plant, this is really going to be a big opportunity for the City of Follansbee, and I have to tell you, the Diversified Energy team has really brought in some of the best experts in the United States in terms of port experience,” said Velegol.
They toured the area, looking at loading facilities and past and present riverfront industry.
One particularly exciting message was that the port needs more employees.
“We’re looking to employ more people and that businesses can contact us to move their freight for them,”
Said Ewusiac.
They say it will even help the area roads.
“For every barge you can bring up here loaded with containers, that takes like 70 trucks off the roads,” said Port Director Joe DiBartolomeo. “So you’re looking at less damage to the infrastructure, you’re looking at less pollution, oil use, all those things.”
Tour participants came away impressed.
“I can see the future here at the port,” said West Virginia Owens Brown. “It will only grow and it will also attract other businesses because there are other people who are looking at this from other parts of the state and the country.”
They say it will make the Ohio Valley a bigger player in the oil and gas industry.
