The port of Duluth-Superior is among the top 20 in the United States, with international trade accounting for much of the cargo moving in and out. Iron ore is the largest commodity, followed by coal and grain — the latter likely to be affected by the impending closure of the CHS grain elevator in Superior at the end of this month.
Meeting those challenges is the port’s new executive director, Kevin Beardsley, who brings a deep knowledge of the facility as its longtime finance director. Hired after a national search, he gives credit to his predecessor, Deb DeLuca, for preparing him to take the reins.
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“She was very humble and willing to go out of her way to make sure that I got what I needed for my professional development,” Beardsley said. “She was a great mentor for me.”
Beardsley spoke about the adversity and opportunities facing the port with WPR’s Robin Washington on “Morning Edition.”
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Robin Washington: Even though you’ve been on the port’s management team since 2014, I’m betting things look a little bit different from the executive director’s chair.
Kevin Beardsley: Yes, it’s been interesting the last two months.
A number of people have reached out to ask how this year is shaping up with all of the president’s changes regarding tariffs.
It’s too early to tell how that all is going to affect us, but we’re halfway through this shipping season, and the Clure Public Marine Terminal, which the Port Authority operates, is having a very steady and good year so far. We’re just a touch behind where we were in 2024.
RW: What country is your largest trading partner? And what are the top products?
KB: It would be Canada. Roughly 30 percent of our tonnage last year went through Canada. Iron ore is our largest product by tonnage. Coal and grain are second and third.
RW: We hope to speak with CHS about the future of its Superior grain elevator. But in general, what are the recent trends in grain shipments from the port, and prospects for the future?
KB: On the CHS front, most immediately, our thoughts are with the employees who are being affected by the facility shutting down.
Beyond that, we’re working with the city of Superior to find a positive outcome for that facility. As far as additional grain shipments go, the most recent example I can give you is when Hansen-Mueller bought an elevator from General Mills that had been shut down for quite some time and reactivated it back in 2022. So there are opportunities out there.
RW: What’s the biggest misconception the public has about the port?
KB: The biggest misconception is that we own and operate the Aerial Lift Bridge, and that we collect fees as the vessels come in under that.
RW: I lived for a while on Park Point, which often has traffic backed up at the bridge waiting for those vessels to go through. I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a secret Park Point tunnel for residents only. Are you in charge of that too?
KB: I hadn’t heard of that!
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