A well-functioning economy relies on many interconnected elements, with countless goods being produced and transported—often unnoticed by most. The Port of South Louisiana plays a key role in helping companies distribute these goods nationwide. One such product regularly passing through the port is garnet abrasives, manufactured by Barton International, a company based in Glens Falls, NY. Barton International has partnered with the Port of South Louisiana for nearly two decades to ensure efficient distribution of garnet abrasives across the country.
For those who are unfamiliar with Barton International, the company has been family-owned since its inception and has been producing garnet abrasives since 1878. At first, Barton mined and milled garnet for use in the sandpaper industry. But the company has grown to develop new products and applications, including blasting abrasives, water-jet abrasives, and spare parts for water-jet machines. In the 1980s, abrasive water-jet cutting took off as an industrial cutting technology. Barton International was at the forefront of working with machine manufacturers to determine that garnet was the ideal abrasive for this new industrial cutting technology due to its physical properties.
Today, it is estimated that over 95% of abrasive water-jets globally use garnet. An abrasive water-jet uses a high velocity stream of water mixed with garnet abrasives to cut many different materials. For example, it can precisely cut aluminum, glass, stone, tile, steel, titanium, and even carbon fiber sections of an airplane’s wings.
Barton’s garnet abrasives are also used in sandblasting for surface preparation before the application of new coatings or the removal of old coating. It provides an environmentally friendly way to sandblast, especially when compared to alternatives like silica sand, coal slag, and other legacy blasting abrasives. Health, safety, and environmentally friendly practices are a point of emphasis for Barton, whose headquarters received a prestigious “LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum” designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.
While Barton has been around since the 19th century, its relationship with the Port of South Louisiana began in the 21st century. In 2005, Barton had operations in New Orleans East where they brought cargo into the Port of Saint Bernard for two decades. But the one-two punch of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wiped out their warehouses. Associated Terminals, a company based in Convent, Louisiana that is the leading stevedore and terminal operator on the Lower Mississippi River, introduced Barton to the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal at the Port of South Louisiana. Barton moved into the port in November 2006.
Initially, Barton used two warehouses at the terminal. As its business grew, Barton decided to expand into warehouse 19 in 2017. The expansion cost $9.6 million, creating 22 new jobs and retaining 19 existing positions. The annex added 77,520 square feet to the 35,000 square foot warehouse, nearly tripling Barton’s storage capacity. The expansion also included a new roadway and other paved areas. The renovations also included a new loading dock ramp, bulk storage bins, and truck scales.
“It was a significant expansion and investment by the port,” said Clifford F. Summers IV, Barton’s vice president, global supply chain.
Summers also spoke enthusiastically about his company’s ongoing relationship with the Port of South Louisiana.
“It’s been nothing but positive,” Summers said. “The port has always been very receptive to what our needs are.” Summers said the Port of South Louisiana has many things Barton needs. One of them is a deep draft dock to accommodate their vessels. Another is suitable warehousing for their products, which are sensitive to environmental contaminants and weather conditions. Another is a high-efficiency shore crane that takes the garnet off the bulk freighters.
Micah Cormier, Director of Business Development and External Affairs for the Port of South Louisiana, spoke enthusiastically about the port’s relationship with Barton.
“Port of South Louisiana Globalplex Intermodal Terminal is a hub for domestic and international distribution,” Cormier said. “We are proud of the relationship with our partners Barton International and Associated Terminals and we are thrilled for the new opportunities on the horizon for Barton and we’re committed to our continued collaboration in moving this cargo from Globalplex to the world in an efficient and effective manner.”
Barton’s operations at Globalplex serves as a Gulf Coast import hub for the company. Barton extracts garnet from their mine in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and also sources garnet from qualified global supply centers. They bring large bulk shipments of garnet to the Port of South Louisiana. The materials are taken off the ships by Associated Terminals personnel and processed at the port. The materials are turned into finished garnet, packed, and distributed to other facilities in the southeast from which Barton’s customers are served daily.
Associated Terminals works closely with Barton to ensure that everything runs smoothly at the Globalplex facility. Summers spoke highly of Barton’s relationship with Associated Terminals, emphasizing their attention to quality and detail. “We have a long history with them and it is absolutely outstanding,” Summers said. “They’ve been a big part of our success in the Gulf region.”
For their part, Associated Terminals is proud of the work they have done with Barton.
“We are proud to manage the full scope of Barton’s operations, from discharging vessels and customizing sand grades to packaging and loading finished products for shipment across the U.S., ensuring efficiency and reliability at every stage,” said Sal Lacuira, Associated Terminals’ manager at Port of South Louisiana Globalplex.
When asked about Barton’s future with the Port of South Louisiana, Summers was very optimistic. “We see nothing but the opportunity to grow and expand our relationship with GlobalPlex,” Summers said. “It has everything we need.”
