Kaskaskia Regional Port District to be featured on 'World’s Greatest TV Show'

Ranking as the tenth largest inland port in the country with annual tonnage exceeding 1.5 million on the Kaskaskia River, the Kaskaskia Regional Port District has been selected to be featured on an upcoming episode of ‘World’s Greatest TV Show.’

The Kaskaskia Regional Port District has been a fixture of Red Bud, Ill. for more than half a century and is home to a variety of specialized and dedicated tenants. Producers were looking for something that had a mix of different operations that translate into a good story, and they said they found exactly what they were looking for at the Kaskaskia Regional Port District. The episode is scheduled to air locally on both cable and satellite television on November 2nd and 9th.

World’s Greatest TV Show is a National Television Series that takes viewers on a fast-paced tour around the world, featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews to bring the most interesting people, places and companies into the spotlight. Now in its 14th season, the program continues to surprise audiences with quality “edutainment” that entertains while it educates.

During the upcoming episode, viewers can expect to learn more about three specific tenants that call Kaskaskia Regional Port District home: Gateway FS, Southern Illinois Transfer Co. (SITCO), and The Material Works (TMW).

The port district features five terminals that provide businesses endless opportunities, with each terminal location having unique capabilities such as river, road and rail access and multiple tenants with operations related to agriculture, steel, scrubber stone and more.

Through the use great aerial shots, drone photography inside a warehouse and GoPro camera shots from the bucket of an excavator unloading a barge, viewers will get a close-up look at the activity that occurs daily within the port district and on the river.

As an award-winning company and one of the world’s greatest port districts due to its diversity, terminals, location, product mix and technology, Kaskaskia Regional Port District is always planning for the future and helping the economy of southwestern Illinois continue to grow with tenants that have successfully brought jobs into the community and region in addition to transferring cargo on the river.

“Being included in the World’s Greatest TV Show is a wonderful opportunity for Kaskaskia Regional Port District,” said Ed Weilbacher, general manager of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.

“It shows the dynamic nature of the port, the variety of products being handled here and how we serve the community. It is a true asset for the entire region.”

Mary Lamie, executive vice president of Multi Modal Enterprises at Bi-State Development and head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway, praised the selection of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District for the national television show.

“This is another in a long list of accolades for the diverse ports that make up the St. Louis region’s port system,” said Lamie.

“Within the United States, the St. Louis region has become the most efficient inland port system, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), home to the second and tenth largest inland ports, second highest volume inland water port and the Ag Coast of America. Kaskaskia Regional Port District is an integral part of our region’s port system and we hope viewers of the show enjoy getting to know more about its operations.”

World’s Greatest TV Show Episode 293 will air on DirecTV Channel 305 and Dish Network channel 250 at 5 a.m. CT on November 2 and again on November 9. After both airings, the episode will also be available to watch on the “Season 14” page of www.worldsgreatesttelevision.com.