Officials and stakeholders celebrated the results of a transformative improvement project to the Howard/Cooper County Port Authority with a ribbon cutting on Friday morning. The event represents the culmination of extensive collaboration and financial support from various grants, including those from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

This expansion is expected to substantially boost the port’s operational capacity and resilience, benefiting the local community and the broader regional economy.

The port was founded in May 1975 and is strategically situated along the Missouri River at mile 196.5 on the Howard County side. It remains the only port on the river between St. Louis and Kansas City. Missouri has more than 1,000 miles of inland waterways on which to transport goods. The port allows local farmers to compete globally, said Levi Wood, MoDOT Administrator of Freight and Waterways.

The Port Authority has nine board members from both Howard and Cooper counties. The improvements were made possible by more than $3.4 million in grants, which enabled the port authority to fill approximately 18 acres with backfill material, extending all the way to the 100-year flood plain and significantly bolstering the port’s infrastructure.

“The diversity that this port can bring for both counties is amazing,” said Howard County Western District Commissioner Mat Freese. “I know all of the farmers around here are just in awe. Howard County is going to love not having to drive through Boonville with their trucks every day.”

Two new grain bins were added, with capacities of 160,000 and 240,000 bushels, respectively. These state-of-the-art storage facilities will significantly benefit the expansion of the Missouri Farmers Association (MFA) ’s grain operation expansion and help provide increased support to the agricultural community.

“We’ve got a lot of things going on and plans for the future,” said John Sponaugle, director of the Port of Howard/Cooper County.

Other improvements include a new dock, a grain probe, and much-needed maintenance on older bins.

“This expansion is a testament to the commitment of the port authority to both its local community and the wider region,” said Kaylee Paffrath, President/CEO of the Moberly Area Economic Development Corporation.

Amber Overfelt, Howard Electric Cooperative CEO and chair of the Howard County Economic Development Council, praised the improvements. “Having the only public port between Kansas City and St. Louis will benefit both Howard and Copper counties for decades to come. This benefits our farmers now and will create economic development growth going forward. The Howard County Economic Development Council (HCEDC), represented by Kaylee Paffrath, was happy to partner with Gigi Quinlan McAreavy, Director of Economic Development Boonville/Cooper County, to provide support behind the scenes. John Sponaugle, Kendall Kircher, and Port Authority board members’ hard work and countless hours have provided Howard County with a valuable asset.”