River & Rail - International Port of Memphis Attracts Electrolux & Mitsubishi

Since the 1800s, when cotton shipped from the Cobblestone Landing made Memphis and the United States a major player in the world economy, Memphis’s waterfront has been big business. And that’s still true today. Electrolux and Mitsubishi have chosen to open facilities in Memphis and their decisions were based in part on the fact that Memphis is a major river/railroad connector.

The International Port of Memphis is the 4th largest inland port in the U.S. It serves companies on downtown’s familiar Wolf River Harbor, but it also encompasses sections of the waterfront many citizens don’t often see.

The Port includes McKeller Lake/Presidents Island, West Memphis Harbor, Wolf River Harbor, Rivergate Harbor, and Fullen Dock and Harbor (north of downtown). Electrolux’s facility will be at Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park and Mitsubishi’s, practically next door at Rivergate. Click on map to enlarge.

In 2008, 27.6% of all waterborne commerce in the United States traveled on the Mississippi River, and the International Port of Memphis received shipments of 16.3 million tons, or 2.4% of the total shipped on the river. Dollar-wise the port’s economic impact was approximately 6.7 billion dollars.

Click for news coverage of Electrolux and Mitsubishi decisions.