Jeffboat starts hiring as barge demand picks up

American Commercial Lines Inc. (ACL) said today that its Jeffboat manufacturing facility will be recalling approximately 200 hourly employees, and hiring several salaried supervisory personnel, over the next seven weeks to build an increased number of barges in 2011. Jeffboat, located on the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, IN, is the country’s largest inland shipbuilder.

ACL President and CEO Mike Ryan stated, “Customers are beginning to build new barges again as demand for moving freight on the inland waterways system returns in our recovering economy. Our active Jeffboat production lines are nearly sold out for 2011, and we are starting to contract for business in 2012.”

“Most barge companies need to replace thousands of barges over the next several years as the oldest units are retired and sold for scrap,” said Mr. Ryan. “During the recession, most barge carriers postponed the use of capital for new barges.”

In order to replenish its fleet, ACL will be building between 75 and 100 liquid and dry barges at Jeffboat in 2011.

March 2, 2011