Kirby Corporation - Competitors

Kirby Corporation Competition

Now Viewing Kirby Corporation's competition in: Inland Barge Transport (primary)

Recent Developments

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Preparing for Changes - The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, a major inland water route in the Gulf Coast region, is undergoing significant changes that are impacting inland barge transport companies. The Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) is renovating the Industrial Canal Lock, one of the major entrances to the waterway, which is pushing some companies to find new routes for inland cargo. The work should be complete in fall 2008, when the other entrance to the waterway, the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, is set to close.

Tonnage Up to End Summer - Following a slow start to summer inland shipping due to flooding in the Midwest, overall tonnage shipped on inland waterways rose 7.6 percent in August 2008 compared to August 2007, according to the ACE. The increase was led by strong coal shipments, which were up nearly 16 percent. Other popular cargo, including petroleum and chemicals and food and farm products, were down 10 and 11 percent, respectively.

Federal Funding, Support Help Inland Shipping - The US DOT, in combination with other federal, state, and local government agencies, is promoting short-sea shipping in the US as a way to reduce the movement of goods on the nation's roads. Projects, such as those on the James River in Virginia, allow for funding similar to that for roadways to help new inland barge transport and shipping companies get started. Long-term, industry experts hope that the projects can be expanded to rivers and waterways across the US.

Competitive Landscape

Demand is driven primarily by the level of agricultural exports, petroleum refining, coal usage, and chemical shipments. Large companies have advantages in handling a broad range of cargo types, along with economies of scale in purchasing and marketing. Small companies compete by specializing in particular cargo types or services, subcontracting to larger companies, and offering responsive customer service. Average annual revenue per employee is about $200,000 for small companies and over $300,000 for large companies.

Full Industry Overview For Inland Barge Transport

Inland Barge Transport Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The output of US water transportation, which includes barges, is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 7.4 percent between 2008 and 2013.

Water Transportation Services Growth Steadies

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.