Louis Dreyfus Company to Reopen Burns Harbor Grain Export Facility in Portage

Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has been selected by Ports of Indiana to reopen and operate the grain export facility at the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor in Portage in northwestern Indiana.

LDC has previously announced plans to invest $18 million to restart the facility along Lake Michigan, which closed in 2023. LDC also says it plans to create about 13 new jobs at the site, which is expected to begin operating the terminal in early 2026.

LDC is based in Europe, but has operated in the U.S. since 1909. The company operates the country’s largest, fully integrated soybean crushing and biodiesel plant near Claypool in Kosciusko County.

Considered one of the world’s “big four” global agri-commodities companies, LDC reported net sales of $50.6 billion in 2024. Over the years, the Burns Harbor grain terminal has enabled exports of more than 500 million bushels of corn and soybeans between opening in 1979 and closing in 2023.

“We’re very pleased to partner with LDC to revitalize one of the most important agricultural shipping facilities in the state,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “Combining LDC’s extensive resources with one of the most robust grain export facilities on the Great Lakes provides critical access to global markets for regional farmers. This is one of only a few places in the Midwest where you can load 1 million bushels of corn onto an ocean vessel for export while simultaneously unloading an 85-car unit train and hundreds of semi-trucks from local farmers.”

“LDC is excited to join forces with Ports of Indiana, whose commitment to growing the midwestern economy is aligned with our own, long-standing growth journey in the state,” said Gordon Russell, LDC’s U.S. Head of Grains & Oilseeds. “Burns Harbor is well-positioned at the southern shore of Lake Michigan, with access to multiple regional grain markets. The port will be a strategic asset for LDC to expand market access for regional farmers and serve customers in North America and abroad.”

Northern Indiana boasts the largest U.S. port with access to the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and U.S. Inland River System, and it also provides multimodal connections to 16 railroads in the Greater Chicago market. The port’s grain operation includes storage capacity for 7.2 million bushels of grain, 200 railcars and 20 barges.

“LDC’s extended global network and business portfolio will support export growth and expand our reach across the agribusiness spectrum,” said Burns Harbor Port Director Ryan McCoy. “This terminal is one of the leading export facilities in the Midwest, with the capacity to load up to 90,000 bushels per hour into an ocean vessel or laker and unload 30,000 bushels per hour from a unit train. LDC’s investment will sharpen its competitive edge and help our region expand its multimodal capabilities and grow global trade.”

The Portage City Council approved a tax abatement package earlier this month for LDC.