MOBILE, Ala. – DECEMBER 19, 2024.  The Alabama Port Authority today announced a major contract to a U.S. company with significant work to be completed in Alabama. This contract, which will fund the production of two new Stacker Reclaimers, was awarded to Richmond Engineering Works, L.L.C. (REW). The U.S.-based company, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, will engineer, fabricate, and install the new equipment at McDuffie Coal Terminal and has pledged that all engineering and fabrication for the project will occur within the United States.

The new Stacker Reclaimers are a critical component of the $200M+ McDuffie Coal Terminal modernization project and will replace two aging units installed in 1974 and 1982. These state-of-the-art machines will nearly double the productivity of the old equipment, ensuring the terminal’s loading rates meet the increased capacity of the deeper ship channel and additional demand from customers’ mine investments statewide.

“With the widening and deepening of the channel coming online next year, these investments are a top priority for the Port so we can load bigger ships with more cargo even more efficiently,” said John Driscoll, Director and CEO of the Alabama Port Authority. “Not only will the new efficiencies allow us to deliver a competitive advantage to our customers, but it also strengthens our ability to drive economic growth for the State of Alabama.”

The Mobile Harbor deepening and widening project, which will be completed in May of 2025, will take the channel from -45 to -50 feet. Depending on vessel configurations, the Port estimates that the additional five feet of depth could allow the terminal to load 25 to 35 thousand more tons of coal per ship.

REW, which specializes in bulk material handling equipment, will spend at least 34% of the contract value—approximately $20.5 million—with Alabama-based fabricators, suppliers, and contractors. Local Mobile-area businesses will provide concrete, fasteners, and installation services, ensuring that a significant portion of the project directly benefits the regional economy. This will be the first time in nearly 50 years that Stacker Reclaimers have been produced domestically.

“Selecting Richmond Engineering Works reinforces our commitment to investing in U.S. manufacturing and supporting the Alabama workforce,” said Driscoll. “This project is especially exciting because it enhances our operational capabilities at McDuffie Coal Terminal and highlights the strength and ingenuity of American engineering and manufacturing.”

Richmond Engineering Works Operating Manager R. Mark Judy, P.E., expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, “We are extremely honored to have been selected by the Alabama Port Authority to provide the two new Stacker Reclaimers for McDuffie Coal Terminal. These will be the first machines of this size built in the United States and engineered by a U.S.-based company in nearly 50 years. All of the fabrication for these machines will be done in the United States, with much of it provided by Alabama-based shops. Construction labor will be performed by Mobile-area contractors. Over the past few years, we have supplied a new rail car dumper and a train positioner, along with major upgrades to barge unloading equipment at McDuffie Coal Terminal. We look forward to working together with the men and women of the Alabama Port Authority for another successful project.”

REW’s barge unloading project for McDuffie was funded by a $20M appropriation from the State of Alabama in 2022. An additional $5M of public funding for coal handling equipment at McDuffie was secured by Congressman Jerry Carl in 2023.

Ninety-seven percent of coal passing through McDuffie Terminal is metallurgical coal mined in Alabama for use in steel-making operations worldwide. Much of this steel returns through the Port of Mobile for use in the Alabama automotive industry, further supporting Alabama businesses.

Richmond Engineering Works will also establish a local office in Mobile staffed with engineers and technicians to ensure seamless execution of the project. This office is expected to remain operational for at least two years, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to the region.