GREEN BAY, Wis. — A new report issued by the Port of Green Bay on Tuesday places the economic impact of the port at $217.3 million in 2022.
That’s up $70 million from the last report in 2017.
Covering several miles of waterfront, the collection of businesses makes up the Port of Green Bay. Officials said it’s a key piece of infrastructure not just for Green Bay and Brown County, but the region.
“The port supports agricultural, manufacturing and construction industries. Those are all doing well and those are reflected in these economic impact numbers that were shared today,” said Port Director Dean Haen.
Products from all over the world pass through the port every shipping season. Key commodities range from limestone and cement to salt and petroleum.
“Everybody has somebody connected to the port. Working at one of the terminals, being a truck driver, a forklift operator, warehouse worker, railroads. Those are direct direct jobs,” Haen said. “ As an individual consumer, when you go to pour a new patio or a new driveway or foundation for a home, the fact the port can bring in low-cost cement means it’s cheaper in northeastern Wisconsin than in the middle of Nebraska.”
Josh Hermus is with U.S. Energy, one of the terminal operators.
“It’s primarily refined petroleum products, so gasoline and diesel fuel to help serve the business and consumer markets here in northeast Wisconsin and upper Michigan,” he said about what the terminal handles. “We will import product from various spots on the Great Lakes. Toledo, Ohio. Outside of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Sometimes as far away as Montreal and Quebec.”
Hermus said access to the water has been important the past several years.
“In 2016, there was a pipeline that supplied this facility was shutdown,” he said. “Since then, the marine and the port has really been the lifeblood for the Northeast Wisconsin and upper Michigan markets in terms of motor fuel supply.”
The port is expanding operations on land that was once a power plant at the mouth of the Fox River.
“Eventually it’s going to be a 40-acre port terminal at the deepest part of the port with interstate connectivity and direct rail connection,” Haen said. “That’s going to be a boom. We won’t have as many ships going through the bridges. That investment is going to be in the neighborhood of $49 million and should be in service in the next three years.”
According to the report, the port supports more than 1,600 jobs in the region.