The Andersons, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANDE) announced it has signed a long-term lease agreement for its operations at Port Houston and will be expanding the facility to support the export of soybean meal among other bulk grains. The upgrades will focus on increased reliability and efficiency and include providing rail-based soybean meal unload access directly at the export point.

“We are pleased to extend our relationship with Port Houston as it remains a strategic location for The Andersons to support our customers in exporting to high-demand markets,” said Bill Krueger, President and CEO of The Andersons. “As domestic soybean crush rises to meet the higher demand for renewable fuels, we are seeing new opportunities for the export of soybean meal, and we are working closely with our railroad partners to streamline delivery of product to the export point by installing capability to unload unit trains of soybean meal directly at the Texas Gulf.”

The Andersons facility at Port Houston.

“Our long-term agreement with The Andersons, a globally recognized Fortune 500 company with a 75-year-long history of delivering exceptional products to markets around the world, marks a significant milestone in Port Houston’s efforts to drive maritime economic growth for the region,” said Tom Heidt, Chief Operating Officer of Port Houston. “Utilizing the facilities to support the movement of a co-product of the green revolution is an evolution in the use of the Houston Ship Channel and will create new jobs locally and support jobs across America’s heartland.”

With storage capacity of 6.3 million bushels, the Houston facility supports the export of more than two million metric tons of grain annually and will now include up to 22,000 metric tons for storing soybean meal for export. Additional upgrades include a new conveyance system to seamlessly transport goods from storage to the ship loaders, as well as a new ship loading tower to increase the efficiency and speed of loading.
Source: The Andersons, Inc.