C&B Marine, a subsidiary of Carlisle & Bray Enterprises, has greatly expanded its fleeting and harbor facilities in the Port of Cincinnati.

The company now operates four major fleeting and shore facilities on the Ohio River at MM 494, MM 482, MM 473, and MM 460. The company also continues to operate a heavy-lifting dock at MM4 on the Licking River.

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These fleeting and shore facilities are conveniently located throughout the Port of Cincinnati near river-based businesses, terminals, loading facilities, and energy utilities. The map on the right shows where these facilities are located in relation to many of these river-based operations. C&B is focused on inland marine growth in the Port of Cincinnati and surrounding areas.

The Port of Cincinnati has always been one of the main river transportation hubs on the Ohio River. Annual commercial traffic on the Ohio River averages more than 150 million tons, and that number is expected to increase when the Panama Canal expansion project is completed in 2015.  This new Canal Expansion will create a new shipping lane for these large and deeper draft vessels to use.

The Canal expansion project, which began in September 2007, will create a demand for ports to handle larger seagoing vessels with deeper drafts.  Many of the ports along the Gulf Coast, as well as the Eastern Seaboard of the United States are readying for these larger ships, by dredging deeper channels and expanding port operations.

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 In the Port of New Orleans, preparations are underway to accommodate these larger ships and as a result of this change, the Port of Cincinnati is expected to grow as a river-based distribution hub for commodities and cargo. After all, the City of Cincinnati is 600 miles from 52 percent of the nation’s population, 53 percent of the nation’s purchasing power, and 52 percent of the nation’s manufacturing establishments.the commodities they carry. Cargo from these larger ships docking New Orleans will result in increased barge traffic traversing  the Mississippi and Ohio River into the heartland of America.

DSC_5067C&B Marine’s continued expansion in the Port of Cincinnati proactively increases their opportunity to take advantage of this increased barge and marine traffic. The company currently operates 15 boats on the Ohio River between MM 389-626. C&B Marine also has tank barge fleeting operations at its Hebron and Silver Grove locations.

The company also continues to expand its maritime presence with the construction of two new towboats for C&B Marine: a 2,600-horsepower, 90-foot-by-34-foot vessel for line haul towing and other dedicated services as well as a 1,320-horsepower, 60-foot-by-25-foot vessel for added horsepower in the ever-demanding fleeting and energy services sector.  Both vessels are are being built by Marine Builders, Inc. and will be operational in late 2013.