Indiana port taps Louis Dreyfus to restart grain terminal

Indiana’s state ports agency is looking to one of the world’s largest agri-businesses to revitalize its grain exports.

Ports of Indiana has selected Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) to operate the grain export facility at its Lake Michigan port.

Considered one of the world’s “big four” global agri-commodities companies, privately-held 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 Chief Executive Jody Peacock, in the release. “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.”

Dreyfus operates the largest U.S. soybean crushing and biodiesel plant in Claypool, Ind.

“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, also in the release. “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.”

The port’s grain operation includes storage capacity for 7.2 million bushels of grain, 200 railcars and 20 barges.

In 2024, the Port of South Louisiana was the largest inland hub for ag traffic, handling more than 50% of all U.S. grain exports. That total included 40 million tons of soybeans.

Northern Indiana hosts the largest U.S. port with access to the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and U.S. inland rivers. It also provides multimodal connections to 16 railroads in the greater Chicago market.

Regional Rail operates the port’s Burns Harbor Railroad, connecting to the national rail network via Norfolk Southern. 

The Burns Harbor terminal has capacity to load up to 90,000 bushels per hour into an ocean or lake vessel, and unload 30,000 bushels per hour from a unit train.

Dreyfus expects to begin operating the terminal in early 2026.

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Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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