Louis Dreyfus Company inaugurates expanded Port Terminal in Bahía Blanca
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, 13th July, 2016 – Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) inaugurated today the expansion of its Bahia Blanca Port Terminal. The new expanded structure includes a deep-water port and grain elevator, and represents one of Argentina’s most important private infrastructure developments in recent years.
The opening ceremony was attended by a prestigious line up of government officials, including the President of Argentina, Mr. Mauricio Macri; the Governor of Buenos Aires, Mrs. María Eugenia Vidal; the Mayor of Bahia Blanca, Mr. Hector Gay; the Ministry of Agro Industry, Ricardo Buryaile; and the Ministry of Transport, Guillermo Dietrich, amongst others. LDC representatives included Mrs. Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, Chairperson of Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V.; Mr. Gonzalo Ramirez Martiarena, Global CEO of Louis Dreyfus Company B.V.; and CEO of the South and West Latin America region, Mr. Javier Racciatti.
“Argentina is a very important country for our Group due to its strong potential as a quality food producer and the commitment and expertise of its people,” said Margarita Louis-Dreyfus. She also emphasized how Argentina’s exceptional geographical conditions which favor the installation of deep-water ports make it an attractive location for a company that has been commercializing agricultural products worldwide for over 165 years.
LDC invested 16 million dollars into the expansion of this terminal, completing a total investment of 76 million dollars in this asset over a period of five years. The port employs 50 people directly and about 250 indirectly, in addition to the thousands of carriers that deliver the production of thousands of Argentines, which are then exported to various destinations across the world. More than 500 people worked in this asset during the construction period.
“Being passionate with what we are creating and developing must be something that identify all of us and call us to action as a team in this new political era in our country”, said President Macri during his inaugural speech. He also highlighted LDC’s role in Argentina and expressed his desire to continue working with the company: “We are confident that we will continue accompanying LDC for the next 120 years adding value to all our raw materials, while increasing the exports of protein and value-added products”.
Governor Vidal thanked LDC for trusting Argentina, highlighting that it is this type of projects what makes the country grow: “Behind each of these expressions of trust and investments, there are hundreds of jobs for Argentine people, what confirms the true team effort between Louis Dreyfus Company; local, Provincial and National Government; and all the operators out there”.
The Bahía Blanca Terminal Port offers first class facilities and equipment that ensure an agile reception of grains via trains and trucks, and an efficient process of ship loading at a depth of 45 feet. In 2015, the port shipped 1.2 million metric tons of goods. As this new phase commences, the port anticipates reaching 2 million metric tons per year from now onwards.
“This investment will improve the logistics in the southwest area of Buenos Aires, allowing producers to access better prices and infrastructure,” said regional CEO, Javier Racciatti. “This port is a key investment to achieve the logistic efficiency required by our country’s agro-industrial exports.”
Meanwhile, LDC Global CEO Gonzalo Ramirez Martiarena highlighted the company’s commitment to Argentina: “We are proud to accompany the country and its people at this stage, and in the same way that we have been doing so for more than 120 years.” He added that the company will continue to look for innovative ways to create value and contribute to enhancing Argentina’s position as a key player on the global board of food exports.
About Louis Dreyfus Company
Louis Dreyfus Company is a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods. We leverage our global reach and extensive asset network to serve customers and consumers around the world, delivering the right products to the right location, at the right time – safely, responsibly and reliably. Our activities span the entire value chain from farm to fork, across a broad range of business lines (platforms). Since 1851 our portfolio has grown to include Oilseeds, Grains, Freight, Global Markets, Coffee, Cotton, Sugar, Rice, Juice and Dairy. We help feed and clothe some 500 million people every year by originating, processing and transporting approximately 80 million tons of products. Structured as a matrix organization of 6 geographical regions and 10 platforms, Louis Dreyfus Company is active in over 100 countries and employs approximately 18 000 people globally. For more information, visit www.ldc.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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