INDIANAPOLIS (April 8, 2021) – Ports of Indiana announced today that it has hired Ryan McCoy as the new Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor port director and Tom Fifer as the director of planning and project delivery, a newly-created position.

McCoy, a lifelong northwest Indiana resident, will lead port operations and business development for the northwest Indiana port, starting on April 26.  McCoy’s industry experience includes nearly 20 years as a mid- to senior-level manager in the agriculture, steel, maritime transportation and logistics sectors. He most recently served as a multi-facility manager at Cargill, Inc., a global grain elevator company and a tenant at the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor.

Fifer brings 30 years of experience in construction management and engineering with global healthcare and large industrial companies, overlapping with 28 years of experience as a hospital clinical engineer with the Air Force Reserves. In his role as the director of planning and project delivery, which began in February, Fifer is responsible for leading the project planning and delivery process from start to finish at all three port locations, along with the Port’s engineering team.

Most recently, Fifer served as the global director of engineering and maintenance for Envigo, a life sciences research and development company. Fifer was responsible for facility operations and preventative maintenance for clean room facilities in the US, UK, Europe and Asia.

“We are thrilled to officially welcome Ryan and Tom to the Ports of Indiana team. Both gentlemen offer incredible experience and attributes that will strengthen the team and contribute to the success of the ports,” said Ports of Indiana COO Andrea Hermer. “Ryan’s extensive and diverse background of experiences, coupled with his knowledge with the port, tenants and the community, perfectly position the Burns Harbor port for continued growth and new opportunities. Likewise, Tom’s breadth of experience and understanding of the project planning and delivery process, and efficiencies gained through upfront planning and improvements to the process, are well-suited for this new, yet necessary, role.”

McCoy specializes in supply chain management, community and business development, multimodal transportation, logistics and capital deployment. During his time with Cargill, Inc., McCoy led Cargill’s efforts to become the first organic certified grain facility in the United States, and, nearly six years ago, brought the first imported organic corn shipments into the Midwest market.

“I am a big proponent of the ports and its mission to develop and maintain a world-class port system,” said McCoy. “I am looking forward to offering a new perspective and network and to lead the Burns Harbor port community that has been such a large part of my professional career.”

The new position of director of planning and project delivery was created to emphasize the importance of improving the entire project delivery process.  This includes emphasizing and valuing early strategic planning and development by project teams, upfront project due diligence, and construction management through project closeout; all of which will allow for the port’s continued success and growth in capital expenditures projects.

“There are a lot of incredible things happening at the Ports of Indiana, and I’m looking forward to helping further develop the scope of projects dedicated to growing Indiana’s economy,” said Fifer.

“The professionalism Ryan and Tom exhibit is a testament to Andrea’s leadership,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Vanta E. Coda II. “She has helped set us up for the next level of success. Andrea has done a great job of articulating our mission to attract and retain the types of individuals who will undoubtedly contribute to the success of the ports. The organization is moving in the right direction.”

McCoy is married with two children and resides in Valparaiso, Ind. He serves on the Ivy Tech Community College Valparaiso advisory board and is an active volunteer in the Portage community.

Fifer and his wife live in Indianapolis and have three grown children.  He enjoys running and participating in ultra-running trail events.

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About the Ports of Indiana: The Ports of Indiana is 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. Follow us on Twitter: @PortsofIndiana.

Media contact: Alicia Thomas athomas@portsofindiana.com