OmniTRAX, Inc., one of the largest privately held transportation service companies in North America and an affiliate of The Broe Group, worked closely with the Port of Brownsville to help facilitate the lease of a large grain-handling facility to West Plains LLC at the port. The three-million bushel capacity grain elevator, which is located near the GEOTRAC Industrial Hub being developed by OmniTRAX, will create up to eight new jobs for the area.

Renovations on the previously idle facility by West Plains began in the spring with the first train set to arrive in the first quarter of 2017 on the OmniTRAX-operated Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway, LLC via Union Pacific. This will represent the first grain delivery to the port in five years. Commodities to be handled by the operation include corn, wheat, sorghum (milo), animal feed, DDGS, and cotton.

“The reactivation of the grain elevator by West Plains is another great example of bringing a commercial operator into the port to build out a vibrant opportunity for the region,” said Kevin Shuba, CEO of OmniTRAX. “We see many more of these public-private partnerships coming in the future helping the GEOTRAC Industrial Hub reach its potential as a world class business site.”

“This is a great opportunity for West Plains to access the fertile markets of Latin America as well as servicing other locations around the world,” said Mike Rowan, President of West Plains Grain. “The process was made very easy for us by the professionals at OmniTRAX and the Port of Brownsville, who provided the expertise needed to make every milestone on our project roadmap.”

The GEOTRAC Industrial Hub is the result of a strategic relationship between the Port of Brownsville and OmniTRAX that is developing thousands of acres for a world-class industrial hub. The land, with its infrastructure that connects to the port and the Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway, is well-suited for light and heavy manufacturing, logistics, energy services, and export/import warehousing.

“We are pleased the grain elevator is up and running again,” said Eduardo A. Campirano, Port Director & CEO, Port of Brownsville. “It’s proof that the Port of Brownsville and OmniTRAX are moving in the right direction to develop the area into an industrial complex that supports a broad variety of businesses.”