Indiana ports set several cargo records in 2014

The Ports of Indiana's three ports in 2014 handled more than 10.4 million tons of cargo, up nearly 26 percent compared with 2013 and the first time annual shipments exceeded 10 million tons in the port authority's 53-year history.

The 2014 total was nearly 800,000 tons higher than the previous record set in 1994. Shipments of coal, agricultural products and steel helped drive the cargo gain, as steel shipments more than doubled while grain shipments shot up about 72 percent, Ports of Indiana officials said in a press release.

"Indiana's ports are well connected to the country's two largest inland waterways, giving our business partners access to world markets through the Great Lakes and Ohio-Mississippi river systems to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean," said Ports of Indiana Chief Executive Officer Rich Cooper. "With multimodal connections to multiple Class I railroads, superior short-line railroad services and access to major highways and interstates, the ports continue to provide our customers with a sustainable competitive edge in our ever-expanding global economy."

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor recorded its highest cargo volume since the port opened in 1970. Annual shipments climbed 30 percent versus 2013.

The Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville exceeded 2 million tons for the first time in its 29-year history. The port shipped a total of 2.4 million tons, up 48 percent year over year, beating the previous record set in 2006 by 464,000 tons.

The Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon recorded the highest fourth-quarter shipments in the Ports of Indiana's history. The port last year shipped 4.85 million tons, up 17 percent and the highest annual total since 1994.