For Canal Barge Firm, 2025 marked each report income and earnings and a transformative shift in possession – a pivotal mixture that’s poised to form the following section of progress for considered one of New Orleans’ longest-standing non-public firms within the commerce and transportation sector.

Canal Barge Firm (CBC) reported $549.4 million in income in 2025, up from $531.4 million in 2024, marking a report 12 months for the 93-year-old New Orleans-based marine transportation and logistics firm. The expansion coincides with an possession transition.

Final September, nationwide funding agency Redwood Holdings acquired Canal Barge, putting it below a newly fashioned holding firm that features Marquette Transportation Firm of Paducah, Kentucky. New York-based Redwood Holdings is a family-owned holding firm that invests in founder, household, and management-owned companies.

“Redwood is a superb proprietor that gives the monetary power and a long-term dedication to our enterprise,” stated Merritt Lane III, CBC President and CEO. “Promoting our household’s possession this 12 months was the results of a considerate course of. It was necessary to us that we’d be capable to accomplish this whereas persevering with to supply our clients the best-in-class service they’re used to from us, in addition to to supply the soundness and confidence that permits our workers to remain targeted on working our enterprise.”

The transaction positions Redwood as one of many largest homeowners of towboats and barges within the nation. Lane stated the transaction gives CBC with long-term strategic alignment and the monetary power to scale operations whereas preserving its core identification and workforce. The choice, he added, secures a everlasting, growth-oriented dwelling for the corporate’s subsequent chapter.

“Redwood is the perfect long-term dwelling to proceed the legacy of the CBC Household and supply alternatives to our mariners and shore-based workers,” Lane stated. “They’ve already made vital investments within the firm since buying us, together with shopping for a fleet of tank barges and strategic waterside land in Houston.”

CBC was based in 1933 by Joseph Merrick Jones with one barge and a $10,000 capital funding. The corporate started working the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway‘s first all-welded metal tank barge that very same 12 months. Over the previous 9 many years, CBC has grown to incorporate greater than 900 tank, hopper and deck barges, 49 towboats, and greater than 900 workers.

Redwood’s acquisition consists of CBC’s subsidiaries – Illinois Marine Towing and the IMT-Lemont Shipyard, Canal Terminal Firm, Canal Analytical & Environmental Providers, and Pelican Marine Providers. The deal was structured by a Redwood-controlled holding firm, of which Lane now serves as CEO, whereas persevering with to guide CBC’s operations.

The transaction unites two complementary gamers within the Jones Act marine transportation market. CBC gives marine transportation, logistics, terminaling and harbor providers for industrial clients. Marquette focuses on barge towing providers throughout dry cargo and liquid cargo markets. Marquette’s 1,700 mariners and shoreside workers oversee greater than 130 towboats and tugboats throughout the Mississippi River, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and coastal markets.

“Canal Barge not solely can develop in its current footprint, however our affiliation with Marquette Transportation additionally brings collectively an amazingly deep and various enterprise portfolio, extraordinary expertise, best-in-class working and logistical capabilities, and large scale that creates alternatives for efficiencies and progress,” Lane stated. “We spent the 12 months attending to know our companions at Marquette Transportation, studying from one another and figuring out alternatives to match up capabilities and create an excellent stronger enterprise for the longer term.”

Sustaining continuity throughout the possession transition was a precedence, Lane added. “I’m more than happy to say that we managed by the transition efficiently, with excessive buyer satisfaction and worker retention. Our workforce stayed targeted, our security report was strong, and we produced report monetary outcomes.”

CBC’s 3.4% income improve was supported by favorable contract renewals, excessive fleet utilization, and steady working circumstances, “regardless of considered one of our heavier fleet upkeep years,” Lane stated. “CBC had report income and earnings in 2025. Our tank barge enterprise was the most important contributor and confirmed essentially the most enchancment, however our open hopper and deck barge enterprise items each carried out very effectively,” Lane stated. “Our buyer portfolio was very steady and was the supply of many of the income progress.”

Within the trucking phase, Gretna-based Acme Truck Line Inc. reported $242.3 million in income in 2025, up barely from $242 million in 2024. Based in 1960, Acme operates 70 native places of work and a fleet of 1,200 vans, serving roughly 1,400 energetic clients. The corporate averages 3,500 weekly masses and logs roughly 45 million miles yearly throughout greater than 40 service markets in 15 states, working across the clock all year long.

Firms within the commerce and transportation trade proceed to navigate a fancy working surroundings formed by world commerce coverage shifts, export demand volatility and the capital-intensive nature of marine property. Lane famous that grain exports – significantly corn and soybeans – stay delicate to geopolitical developments, whereas excessive vessel building prices have tempered new barge provide, retaining market self-discipline in verify.

Regardless of these headwinds, Lane expressed cautious optimism heading into 2026.

“Whereas the general financial system appears to be a bit flat, it’s wholesome with a extra business-friendly regulatory surroundings and decrease rates of interest probably stimulating some financial progress. Commerce coverage will impression our enterprise in some ways, however essentially the most vital impression shall be on Marquette’s grain enterprise that’s pushed by corn and soybean exports,” he stated. “Extra importantly, the availability of barges stays steady with new building largely in verify because of the excessive value of recent property relative to present market charges. If we have now strong demand, steady provide, and favorable working circumstances in 2026, we may have one other report 12 months.”