Port Operations and Facilities

Everything you need to know about the Port of Duluth-Superior.

The Port of Duluth-Superior is located at the westernmost tip of Lake Superior and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. At 2,342 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, it is North America’s farthest-inland freshwater seaport and the Great Lakes’ cargo capital.

A nine-mile natural breakwater shelters the port’s 49 miles of harbor frontage. Twenty privately owned bulk cargo docks and an award-winning general cargo terminal populate the working waterfront, along with a marine fueling depot, a shipyard with dry docks, and multiple tug and barge services.

Duluth-Superior is a diversified multimodal shipping hub, offering global cargo transport through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, a land-based intermodal cargo terminal, free-flowing major highways and direct Class I rail service to the East, West and Gulf Coasts.

Port Facilities

• Ash Grove
  1100 Port Terminal Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.ashgrove.com

  Jason Roy, Plant Manager

  Jason.Roy@ashgrove.com

  218.726.1371

  Commodities: Cement, Dry Bulk

• Azcon Metals
  630 Helberg Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.azcon.net

  Lynn Bergstedt, General Manager

  lynnb@azcon.net

  218.722.7703

  Commodities: Scrap Iron and Metals

• BNSF Railway Dock 5
  2304 N. 28th St.
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.bnsf.com

  Robert “Lee” Maske, Taconite Facility Manager

  robert.maske@bnsf.com

  715.394.1333

  Commodities: Dry Bulk, Iron Ore/Taconite Pellets

• C. Reiss Terminal
  50th Ave. W. & Lesure
  PO Box 16718
  Duluth, MN 55816

  Michelle Joki, Office Supervisor

  michelle.joki@thecreiss.com

  218.628.2371

  Commodities: Coal, Dry Bulk, Salt, Stone and Aggregate

• Cenovus Energy Marine Fueling Terminal
  1400 Port Terminal Drive
  PO Box 16171
  Duluth, MN 55816

  Rodney Graham, Lead Operator

  rodney.graham@huskyenergy.com

  218.727.8430

  Commodities: Liquid Bulk

• CHS
  41 Dock St.
  PO Box 518
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.chsinc.com

  Daniel Vandenhouten, Facility Manager

  daniel.vandenhouten@chsinc.com

  715.392.4734

  Commodities: Dry Bulk, Grain

• Clure Public Marine Terminal

  Operated by Lake Superior Warehousing

  1210 Port Terminal Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  Jonathan Lamb, LSW President

  jonathan.lamb@duluthcargo.com

  218.727.6646

  Commodities: Dry Bulk, General Cargo, Heavy Lift, Wind Energy Components

• CN/Duluth Dock
  Bulk Material Services-Duluth
  212 S. 37th Ave. W.
  Duluth, MN 55807

  www.cn.ca/en/

  Darren Jacobsen, Port Manager

  Darren.Jacobsen@cn.ca

  218.628.4690

  Commodities: Dry Bulk, Iron Ore/Taconite Pellets, Stone and Aggregate

• Compass Minerals
  1100 West Railroad Street
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.compassminerals.com

  Jason Reeves, Plant Manager

  reevesj@compassminerals.com

  218.740.5149

• DECC
  350 Harbor Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  decc.org

  Dan Hartman, Executive Director

  dhartman@decc.org

  218-722-5573

• Duluth Lake Port
  602 Helberg Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Owner

  Jonathan Lamb, LSW President
  jonathan.lamb@duluthcargo.com

  218.727.8525

  Commodities: Grain

• Duluth Seaway Port Authority
  802 Garfield Avenue
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.duluthport.com

  Deb DeLuca, Executive Director

  ddeluca@duluthport.com

  218.727.8525

• EnviroTech Hallett Dock 8
  3200 Winter Street
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.hallettdock8.com

  Kyle Radich

  715.395.0189

  Commodities: Coal, Dry Bulk, Liquid Bulk, Salt, Stone and Aggregate

• Erie Pier
  2305 W. Superior Street
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.duluthport.com

  Dean Lembke, Facilities Manager

  218.727.8525

  Duluth Seaway Port Authority, owner

• Fraser Shipyards
  1 Clough Ave.
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.frasershipyards.com

  Derek Tanula, Yard Superintendent

  dtanula@frasershipyards.com

  715.395.6557

• General Mills Operations, Elevator S & X
  St. Louis Bay
  Superior, WI 54880

  Andrew “Andy” Waldbillig, Facility Manager

  andrew.waldbillig@genmills.com

  715.392.4462

  Commodities: Dry Bulk, Grain

• Graymont (WI) LLC.
  Hill Ave. & Winter St.
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.graymont.com/en

  Duane Dale, Plant Manager

  ddale@graymont.com

  715.392.5146

  Commodities: Coal, Dry Bulk, Stone and Aggregate

• Great Lakes Aquarium
  353 Harbor Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  glaquarium.org

  Jay Walker, Executive Director

  Jwalker@glaquarium.org

  218.740.3474

• Hallett Dock 6
  710 S. 59th Ave. W.
  Duluth, MN 55807

  www.hallettdock.com

  Jeff Heller

  Jeff.Heller@northshoretrack.com

  218.391.1776

  Commodities: Coal, Stone and Aggregate

• Hansen-Mueller, Elevator A
  200 Garfield Ave.
  Duluth, MN 55802

  Shawn Hanson, Superintendent

  shawn@hansenmueller.com

  218.340.8687

  Commodities: Grain

• Hansen-Mueller Superior Elevator
  PO Box 2085
  21 21st Avenue East
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.hmgrain.com

  Shawn Hanson, Superintendent

  shawn@hansenmueller.com

  218.340.8687

  Commodities: Grain

• Holcim (Lafarge)
  3 Hill Ave.
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.lafarge-na.com

  Michael Pappas, Terminal Manager

  michael.pappas@holcim.com

  715.392.6284

  Commodities: Cement, Dry Bulk

• Marine Museum

  Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center

  600 Canal Park Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.lsmma.com

  218.788.6430

• Midwest Energy Resources Co.
  PO Box 787
  2400 W. Winter Street
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.newlook.dteenergy.com

  Jeff Papineau, Director

  jeff.papineau@dteenergy.com

  715.392.9807

  Commodities: Coal, Dry Bulk

• Northland Pier
  35 Helberg Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.northlandconstructors.com

  Greg Fredlund

  Gregfredlund@northlandconstructors.com

  218.722.8170

  Commodities: Stone and Aggregate

• Riverland Ag – Duluth Storage
  250 Garfield Ave.
  Duluth, MN 55802

  ceresglobalagcorp.com

  Jim Lehto, Facility Manager

  jlehto@riverlandag.com

  218.727.7219

  Commodities: Dry Bulk, Grain

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  Duluth Area Office
  600 Lake Avenue South
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.usace.army.mil

  Steven Brossart, Area Engineer

  Steven.J.Brossart@usace.army.mil

  218.720.5260 ext 35266

• USCG Station MSU
  515 W. 1st St., Ste. 145
  Duluth, MN 55802

  Commander J.P. Botti – Commanding Officer – Captain of the Port – Officer-In-Charge Marine Inspection

  John.P.Botti@uscg.mil

  218.725.3800

• USCG Station
  1201 Minnesota Ave.
  Duluth, MN 55802

  Watch Stander

  218.529.3100

• Viterra Grain
  Connors Point Terminal
  400 N. Main
  PO Box 13655
  Superior, WI 54880

  www.gavilon.com

  Mike Metcalf, Operations Manager

  715.319.7004

  Commodities: Dry Bulk, Grain

• Vista Fleet
  323 Harbor Drive
  Duluth, MN 55802

  www.vistafleet.com

  Colleen Smith, General Manager

  csmith@vistafleet.com

  218.529.8703

• Wisconsin Central Ltd. / Hallett Dock 5
  303 S. 37th Ave. W.
  Duluth, MN 55807

  218.628.2281

  Commodities: Coal, Dry Bulk, Fertilizer, Iron Ore/Taconite Pellets, Salt, Scrap Iron and Metals, Stone and Aggregate

Working Terminals

Clure Public Marine Terminal

The Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s Clure Public Marine Terminal is the only breakbulk and general cargo maritime freight facility in the harbor. It covers 120 acres at the center of the Duluth-Superior harbor, with dock faces on three sides at Seaway depth of 27 feet. Whether in- or outbound by water, road or rail, this terminal has facilities, equipment and technology to handle the largest, most complex cargoes with ease.

• Five general cargo berths; 2,620 linear feet (798.6 meters) of dock wall at Seaway depth
• On-dock rail with direct access to four Class I rail carriers (BNSF, Canadian National, CPKC, Union Pacific)
• Four tracks along the dock wall for direct cargo transfer between ship/truck/rail
• Loop track for unit train handling and other transloading options
• Easy access to three major highway corridors, including Interstate 35
• Nearly 500,000 square feet of warehouse capacity
• 65+ acres of secure outdoor ground storage for cargo staging/assembly
• Roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) dock
• Twin rail-mounted, made-in-Duluth gantry cranes; each 90-ton (81-mt) lift capacity, 130-ton (120-mt) in tandem
• Equipment for efficient ship loading and discharge
• Foreign Trade Zone No. 51
• Collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Minnesota State Patrol, specialized trucking companies, escort drivers, rail carriers, manufacturers and freight forwarders

The Clure Terminal also includes the CN Duluth Intermodal Terminal, the port’s rail-served, land-based intermodal container hub. This operation is a collaboration between Canadian National and Duluth Cargo Connect, which is the working partnership of the Port Authority and our terminal operator, Lake Superior Warehousing.

Duluth Cargo Connect

By road, rail or sea, Duluth Cargo Connect offers seamless cargo handling, storage, distribution and transportation logistics services for breakbulk, wind energy, heavy lift and other project cargoes moving in and out of North America’s heartland. Duluth Cargo Connect is a full-service partnership between the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, which owns and maintains the Clure Public Marine Terminal assets, and Lake Superior Warehousing, which operates the assets as the Port Authority’s agent. This working partnership connects the region to the world as a multimodal cargo logistics hub. With Duluth Cargo Connect:

• Containerized imports and exports move via a high-capacity rail network that spans the continent, providing direct service to and from East, West and Gulf Coast ports.
• Regular trans-Atlantic liner service from Spliethoff for waterborne import and export of all cargo types, including containers.
• Great Lakes freighters and oceangoing ships access a broad menu of terminal services from cargo handling and transshipment to vessel repairs.
• Cargo moves smoothly via road, rail or sea with multiple Seaway-depth berths, fast turn-times for trucks, free-flowing highways and on-dock rail with direct access to four Class I rail carriers (BNSF, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific).
• Shippers can reap the benefits of Foreign Trade Zone No. 51, potentially including duty-free storage and staging.

Heavy Lift Cargo Capital

As the westernmost port on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Duluth-Superior is a preferred transshipment hub for wind energy components and is recognized worldwide as the Great Lakes’ heaviest-lift port.

All other bulk commodities are handled at privately owned/operated facilities throughout the Port of Duluth-Superior. For a complete listing of dock operators, bulk cargo and grain terminals, vessel agents, freight forwarders and local maritime service providers, please view our Port Directory.

Erie Pier

Originally constructed in 1978 as a confined disposal facility with a limited useful life, Erie Pier has evolved into a long-term Processing and Reuse Facility (PRF) for dredged material from the harbor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operates the 89-acre Erie Pier PRF; the Port Authority is the local sponsor, providing administrative and strategic support, working closely with the USACE.

The Erie Pier Management Plan, created by the Harbor Technical Advisory Committee/Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council, guides the Port Authority’s support of the facility and promotes beneficial use of clean dredged material. All dredged materials are sorted at Erie Pier (based on size) into two grades:

• Coarse Materials
  Coarse materials, like sand, are used in road construction and other construction projects. These materials meet Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Tier I standards, which permit use in any upland location. Wisconsin DNR permits the use of this coarse material in public projects anywhere in Douglas County.

• Fine Materials
  Fine materials, like reclaimed soil, also meet MPCA Tier I standards for re-use, and are used in projects around the Twin Ports and Minnesota’s Iron Range, as well as in case-by-case projects in Wisconsin.

Dredged materials from Erie Pier are available for construction and land reclamation projects. Please contact Dean Lembke, Port Authority facilities manager, for more information at dlembke@duluthport.com or 218.727.8525.

Navigational Channel Maintenance

The Duluth-Superior Harbor is a deep-draft commercial harbor maintained by the USACE. Originally authorized under the Rivers & Harbors Act of June 3, 1896, the harbor includes two 28 to 32 feet-in-depth entries, 27 feet deep commercial route channels, and 20 to 23 feet deep inner channels. In total, the harbor has more than 18 miles of maintained channel that requires dredging of approximately 110,000 cubic yards of material annually. All but a very small percentage of dredged material is clean and is beneficially used for habitat improvement projects, beach nourishment, and upland construction projects. Any contaminated material can be transported to Erie Pier PRF for classification and proper disposal.

Also providing navigation channel maintenance support is the U.S. Coast Guard’s 225-foot cutter, the icebreaker Spar. Duluth will become the vessel’s home port in 2022. Icebreaking assures safe navigation during the early and late portion of the maritime shipping season. Like its predecessor the USCGC Alder, USCGC Spar will work with other U.S. and Canadian icebreaking vessels to keep waterways open for commercial traffic, assist vessels transiting ice-filled waterways, and prevent ice-related flooding.

Navigational channels are marked with a series of buoys and beacons that follow the standard “red, right, returning” rule. Navigating the lower harbor can be confusing due to the split flows toward the Duluth and Superior entries. Boaters should familiarize themselves with the navigation rules found at uscgboating.org before entering the harbor.

Available Port Properties

Take Your Business to the Port

Businesses thrive in Duluth-Superior, and we have inland sites available for immediate development. Contact the Duluth Seaway Port Authority for more information about specific sites and unique financing packages, including:

• New construction/speculative projects.
• Ground lease.
• Straight-up lease with rent and fees.
• Vacant land development.
• Acquisition of existing buildings.

Regional Infrastructure

As North America’s furthest inland seaport, the Port of Duluth-Superior serves a diverse and vibrant region. With easy access to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, three major highway systems and four Class I railroads, businesses can move products efficiently.

The Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council plays a prominent role in regional infrastructure decisions, partnering with elected officials, agencies, planners, engineers, businesses and residents to create and maintain an effective and equitable transportation system.

Regional Industries

Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin support a variety of industries, including aviation and aerospace, technology, healthcare, professional services, energy, manufacturing, mining, tourism, forest products, transportation and logistics, and more.

Regional Workforce

The region’s highly skilled and educated workforce stands ready to support growing industries and companies.

Northland Connection and NORTHFORCE are helpful sources for additional information about our region, including demographics, workforce and available real estate.