The Port of Vicksburg could soon find itself with new equipment and more than 250,000 tons of new business, said terminal manager Chris Maxwell of Watco Terminal and Port Services, which manages Vicksburg’s port.

Maxwell, along with state Rep. Alex Monsour, R-Vicksburg, alerted the Warren County Board of Supervisors to a possible deal at a work session Monday that could increase the amount of business at the port fivefold — but attracting the business would take some major improvements.

“Our port needs some serious work and investment done to it so we can be competitive and attract business,” Monsour said.

The prospective business, which remained unnamed due to a confidentiality agreement with the port, is one that already does occasional, sporadic business there now, Maxwell said, but is looking to increase its usage of the Port of Vicksburg through a deal that would guarantee a minimum of 250,000 tons passing through it each year with the possibility of closer to 400,000 tons.

“We want to become their sole source supply chain,” Maxwell said.

The port currently handles around 65,000 tons per year, so the deal would be a boon for the port, but it comes at a cost, Maxwell said. He estimated the total capital investment for all the improvements needed to accommodate the new tonnage to be between $5 million and $6 million.

“My ultimate goal for Warren County is to never be told we can’t deal with you because you don’t have this,” Monsour said. “They want new technology. They want to see efficiency. Logistics wise at this point the port is fantastic. We just need to (get the upgrades) done.”

The proposed improvements Maxwell outlined include: a new crane for approximately $1.85 million; a one- to two-acre outside concrete pad for $550,000 per acre; a new front-end loader for $355,000; winches; road improvements; three off-road trucks and fencing.

“We are expecting these to be a little high, but we didn’t want to come up short on our estimate. The number will vary based on actual hard quotes for each portion of the upgrades,” Maxwell said, noting the new crane would shorten the amount of time it takes to unload a barge from 14 hours to four or five.

“The more tonnage we can pull through in an hour, the more money that you’re going to make, the more money the community makes and the more money we make. Everybody’s happy.”

He estimated the minimum tonnage each year of the three-year renewable contract would pull in an estimated extra $90,000 for the county.

Maxwell said Watco was prepared to front $3.3 million for the project.

“We justify this capital just off this project,” he said. “We want to be flexible. We want to be a partner.”

Money from the Mississippi Development Authority could also be used on the project, Monsour clarified, with Watco also asking the county to help with the costs.

“Just get the application to the (Warren County) Port Commission and that will get the ball rolling,” Board President Richard George said of the first step in the proposed project.