Hard work and partnerships have been part of the DNA at Associated Terminals. Associated Terminals was founded in 1990 by David Fennelly who grew the company exponentially over the years with continuous acquisition of barges and cranes. Much of the Company’s growth is due to the hard work of our Chairman Gary Poirrier and President/Co-Owner Todd Fuller, who both joined the Associated Terminals team in 1998.   

In 2004, Associated Terminals became stronger than ever when Fennelly and Poirrier purchased Turn Services. This expanded the group’s marine service offering to include towing, fleeting services, and barge-related services. This partnership propelled us to becoming the leading terminal operator and fleeting and shifting provider on the Lower Mississippi River.   

When Gary joined Associated, we had a team of less than 50. Today, we own and operate 15 Gottwald Cranes, a floating midstream grain elevator, and many crewboats and push boats through Turn Services. Today, we have a team of 1,000 members and are known as the premier provider of marine services in the Gulf South region.  

The Port of South Louisiana Partnership  

Led by CEO Paul Matthews, the Port of South Louisiana (POSL) lies 54 miles along the Mississippi River and is one of the most prominent tonnage port districts in the Western hemisphere, and America’s leading port in grain exports. Our beginning at POSL began in 2000 when Associated Terminals partnered with SSA (Stevedoring Services of America) to provide crane power at the Port of South Louisiana’s Globalplex Terminal. Five years later, Associated acquired SSA and we entered into an agreement with the Port of South Louisiana to become the exclusive terminal operator at the 335-acre intermodal terminal and have been ever since.  This past year alone, we have handled over 1.5 million tons through the Globalplex terminal. 

As the exclusive operators of Globalplex, Associated Terminals provides customers with experienced personnel, high quality equipment and a wide range of cargo solutions including the handling and storage of bulk, break-bulk and containerized cargoes. Strategically located at mile posts 138.5 and 138.6 A.H.P. in Reserve, Louisiana, the facility features deep draft bulk and general cargo docks designed for highly efficient dockside transfers between ship, barge, truck and/or on-dock laydown and staging areas. Two state-of-the-art Konecrane gantry cranes perform operations on the dock and pier. The Port further features a finger pier, built in 2013, and a multipurpose dock. We have propelled the Port of South Louisiana to reach substantial economic success, and we are thrilled that the port is ranked #1 in domestic trade, #2 in total foreign trade imports, and #3 in exports. The port accounts for 15% of United States exports, and 57% of Louisiana exports.  

St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District Partnership 

In 2000, we also started operating the St. Bernard Port following the acquisition of Gulf Coast Dockside Inc. The Port of St. Bernard is 216 acres and provides over 800 full-time jobs. The Port encompasses four terminals— Arabi, Chalmette, Meraux, and Violet. Drew Heaphy, director of the St. Bernard Port, has recorded that the Port, its tenants, and its facilities generate $325 million dollars for the local economy annually. The St. Bernard Port’s marine facilities offer a wide range of berthing options and cargo handling solutions for bulk, break-bulk and project cargo, including truck and rail loading and unloading, warehousing and storage, bagging capabilities and screening/processing services. Offering an ideal location, deep draft berths and intermodal facilities, the St. Bernard Port is a full-service marine terminal. Over the past eight years, we have handled an average of 8 million tonnages annually and now employ over 250 team members. 

We take extraordinary pride in operating two out of the five ports on the Louisiana Mississippi River as the river is an outstanding resource for the economy in Louisiana. In Louisiana, 1 in 5 jobs are connected to the river according to the LABI (Louisiana Association of Business and Industry). In addition, maritime employees make a collective $3.5 billion (about $11 per person in the US) annually in income in Louisiana.  

Associated Terminals and Turn Services remain proud to handle cargo that feeds and powers the State of Louisiana, the Nation, and the entire world! As the exclusive operators of the St. Bernard Port and the Port of South Louisiana’s Globalplex Intermodal Terminal and through our long-term presence, we can help the local economy, generate internal growth, and allow the river to thrive!

Back to News