April 21, 2021
By Shelley Byrne
Phil Wilzbacher, the longest serving port director in the Ports of Indiana’s 60-year history, is retiring effective April 20.
Wilzbacher, 62, is retiring after 19 years of service at the Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon facility.
“Nineteen years,” he said. “Great memories. What a fantastic ride!”
Wilzbacher didn’t have a family connection to the river. Instead, he grew up on a dairy farm near Fort Branch, Ind. His introduction to the river industry came about through his familiarity with agriculture, however. He worked his way up from a laborer at a grain elevator to eventually managing operations at various grain companies before transitioning into marketing and business development for two different short-line railroads.