The Port of Longview has been handling an incredibly diverse mix of cargo since its establishment in 1921. Port leaders realized from the beginning that having a varied cargo portfolio would be an important way to offset any reductions from one particular commodity. This decades-old strategy allowed the Port to be less reliant on any one type of cargo. It also led to the Port becoming the third largest port the state, attracting commodities of all kinds while creating thousands of local jobs.

In the first nine months the Port demonstrated their cargo plan by moving 72,000 tons of mixed freight. Lumber was an important first commodity, as was sugar (see photo above), grains, steel, paper products and automobiles. By 1927 the Port fully realized the benefit (and stability) diverse cargoes could bring when 246,000 tons of cargo moved across the docks - more than tripling the total of the first year. 

As decades passed the Port aggressively pursued new types of cargo, never losing site of the flexibility its cargo handling model could provide. Today, wind energy components traverse the Port on trucks and rail, heavy lift project cargo takes up regular residency on the docks and grain exports have surged to an all time high. All of this cargo activity at the Port has resulted in a record 10 million metric tons of cargo moved in 2018, a nearly 14,000% increase from our humble beginning. 

From lumber and sugar in the 1920's to state-of-the-art wind energy equipment and facilities today, the Port's cargo handling versatility continues to set us apart from competing ports on the West Coast. No matter the cargo, your Port of Longview is well equipped and committed to future growth and economic prosperity for the local community.