WINNIPEG, CANADA, June 5, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Richardson International Limited has more than doubled its capacity in the Port of Thunder Bay by re-opening the Current River terminal, which was part of the Viterra acquisition in May 2013.
The Current River terminal, which has a storage capacity of 235,000 tonnes, complements Richardson's heritage Thunder Bay terminal. Richardson's original terminal, which the company opened in 1919, has 208,000 tonnes of storage, bringing Richardson's total storage capacity in the Port of Thunder Bay to 443,000 tonnes.
Last June, Richardson began cleaning and restoring the Current River Terminal, which had not been in operation for the past three years. The required work included cleaning up the facility and grounds, commissioning the scales and re-starting the terminal's operating systems. The first rail cars were received in October and the terminal began loading vessels in November.
"It was a team effort on the part of our terminal management and all employees to take a mothballed facility and breathe new life into it to enhance our operations in Thunder Bay," says Darwin Sobkow, Executive Vice-President, Agribusiness Operations & Processing. "Current River is an excellent complement to our heritage facility and will allow us to increase receiving and shipping efficiencies and capitalize on our ability to handle grains and oilseeds through the Eastern Canadian corridor."
Richardson's Current River terminal received both the first laker and the first salt water ship of the 2014 Thunder Bay shipping season. The terminal, which will handle mainly canola, oats and wheat, loaded its first vessel of the season on April 22, a full month later than usual given the extreme winter weather that delayed the thaw of the Great Lakes.
"We have really just begun to operate the Current River terminal and will look for ways to enhance it," says Sobkow. "At Richardson, we are committed to investing in our network across the country to continue to be a leader and enhance our service to our customers at home and around the world."
Richardson International is Canada's largest agribusiness and recognized as a global leader in agriculture and food processing. Based in Winnipeg, Richardson is a worldwide handler and merchandiser of all major Canadian-grown grains and oilseeds and a vertically-integrated processor and manufacturer of oats and canola-based products. One of Canada's Best Managed Companies, Richardson has over 2,500 employees across Canada and the U.S.
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=25755
For more information and photos, please contact: Tracey Shelton Director, Corporate Communications (204) 934-5169 or (204) 799-2838 (cell)
