Industrial Development Briefs: Port Bienville, Port Birmingham
Watco
“Years of planning, coordination, and work have come to fruition as Watco’s new 25,000-square-foot warehouse at Port Birmingham in Alabama is officially open for business,” the company reported in the July edition of its employee magazine, The Dispatch.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony, held June 4, included members of the Birmingham Business Alliance, Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority (BJCPA), and Watco, plus state and local officials.
The warehouse was said to be designed with steel industry customers in mind, as a way for them to securely store their products, which can be shipped via several modes of transport. It is served by Watco’s Birmingham Terminal Railway, which interchanges with BNSF, CSX and Norfolk Southern; located within 20 miles of multiple interstate highways; and offers barge access via the Black Warrior River.
BJCPA in 2022 received an Alabama Inland Port Infrastructure Program grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to help build the warehouse. It invested $1.1 million in the $1.9 million project, with Watco providing the balance as well as the property.
“We look forward to leveraging our expanded capabilities to enhance service to our partners and the broader industry,” Watco Vice President of Sales Cody Gilliand said.
“This project goes beyond storing steel coils; it’s set to unlock economic potential, strengthen our supply chain, and support thriving local businesses and jobs,” added David Russell, Executive Director of BJCPA. “Stay tuned to see what is next because this group is just getting started.”
HCPHC
HCPHC on July 1 reported acquiring the former Solvay property, an industrial site located on Webre Road in Bay St. Louis, Miss., within the 3,600-acre Port Bienville Industrial Park (see map, right). It is actively marketing the property, which “has proximity to water access with docks on 12-foot draft industrial canals for barge operations”; offers “opportunities to partner with the Port Bienville Shortline Railroad,” which interchanges with CSX; and is situated seven miles from Interstate 10 and 12 miles from Interstates 12 and 59.
The former Solvay property sits on 17 acres and features more than 22,000 square feet of heated and cooled buildings. The main building complex comprises three connected structures totaling 10,000 square feet. Additionally, the site includes a 7,500-square-foot factory area, an 1,800-square-foot warehouse, an 800-square-foot storage area, and a 2,400-square-foot warehouse. The facility also offers 2,400 square feet of office space, including three executive offices, a kitchen and a break room. The property is fenced with an electric security gate and offers paved parking, along with undeveloped land for future expansion.
“HCPHC is excited to acquire this property after sitting dormant for the last 15 years,” HCPHC Executive Director Blaine LaFontaine said. “Just as we did with the former Manufab property over the past few years attracting Point 8 Power, we intend to rehab this facility and work to bring new investment and jobs to this facility and Port Bienville.”
HCPHC in March announced the completion of the Port Bienville Shortline Railroad Storage Yard, and in December 2024, completed Warehouse 3 at the Port Bienville Industrial Park and welcomed a new tenant, Salacia Logistics & Holdings LLC, into Warehouse 1.
