Mohawk will be able to double rail traffic to transport pulp between the Port of Albany in New York and its paper mills in Cohoes and Waterford as a result of project to rehabilitate a rail siding at the Port of Albany, where Mohawk has a large warehouse

Mathew Kearney

ALBANY, New York , September 26, 2013 (Times Union) – A $250,000 project to rehabilitate a rail siding at the Port of Albany will enable Cohoes-based paper company Mohawk to double rail traffic between the port and its mill in Cohoes.

The move is expected to reduce truck traffic and improve efficiencies for the company.

The rail siding "is old and outdated," said Megan Daly, the port's director of economic development and procurement.

The rail line occasionally is even under water, said Edward Knott, director of purchasing for Mohawk.

The Cuomo administration last week said the Albany Port District Commission will receive $207,306 from the state's Passenger & Freight Rail Assistance program toward the $251,133 cost of the project.

Port officials hope to have the track project completed by next summer.

Mohawk moves pulp by railcar or truck from the 250,000-square-foot warehouse at the port to mills in Waterford and Cohoes, and finished paper products from the mills back to the warehouse, which is also a distribution center.

Mohawk ships products globally. The company has provided paper for some high-profile events, including the inauguration of President Barack Obama. It also supplied paper for the Harry Potter book series.

Mohawk, which has leased space at the port for the past 10 years, recently renewed that lease for another 10 years.

The company, originally Gilbert Paper Co., was founded in 1881.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.