AGP, Port of Grays Harbor celebrate grand opening of Terminal 4 export facility

Photo: AGP

Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) and the Port of Grays Harbor recently celebrated the grand opening of AGP’s new Terminal 4 export facility, marking the completion of a transformative project that significantly expands agricultural-export capacity at one of the West Coast’s most strategic deep-water ports.

The new facility represents the culmination of years of planning, investment and collaboration between AGP and the Port of Grays Harbor.

The project includes a state-of-the-art ship loader at Terminal 4, expanded unloading and storage capabilities, along with supporting port infrastructure designed to increase efficiency, improve vessel loading speeds and strengthen export opportunities for U.S. agriculture.

Hundreds of industry partners, customers, community members and elected officials gathered to commemorate the milestone and recognize the partnership that made the project possible.

The Terminal 4 facility positions AGP to significantly increase throughput at Grays Harbor, with the capability to more than double annual agricultural-commodity exports through the port.

The investment also provides additional flexibility and redundancy while enhancing AGP’s ability to serve growing international demand for high-quality U.S. agricultural products, particularly throughout Southeast Asia and other Asia-Pacific markets.

“Terminal 4 represents a long-term investment in the future of our cooperative and the farmers we serve,” said Dean Thernes, chairman of the AGP board of directors. “Our member-owners continue to invest in assets that allow us to compete globally while returning value back to rural America. This facility strengthens our ability to connect Midwest agriculture with growing international demand for decades to come. We are proud of the partnership we have built with the Port of Grays Harbor and excited about the opportunities this facility creates for our customers and membership.”

The project arrives at a pivotal time for U.S. agriculture as soybean-processing capacity continues to expand across the Midwest.

Increased production of soybean meal and soybean oil is creating new opportunities to serve both domestic and international markets.

AGP’s enhanced export capabilities at Grays Harbor will help ensure those products reach customers efficiently and competitively.

The port’s $60 million public portion of the project added more than 47,000 feet of rail within its marine-terminal complex, a new fendering system and a stormwater collection and treatment facility at T4 and created more than 30 acres of additional cargo-laydown area to support future operations at Terminal 4A.

“This facility showcases the power of strategic infrastructure investment and cooperation,” said Leonard Barnes, the executive director of Port of Grays Harbor. “AGP has been an outstanding partner for more than two decades, and today’s grand opening demonstrates what can be accomplished when industry and public entities work together toward a shared vision. This public-private partnership ship will benefit our community, our region and the nation for years to come.”

Stan Pinnick, the Port of Grays Harbor Commission president, added, “This is a historic day for the Port of Grays Harbor. We are so grateful for all our elected officials, community and business leaders and partners that were able to join us today to celebrate. This project will have lasting, positive economic impacts and we couldn’t be more proud to celebrate this achievement alongside AGP.”

Since AGP loaded its first vessel at the port’s Terminal 2 facility in 2003, the company has developed strong relationships with customers throughout Asia and established Grays Harbor as a key component of its export network.

The new facility builds on that foundation and provides the speed, capacity and reliability needed to support future growth.

“Today is about much more than opening another export terminal,” said AGP CEO Chris Schaffer. “This facility represents the intersection of American agriculture, renewable energy and global trade. A soybean harvested by one of our cooperative members in the Midwest can now be processed into meal and oil, transported by rail to Grays Harbor, loaded onto a vessel and delivered to customers across the Pacific through one of the most efficient agricultural supply chains in the world. Every step in that journey creates value for our member-owners and strengthens the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.”