Cole Russell Post #4

I learned so much from my internship at RMG. RMG has an extensive network and complete understanding of the export grain trade and all the complicated details, logistics and hard work that goes into running a successful business in this field. It would take a long time and lots of hands on experience to fully understand how the export grain trade operates. It was interesting & even a little overwhelming to see all the different parts / jobs that go into it - domestic transportation, ocean vessel chartering, documentation, operations, barge tracking, barge inspection, analysis, etc. RMG, on average, handles over 25 million tons of grain per year exported from the U.S.  One of the reasons they have been so successful is because of their location at the mouth of the Mississippi. Because of the river system, RMG can export grain from about half of the 50 states. I learned that they also have an office in the Pacific Northwest. The grain that does not go to the Mississippi river is transport by rail car to the PNW & exported from there. One of my favorite days was spent on the river touring the different loading facilities along the lower Mississippi, see picture above.