Ports of Indiana is planning to reopen its grain export facility at Burns Harbor, after selecting Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) as the terminal's new operator.

The Burns Harbor grain terminal first opened in 1979, and helped move more than 500 million bushels of corn and soybeans up until its closure in 2023, when its previous operator Cargill decided not to renew its lease. LDC was founded in France in 1851, and began operating in the U.S. in 1909. The company hopes to officially reopen the grain terminal sometime in early 2026. 

“Burns Harbor is well-positioned at the southern shore of Lake Michigan, with access to multiple regional grain markets," LDC's U.S. head of grains and oilseeds Gordon Russell said in a June 23 release. "The port will be a strategic asset for LDC to expand market access for regional farmers and serve customers in North America and abroad.”

The Burns Harbor port's grain terminal is capable of operating 200 railcars and 20 barges, and can store up to 7.2 million bushels of grain. Burns Harbor is also the largest port in Northern Indiana, and acts as a hub for goods to move through the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and the U.S. Inland River System.