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[Oct. 17, 2016]

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, Quebec – The Ports of Indiana and the Port of Trois-Rivières announced today that the two port authorities have formed a first-of-its-kind marketing partnership and will conduct a joint study to explore new maritime shipping opportunities.

The two ports will launch a market analysis in the next few weeks to identify potential supply chain connections between their facilities. The initiative was created as a direct result of the maritime partnership formed between Indiana and Quebec in 2015. Both port organizations have been working together in the past few months, but now plan to expand their collaboration efforts.

Today’s announcement was made when Indiana Secretary of Commerce Victor Smith, Ports of Indiana CEO Rich Cooper and a group of Indiana leaders visited the Port of Trois-Rivières as part of an Indiana Maritime Trade Mission to Quebec that included meetings with Dominique Anglade, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation, as well as leadership from Port of Trois-Rivières, Port of Montreal, Fednav and various maritime businesses based in Quebec.

In Trois-Rivières, the Indiana delegation met with Québec Associate Secretary General of Maritime Affairs Georges Farrah, port officials, transportation providers and major manufacturers in the area. The Indiana delegation included port, steel and economic development representatives who participated in the trip to learn more about developments related to Quebec’s Maritime Strategy announced in 2015.

“We’re excited to partner with the Port of Trois-Rivières to explore new market opportunities for better connecting our ports and expanding economic opportunities for both Indiana and Quebec,” said Rich Cooper, CEO for the Ports of Indiana. “Our ports share an entrepreneurial approach to new business development and a determined focus for providing logistics solutions for bulk and break-bulk shipments on our waterways.”

The Port of Trois-Rivières is a deep-water port located between Montreal and Quebec City on the St. Lawrence River, which is open year-round to ocean vessels. The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor provides multimodal connections to the Chicago-Northwest Indiana markets, which is one of the largest steel producing regions in the world, and also offers year-round shipments via the 12,500-mile inland river system which connects to 20 states and the Gulf of Mexico.

“We believe there are potential synergies in the industrial sectors surrounding each of our ports and that the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway can provide logistics solutions for developing new business connections in Indiana and Quebec,” said Gaétan Boivin, President & CEO, Port of Trois-Rivières. “The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor offers connections to extensive supply and demand opportunities for Quebec businesses in the Chicago marketplace, and can provide access to the U.S. inland waterways system.”

 About the Port of Trois-Rivières: The Port of Trois-Rivières is operated by the Trois-Rivières Port Authority (TRPA), which has the mission to meet the objectives of the Canada Marine Act through sound management of public infrastructures under its responsibility, by fostering commercial activities and regional and national development. Information: porttr.com/en

About the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor: The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor opened in 1970 and is operated by Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority operating three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. Established in 1961, the Ports of Indiana is a self-funded enterprise dedicated to growing Indiana’s economy by developing and maintaining a world-class port system. Information: portsofindiana.com.

For more information about today’s trade mission, click here.

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Media contacts:        

Rich Allen
Ports of Indiana
rallen@portsofindiana.com
(317) 232-9204

Virginie Deschambeault
Director of Communications
Trois-Rivières Port Authority
Office: (819) 378-2887, ext. 207
Cellular: (819) 244-8888