ST. LOUIS – Long dubbed the “Ag Coast of America,” St. Louis remains a crucial hub capable of handling auto, river, and rail freight across the country and beyond. On Thursday, important international guests joined a local delegation on a riverboat cruise to see the region’s multi-modal freight network from a unique vantage point.
“On the cruise, they’re going to learn about rail and barge and trucking and how all those modes of transportation interact,” Mary Lamie, Bi-State Development’s executive vice president of multi modal enterprises, said. “You’re going to see ports and conveyor belts and what makes the St. Louis region the Ag Coast of America and most efficient inland port system in the nation.”
Starting under the Arch, the Tom Sawyer riverboat took off on a cruise upstream Thursday morning – the Midcoast Ag Tour. Onboard were educators, guidance counselors, a group from Argentina, along with civic leaders and business owners. Touring infrastructure improvements like the $222 million Merchants Bridge reconstruction in 2022 and businesses like Ingram Infrastructure group, who invested in St. Louis, adding jobs and opportunities into the economy.
“In St. Louis, we are investing $50 million over the next three years,” Dan Lester, senior vice president of business development for Ingram Infrastructure, said. “A combination of private and grant funds to revitalize the facilities on the Missouri and Illinois sides.”
Touting the region’s assets along the river, from barge to rail and freight, the St. Louis Regional Freightway hosted the cruise as part of FreightWeekSTL2025.
“We are on an exploring mission visiting the United States and Midwest corn belt ecosystem,” Gonzalo Valenci, executive director of Córdoba Innovate and Entrepreneur Agency, said. “We’ve brought 30 people, mixing farmers, producers, public officials, startups, and universities. So, we can visit the state-of-the-art where the agriculture is happening.”
Missouri educators on the trip got to learn of the career possibilities; knowledge they could take back downstream with them and pass along to their students.
“That’s been the benefit of this whole experience,” Marc Reid, business teacher at Jennings High School, said. “Just really getting a chance to see what’s available in the marketplace for our students, so they can really take advantage of and start contributing to the St. Louis economy and getting really good jobs. So, it’s exciting and I can’t wait to take it back to my students.”
With its location in the center of the county St. Louis leaders from the bi-state area showcased the multimodal freight network, roads and bridges, rail and barge, ports and infrastructure. Taking it all in, at a nice cruising speed.