Golding Barge Line to add 25 jobs and invest $20 million

Vicksburg, Mississippi – (December 12) – The Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership announced today that inland water transportation company Golding Barge Line is expanding its operations in Vicksburg to respond to market opportunities and to accommodate new contracts. The expansion will allow Golding to add 25 additional positions and invest $20 million dollars in new assets.

“We are excited about this opportunity to grow our business”, stated Austin Golding who is the President of Golding Barge Line. “This expansion will provide more employment opportunities as well as increased stability and job security for the current Golding Barge Line team. This new equipment will operate around the country within the supply chains of some of the world’s largest oil companies. The revenue it generates will come out of those companies and into our community through payroll and our vendor partnerships. Being in Vicksburg gives us a recruiting advantage, and that advantage has allowed a small family owned operator to compete with large publicly traded operators.”

Governor Phil Bryant, stated, “”Mississippi’s transportation network is one of the best in the country, from our integrated highway and interstate systems to our waterways that provide companies like Golding Barge Line with exceptional, convenient access to consumers around the country,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “I thank the Golding Barge team for adding new jobs in Vicksburg and for their continued trust in our workforce and business environment.”

Mayor George Flaggs added, “I could not imagine a better way to end 2019 than with the announcement of millions of dollars in new investment and the creation of 25 good paying jobs that will benefit residents in Warren County and the City of Vicksburg. This announcement is a testament to the positive changes we have made as a community to create an environment where new and existing industries can flourish. The announcement is especially important because it is of a company that was started right here in our community and that reflects our community’s entrepreneurial spirit. The success of Golding Barge Line ought to make all Vicksburgers proud.

Margaret Gilmer, Chairwoman of the Warren County Port Commission stated, “The Port Commission, a member of the Economic Development Partnership, is proud to see Golding Barge Line expand. This expansion, I believe, also showcases the strength of the existing industry program developed by the Economic Development Partnership; a program that works to support existing companies and whose work in 2019 included the successful passage of House Bill 1065, which created an incentive that companies like Golding Barge Line qualify for, and which provides income tax credits to Inland Water-related companies that create jobs in the State and hire Mississippians.”

Golding Barge Line was established in 1995, but tracing its roots in Vicksburg in 1965, and specializes in the movement of refined petroleum products, petrochemicals, and chemical products throughout the entire US inland waterway system. It has been developed into a well- established barge line, with a long heritage in the barge industry. Golding Barge Line operates very much like a family of dedicated people with the value that people are our greatest asset.