Tri-Cities Intermodal and MAC Container Line Announce Strategic Alignment

Pacific Northwest Inland Port Expands Support for Agricultural Exporters

WALLUA, WA, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Tri-Cities Intermodal and MAC Container Line have formed a strategic commercial partnership to expand truck-to-container agricultural transload capabilities through the Tri-Cities Intermodal facility in Wallula, Washington. Under the arrangement, MAC Container Line will serve as the preferred logistics provider for truck-origin agricultural container exports, integrating inland transload, intermodal rail and international ocean freight into a coordinated export solution.

The partnership's initial investment will support the installation of dedicated storage bins and transloading infrastructure for McKay Seed Co., Inc. at the Wallula facility. The new capacity will allow McKay to increase exports more efficiently while maintaining the product segregation and quality controls required for its specialized food grade barley exports to Japan.

“This is a large vote of confidence in our capabilities to support local agricultural exporters,” said Theodore Prince, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Tri-Cities Intermodal. “This could only have happened by having the support of so many stakeholders who were aligned with our vision to benefit the three-state region by providing cost-effective and sustainable transportation capacity. We are grateful for the support of MAC Container Line and McKay Seed.”
“Wallula offers a unique opportunity to bring the agricultural supply chain closer to the producer,” said Brad Heier, President of MAC Container Line. “By combining TCI's inland transload and rail capabilities with MAC's international ocean freight expertise, we can give agricultural exporters another way to reach global markets while improving the economics and reducing some of the risks associated with long-haul trucking. For producers currently sending hopper trucks over the pass to traditional transload locations, particularly during the winter months, Wallula can mean shorter turns, less exposure to mountain conditions and a better opportunity for drivers to return home each night.”

For agricultural exporters currently moving product by hopper truck across the Cascades for transloading, the Wallula model provides an alternative closer to origin. Shorter truck turns can improve equipment and driver utilization, reduce exposure to winter mountain conditions and potentially lower the overall cost of moving product to international markets.

Prince and Heier believe containerized agricultural exports are particularly well suited to some of the broader challenges facing Pacific Northwest producers. The region benefits from fertile agricultural land and significant production capacity, while changing international markets increasingly require producers and exporters to pursue higher-value products and specialized markets. Containerized exports can complement traditional bulk movements by providing the flexibility to efficiently serve these smaller-volume, higher-value markets.

The Tri-Cities Intermodal Center is operated by Great Northwest Transport, which also provides local warehousing and trucking. The facility is served by Union Pacific Railroad and Columbia Rail.

The facility has an initial capacity of 75,000 lifts annually, with a roadmap to significantly expand as traffic develops. Its Wallula location provides access to multiple transportation networks, including import and export service through the Northwest Seaport Alliance, Union Pacific's domestic intermodal network, truck-to-container agricultural transload for export, and rail-to-truck transload opportunities utilizing Columbia Rail.

The partnership between Tri-Cities Intermodal and MAC Container Line is intended to expand those capabilities by providing agricultural exporters with an integrated alternative that connects regional production, inland transload, rail and international ocean transportation.

Contacts

Ted Prince
Tri-Cities Intermodal
M: 804.677.5004
ted@tricitiesintermodal.com

Brad Heier
MAC Container Line
M: 651.343.5280
brad@maccontainerline.com

Theodore Prince
Tri-Cities Intermodal LLC
+1 804-677-5004
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