DeLong breaks ground on new grain export hub
The Portsmouth-based facility to boost ag exports by 2026
16 June 2025
2 minute read
By: A $26 million agricultural export facility officially broke ground in Portsmouth, Virginia, on May 29, marking a major investment in the East Coast’s grain logistics network, according to a company-issued press release. The Portsmouth Agricultural Intermodal Export Facility, developed by The DeLong Co., Inc., will be the first on the East Coast capable of receiving unit trains and directly loading agricultural products into containers for export.
Set to open in early 2026, the facility will handle up to 20,000 containers annually and offer 15,000 metric tons of storage. Whole grains and feedstuffs—including soybeans, corn, wheat, distillers grains and soybean meal—will be sourced from the Midwest and Virginia, then shipped via the Port of Virginia to key Asian markets, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and China.
“This project represents a major step in strengthening the economic, agricultural, and logistical landscape of Virginia and the greater East Coast to Midwest corridor,” said Brandon Bickham, vice president of exports at The DeLong Co., Inc.
Backed by a $750,000 Rail Infrastructure Access grant, the project is a partnership between The DeLong Co., The Port of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, CSX, and the City of Portsmouth.
Representatives from all levels of government joined industry leaders for the groundbreaking, including US Representative Bobby Scott, Virginia Agriculture Secretary Matt Lohr, Transportation Secretary Shep Miller, and Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover.
The site, leased from CSX and operated exclusively by DeLong, will receive 90-car unit trains and truck shipments. Annual throughput is expected to reach 500,000 metric tons.
Phase 2 of the project, now in planning, will further expand storage and throughput capacity. Letters of support from stakeholders are being encouraged.
Headquartered in Clinton, Wisconsin, The DeLong Co. is the largest US exporter of containerised ag products and was recently named the Port of Virginia’s 2024 Shipper of the Year.
