All posts by PortofVinton

VINTON, La., October 23, 2018 — Port of Vinton officials announced this week that dredging operations near the mouth of the Vinton Navigation Channel has been completed.

Magnolia Dredging of Mandeville, La., was the contractor on the $1.098 million maintenance dredging project that removed more than 21,400 cubic yards of spoils over a 24-week period. The southernmost portion of the channel where it enters into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway was returned to an elevation of minus-10.5 feet, and the spoils were relocated onto nearby private open-water areas to create new marshlands in an environmentally beneficial use manner.

“It has been more than seven years since any maintenance dredge work has been performed on the channel, and in that time, a naturally occurring ‘humping’ of sediment near the mouth of the channel has gradually represented a growing navigation issue on the waterway for shallow water maritime vessels and barges,” said Jerry Merchant, president of the Port of Vinton board of commissioners.

“During the deepening of approximately 2,000 linear feet of the channel, the port also took the opportunity to modify the two corners of land bordering the channel where it enters into the GIWW,” he added.  “This is especially important for tugboat operators to make their navigation into the channel from the GIWW an easier task.”

The initial phase of the project focused on preparing the land area that was selected to receive the dredge spoils,” Merchant explained. “We are especially appreciative for the cooperation of the Stream Land Company for partnering with the port in making their property available to receive the dredge spoils.”

Merchant said that the Port of Vinton and its tenants offer a variety of specialized services that accommodate the expansion of our Southwest Louisiana regional economic development.

“High on that list is the 11-year presence of Dunham/Price on 75 acres of port property adjacent to the channel where it has the nation’s largest manufacturing site for steel-reinforced 40-foot concrete pilings as well as other pre-cast concrete materials,” he explained. “We are also home to a division of Performance Blasting & Coating that offers industrial painting and sandblasting services.”

Merchant was very complimentary of the port’s board of commissioners that led the way in applying for Calcasieu Parish funding support through a cooperative endeavor agreement with Gravity Drainage District No. 2.

“Our expansion project would not have been possible without a parish $200,000 Economic Development Riverboat Gaming Fund grant and a parish $500,000 Road and Drainage Trust Fund grant awarded specifically through the drainage district for the dredging project,” he said. “Virtually all of the runoff in the area’s water shed is directed toward the channel as it ends up draining into the GIWW.”

Located just minutes off Interstate 10 south of Vinton, the Port of Vinton has approximately 600 acres of industrial-zoned property for lease.

Vinton Harbor & Terminal District of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, does hereby advertise for sealed bids and will open same on:

1. Tuesday, February 6, 2018.
2. At the Office of the Lancon Engineers, Inc., 905 McKinley Street, Westlake, Louisiana 70669-5005 at the hour of 2:00 p.m. Central Time Zone.
3. For the Vinton Navigation Canal Maintenance Dredging (FY 2018); Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana; LEI Project No. 14-012.
4. Bidding documents, including drawings and technical specifications, are on file at the office of Lancon Engineers, Inc., 905 McKinley Street, Westlake, Louisiana 70669, or by calling 337/439-6333. Complete documents may be obtained from the Project Engineer upon deposit of $95.00 for each set of documents. Deposit is fully refundable for the first set of documents to all bona fide prime* bidders upon return of the documents in good condition no later than ten (10) days after receipt of bids. The deposit of all other set of documents will be refunded fifty percent (50%) upon return of documents as stated above.
   *Prime bidders are defined as licensed Highway, Street and Bridge Construction; and/or Heavy
   Construction; and/or Specialty: Dredging Contractors bidding this job as such.
5. All bids must be accompanied by bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the sum of the base bid and all alternates, and must be in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check drawn on a bank insured by the FDIC, or a Vinton Harbor & Terminal District Bid Bond Form contained in bidding documents, shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is published annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled insurance company with at least an Arating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide or by an insurance company in good standing licensed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana residents, all in accordance with LSAR.S. 38:2218. No Bid Bond indicating an obligation of less than five percent (5%) by any method is acceptable.
6. The successful bidder shall be required to furnish a Performance and Payment Bond in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract amount, shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is published annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled insurance company with at least an A- rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating
   Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide or by an insurance company in good standing licensed to write bid bondswhich is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana residents, all in accordance with LSAR.S. 38:2219.
7. Bids shall be accepted only from contractors who are licensed under LSAR.S. 37:2150-2163 for the classification of “Highway, Street and Bridge Construction; and/or Heavy Construction; and/or Specialty: Dredging Contractors.” No bid may be withdrawn for a period of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LSAR.S. 38:2214.
8. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause as permitted by LA R.S. 38:2214B. The ability of an Entity to reject any bid is applicable only when administered in accordance with the Public Bid Law. In accordance with LSAR.S. 38:2212B (1), the provisions and requirements of this Section, and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be waived by any entity.
9. The public shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Contract between Vinton Harbor & Terminal District and the Contractor is fully executed.
10. A Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, and 2:00 p.m. at the office of Lancon Engineers, Inc., 905 McKinley Street, Westlake, Louisiana 70669-5005.
11. Official action on this bid will be taken within forty-five (45) days by Vinton Harbor & Terminal District, except as may be extended by mutual written consent with the lowest responsible bidder.
12. Minority owned firms and small businesses are encouraged to participate.
13. All bids must be plainly marked and should contain the following on the outside of the envelope: BID FOR “Vinton Navigation Canal Maintenance Dredging (FY 2018); Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana; LEI Project No. 14-012”.

Jerry Merchant, President
Vinton Harbor & Terminal District

VINTON, La., (May 15, 2016) – The Port of Vinton Board of Commissioners voted (4-1) at last Tuesday’s monthly port board meeting to accept a contract with Mossville Lodge, LLC, that will create a $60 million 2,200-bed worker village to be constructed on 42 acres at the port.

“Not only will this project help alleviate a critical housing shortage for temporary construction workers over the next several years, but it also will provide a strong revenue stream needed to meet infrastructure development at the port and a boost in local jobs for Vinton-area residents,”  said Jerry Merchant, Port of Vinton board president.

Merchant noted during the board meeting that Mossville Lodge has one year to line up client contracts with construction contractors and sub-contractors under the company’s arrangement with the port 

“The Port of Vinton’s newest tenant comes onboard at critical time for the economic expansion of our parish and region,” he continued.  “More than 19,000 temporary construction workers will need housing within the next year or two, and this project – if developed — will greatly help in alleviating the housing shortage.”

The port’s lease agreement with Mossville Lodge requires the tenant to construct utility facilities to meet its own water and wastewater treatment needs. 

“These infrastructure improvements as well as other permanent site facilities will become the property of the port once the tenant lease expires, which will occur when demand for temporary construction workers in Southwest Louisiana and/or Southeast Texas no longer exists,” Merchant explained.  “The modular residential units where the workers will actually be housed will be able to be relocated after the need for the workers is past.”

Merchant said he expects construction work on-site to begin as soon as front-end engineering and permitting steps are completed and Mossville Lodge signs client agreements.

The Vinton Harbor & Terminal District (Port of Vinton) was created in 1956 when the Louisiana Legislature passed the Navigation and Shipping Act 466 for the purpose of stimulating economic growth in Western Calcasieu Parish. Since then, the port has expanded and today encompasses more than 800 acres of land geared to support private investment and development along the northern reach of the Vinton Navigation Channel.

Download the press release here.

Hohensee said that a lot of businesses need a public entity like the port that can immediately provide them with utilities. “It is a great demonstration of public/private partnerships,” he said.

VINTON — Vinton Port Director Lynn Hohensee told the Daily News in a recent interview that, like each port in the Ports Association of Louisiana, the Vinton Port is an economic engine within the community. “Our purpose is to take the resources we have, attract private industry tenants that will bring in tax revenue increases, create jobs and will provide infrastructure improvement,” he said.

Hohensee said that a lot of businesses need a public entity like the port that can immediately provide them with utilities. “It is a great demonstration of public/private partnerships,” he said.
There are 34 ports throughout Louisiana, which is key in a state with navigable waterways that extend to all corners. Those ports can be divided into three categories: deep draft, which account for 54 percent of the economic activity associated with ports; coastal ports, which account for about 38.5 percent; and inland ports, which account for about 7.5 percent.
Last month, Dr. James Richardson, Alumni Professor or Economics and Public Administration at Louisiana State University, prepared an update of the 2012 study of the economic impact of Louisiana ports.

Findings indicate that direct spending by ports and providers of services account for 77,000 jobs – or four percent – in the state. Industries which rely on ports for transportation, like oil and gas, petroleum and refineries, petrochemicals, agricultural, food manufacturing, wood and paper and metals, account for one out of every five jobs in the state. Annually, ports account for a combined personal income of $4.1 billion and a total of $534 million in local and state taxes.

“The common thread is that each of these ports provides services that expand the opportunities available to basic industries in a region, which are fundamental to the Louisiana economy,” said Richardson.

Board President Jerry Merchant told the Daily News recently that the loss at the polls won’t stop progress at the port. “It’s going to slow us down, but it’s not stopping us,” he said.

By Heather Regan-White

Southwest Daily News – Sulphur, LA

Posted Apr 24, 2016 at 8:57 AM

VINTON — Although Ward 7 voters opposed the Vinton Port’s first funding request since 1970 in the April 9 election, port officials are optimistic about the future of the 880-acre shallow water port located off Johnny Breaux Road.

Board President Jerry Merchant told the Daily News recently that the loss at the polls won’t stop progress at the port. “It’s going to slow us down, but it’s not stopping us,” he said.

The 10-year, 7-mill tax on the recent ballot, along with the 2.32 mills currently being collected, would have brought in $364,000 annually. That funding would have been used to cover the $3.9 million needed to dredge the length of the Vinton Drain Ditch, the primary waterway from the port to the mouth of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway or canal.

Merchant said that had the tax passed the port hoped to combine the dredging of the drain ditch with another project that would involve dredging the canal past the public boat launch to clear it to a 12-foot depth.

Why is dredging such a focus for the port? Port Director Lynn Hohensee said that the Vinton channel “humps up at the mouth of the Intracoastal, which is about seven miles south of the port.”

“It’s a barrier to good movement of shallow-water barge traffic off the Intracoastal up into the channel to our port and back out” said Hohensee. “Once we get that dredged, it will give us great opportunities for growth for the port.”

The port’s current tenants — Dunham Price, located on tracts 3, 4 and 5, and Performance Blasting and Coating, on tract 1 — join those in support of dredging. “That opens them up to Texas and all across Louisiana,” said Merchant. “They could bring barges in from anywhere.”

He said that though the port can use the ditch as it is, it is limited as to the draft on barges.

However, the port will move forward. Merchant said that within six months to a year, the port will begin dredging 2,000 feet of the ditch. The project awaits permitting from the Army Corps of Engineers’ Galveston office. The dredging will be funded by projects currently planned for the port. Those projects are currently in negotiation and include a worker village and a dirt excavation outfit.

If all goes according to plan, the worker village will be located on 50 to 60 acres northwest of Dunham Price, in the Camp Louise Road area. It will, at maximum capacity, house 2,380 workers. Merchant said the village, estimated to cost nearly $60 million to construct, will bring revenue to the port in the form of leasing and daily per person fees. And, when the work is through, they will leave millions of dollars in infrastructure including two water wells and a sewer treatment facility with almost the same capacity as Vinton’s system.

Merchant said the company also plans to hire 125 local residents to run the village. He said workers are expected to be on site for five to seven years but that may change as there are also industrial projects in the Texas Golden Triangle area that could make use of them.

Merchant said there was some misinformation passed around before the April 9 millage vote that indicated the tax would have been used to construct the village. Given the multi-million price tag for the village and the fact that the tax would have brought in a total of $3.6 million, the rumor was unfounded.

Another project on the horizon is a massive barrow pit, of which the entire perimeter will be bulkheaded to shore up the property. Merchant said the mutually beneficial project would provide needed dirt to the client, for a price, and allow for the port to use the hole in the ground, which would be large enough that, when filled with water, could function as a turning basin and storage for barges — something the port badly needs.

It would also provide more clients access to the water. It will also enhance recreation in the area by keeping barges out of the canal so fishermen don’t have to navigate around them. The parish operates a boat launch from tract 2.

“It’s an incredibly ingenious program,” said Hohensee. Currently, no large barges can travel north of Dunham Price property because there is nowhere to turn around.

The port has about three times more land to offer potential tenants than most small shallow-water ports. There are currently six tracts of land, with a total of nearly 700 unleased acres of land. Four of those tracts, 9-12, were purchased three years ago with bond money secured by the board.

The port keeps tracts 10 and 11 maintained through an agreement with a local farmer which allows him to run his cattle through the property, keeping the grass trimmed. Tract 12, previously used as a rice field and then a crawfish pond, will have road frontage on two sides after the parish builds an extension. The port is currently working on drainage on the 105 acres on tract 6. Merchant said he would like to see some sort of dry manufacturing outfit there. “I’d love to see them come in, hire 100-plus people, move in their families and help the tax base,” he said.

And while each tract has much to offer as is, expanded accessibility to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway would be a serious boon. Hohensee said the port is a great opportunity for potential clients who might not need a port but could serve industry that does. The abundance of available land allows for a dual function – that of a port and/or an industrial park. “There’s flexibility in how we promote this port to tenants,” he said. “It’s been a sleeping gold mine for a long time.”

Vinton’s port is located between Beaumont, Texas and Lake Charles. Though those may seem distant by land, the distance by water is negligible. Hohensee said that because the Port of Lake Charles is the flagship port in the region, they are able to draw large companies who start billion-dollar projects. He said each of those projects has secondary and tertiary businesses that support the project build or the ongoing operations, and those businesses need places to lease.

Potential tenants will soon find access to the port by land much easier. The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury is set to embark on a project to extend Johnny Breaux Road north to Highway 108. “That will be a tremendous asset to us,” said Merchant. “People can get on 108 from Exit 8 and come straight south to the port.”

Hohensee said it will definitely make things easier for Dunham Price truckers transporting 40-ft. concrete pilings. They will no longer have to navigate the twists and turns of the current route between the port and 108. “It’s going to be a strong incentive to other businesses who want to look at the port,” said Hohensee. “They’ve got a straight one-mile shot into our port.”

The project will include a utility corridor alongside the extension that could provide water and sewer service in the future. Currently, there are no fire hydrants nor is there a water district in the area of the port or north of 108. With the parish road project, hydrants will be installed at intervals along the road. All wooden utility polls will be replaced with steel and landscaping will be installed. Not only will the project attract new residents, it will provide revenue for the Town of Vinton.

Water rates will be three times higher than what in-town residents pay. The parish is in the process of acquiring rights of way. A subdivision located to the east of the new road will benefit from accessibility to the new road. Hohensee said that Entergy officials have expressed their interest in helping spur development in the area and that their substation located within the subdivision can be expanded to bring additional power to that area.

“For the last three years, since the purchase of [tracts 9-12], there are more places in Louisiana that know about our port than ever before,” said Hohensee. “Vinton can look at itself and say it is a port city.”

He continued, stating, “The port has the potential to become a tremendous asset to the community and put Vinton on the map.”

VINTON, La., (July 17, 2015) – Life-long Vinton native Jerry Merchant was elected president of the Port of Vinton board of commissioners during the port board’s monthly meeting this week.

The term is for one year. He succeeds Charles Broussard, who served in the position for 18 months. Broussard will remain on the board.

Merchant currently serves as the director of the Town of Vinton Civil Defense Office and the Chief of the Vinton Fire Department.

A graduate of Vinton High School in 1965, he attended McNeese State University in Lake Charles. After owning and operating Vinton Electric Service until 1981, he was employed as an electrician by PPG Industries in Sulphur, La., and retired from the company in 2009 as emergency response supervisor.

He has been a member of the Vinton Fire Department since 1967 and has served as its chief since 1990. He also is a member of the Calcasieu Parish LEPC and has served as a member of the Calcasieu 911 program for 20 years. He has been a certified EMT for 34 years, and was the director of the Vinton Ambulance Service for 11 years. Merchant also has served two terms as a city alderman from 1973-1981.

Download the press release here