NEW ORLEANS — The Port of New Orleans is a global business that helps fuel our economy, and it’s right in our very own backyard.
“Behind the flood wall on Tchoupitoulas, it’s a different world,” says the port’s media relations manager, Donnell Jackson, “because of the Mississippi River, the Port of New Orleans operates as a life line if you will, connecting the heartland of America to global markets.”
Port Nola has four main lines of business including cruise, real estate, rail, and cargo.
The port’s local activity generates more than 19,000 jobs in its jurisdiction which includes Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard Parishes.
When it comes to imports, the top three most imported goods are steel, natural rubber, and coffee.
“I’m pretty certain that anytime you drink coffee, specifically in New Orleans, that coffee was imported here at the port,” says Jackson.
Over at Dupuy Storage, we find stacks and stacks of coffee.
This business has been dealing with storing imported coffee since 1936.
“This is a traditional coffee warehouse so we are essentially handling the green beans which is the green coffee before it’s roasted. Those are the beans that come straight from origin. They are unloaded in burlap sacks from containers that come from all over the world,” says vice president of Dupuy Storage, Janet Colley.
The coffee comes from different countries like Costa Rica, Brazil, and Asian countries like Vietnam and China.
“I think a lot of us know that some of our greatest friendships are made and had over sharing a cup of coffee,” says Colley.
This storage company manufactures coffee that shows up in familiar coffee spots around the city like PJ’s, Community Coffee, and more.
So next time you are enjoying your morning cup of joe, just think about all of the many places that it came from.
If you are wondering about Port Nola’s top export, its plastic resin produced at Louisiana plants.
The second largest export frozen poultry produced at farms across the region.
On top of handling goods, Port Nola is also one of the largest cruise ports in the United States.