Officials gather to mark the warehouse’s grand opening June 4. (Alabama Department of Commerce)
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Port Birmingham added 25,000 square feet of warehouse space June 4 as Alabama moves to strengthen its river-based freight infrastructure.
The new facility, located at the Port Birmingham terminal on the Warrior River, is designed specifically to handle cold-rolled steel coils. It marks the first phase in a long-term plan to upgrade the site into a high-performing logistics hub serving central Alabama.
The project was funded in part by Alabama’s first inland port infrastructure grant, administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. The Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority, which owns the port, partnered with Watco, the private operator managing day-to-day operations.
“This groundbreaking initiative represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to bolster the economic vitality of Birmingham and Jefferson County,” said David Russell Jr., executive director of the BJCPA.
(Alabama Department of Commerce)
State officials joined local leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site, including Greg Reed, secretary of the Alabama Department of Workforce, and Kenneth Boswell, director of ADECA.
Reed called the development “evidence of folks working together all the time, making sure that we get the kind of economic accomplishments that we want to benefit our families, benefit our communities and benefit this area of the State of Alabama.”
Angela Smith, a senior project manager at the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the warehouse aligns with the state’s Catalyst economic development strategy, which targets logistics and manufacturing sectors.
“It’s more than a warehouse. It’s a gateway for commerce and a key part of Alabama’s logistics and manufacturing ecosystem,” Smith said.
BJCPA Chairman Mahari McTier said the warehouse is only the beginning of the port’s transformation.
“This is our first major project, and let me say clearly: We are open, officially, for business — and we’re just getting started,” McTier said.
The next steps include pursuing a Foreign Trade Zone designation to attract international shipping companies and developing an intermodal terminal to streamline freight transfers between rail, road and river. Officials say the goal is to reduce transportation costs for industry and make the region more competitive for future investment.
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