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The following development organizations are recipients of Expansion Solutions Magazine’s 2010 Awards of Excellence in the *** Logistics*** industry category. These awards recognize organizations who have demonstrated exceptional progress and potential in the development of their areas -- by successfully recruiting, retaining and growing businesses. The winners below are listed in alphabetical order and are reflective of our top 5 selections.
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Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission
Albany, GA
www.choosealbany.com
Albany is the transportation hub of Southwest Georgia. Five interstates are accessible via four lane highways extending from Albany. Overnight trucking service extends as far west as Texas and as far north as Pennsylvania.
Albany manufacturers and distributors are two truckload days or less from 82% of the U.S. industrial market, 79% of the nation's largest consumer markets, 77% of the U.S. metropolitan buying power and 6% of the country's metro retail sales.
Albany, Georgia is in the heart of the southeast region and closer to major national markets than many eastern seaboard cities. Albany is hundreds of miles farther west than any city on the eastern seaboard--farther west, even, than Detroit. Cities throughout the region such as Atlanta, Cincinnati, Memphis, Tampa, Dallas and Raleigh are overnight by truck, little more than a two hours away by air.
Albany-Dougherty County, which has the lowest cost-of-living and doing business of Georgia’s metropolitan areas, is a pro-business community dedicated to existing industry and business recruitment. Albany-Dougherty County is home to an expanding industrial base that includes an impressive roster of Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies in markets including health care and manufacturing; other growing markets include corporate, professional and customer-care services and logistics. To that end, the community is home to Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany and the headquarters of Marine Corps Logistics Command. The community, which supports five institutions of higher learning, has the skilled work force to meet industries’ needs.
The logistics industry is booming across the country as many companies eliminate wholesalers between themselves and their customers. As global outsourcing has increased exponentially in manufacturing, the need for logistics coordination services has also grown rapidly. Third-party logistics companies have expanded their services to 10 percent of American companies, up from less than two percent 10 years ago.
Distribution facilities have focused on major transportation hubs, and now there is as much interest in locating close to the manufacturing customer. In Albany, Procter & Gamble’s new warehouse/distribution facility is a good example this trend.
Albany can compete for smaller warehouse operations. The region is served by 19 interstate and 20 inter/intrastate motor freight carriers along with 15 trucking terminals. UPS operates from the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport in Albany.
Joplin Chamber of Commerce
Joplin, MO
www.joplincc.com
The Joplin Metro area’s position for serving national markets is very advantageous. A market of 5.2 million persons can be reached within a 150-mile radius of the Joplin area. Interstate 44 (east-west) and interstate-grade US Hwy. 71 (northsouth) connect to every region in the country. Among its surrounding metro areas, Joplin has the largest population within a 150 mile radius. The Joplin Regional Airport and three other airports within 110 miles serve the region, providing commercial and cargo service to markets throughout the world. Three Class 1 and one regional shortline railroad are an important part of the transportation system. Both UPS and FEDEX offer daily early morning deliveries in Joplin and Neosho through their local operations served from the regional hub at Springfield. There is ample rail access with Kansas City Southern, BNSF, Union Pacific, Missouri-Northern Arkansas Railroad all servicing the area. Joplin has its own regional airport and other regional airports and the Tulsa International Airport are within an hour to an hour and a half drive. There are 50 major freight carriers and numerous terminal facilities are in the region.
With Wal-Mart headquarters’ in nearby Bentonville, Arkansas, Joplin is well-positioned geographically to serve as a manufacturing and/or distribution center for suppliers. The Joplin Metro Area center is only 50 miles from Bentonville, enhancing just-in-time deliveries to Wal-Mart’s central distribution center and easy access to the company’s buyers. In addition, the Joplin Metro Area the east-west Interstate accessibility not found in northwest Arkansas. The Joplin Metro Area is also located within two hours of six of Wal-Mart distribution centers, which gives the region a logistics advantage for supplying the Wal-Mart system, the nation’s largest retailer.
The Joplin Metro Area is at an advantage to other metro areas in terms of transportation access and cost. Employers recently interviewed by Taimerica Management rated their access to national markets as a locational advantage. Some, such as La-Z-Boy, operate large, sophisticated national distribution operations from the region.
Some indication of a region’s competitiveness can be determined by looking at the inland freight rates for ocean shipments. Kansas City offers the lowest inbound costs from Asia or Latin America to the Midwest. However, the costs for container deliveries to Joplin from Asia (thru Oakland) and from Europe or Latin America (thru Houston) are within $325-$350 of Kansas City costs. Joplin inland rates from Asia, via Oakland, are nearly equal to rates for Chicago or Memphis deliveries and are better than rates to Omaha, Wichita or Oklahoma City. Analysis suggests that the Joplin Metro Area continues to be competitive from a freight standpoint, particularly for assembly and distribution operations involving Asian products.
McAllen Economic Development Corporation
McAllen, TX
www.medc.org
The strategic location of McAllen/Reynosa along the Third Coast allows companies here to utilize the Mexican Ports of Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas and Altamira to save time and money. Shipments arriving at these ports are moved by truck or rail to a new dry port in Reynosa or distribution warehouses within the McAllen MSA. From here, containers and products are shipped throughout North America. This route can save the company 20-25 percent in transportation costs and an average of three days of shipping time.
The McAllen MSA is well connected to the rest of the U.S. and to Mexico. It is serviced by four major highways, daily passenger flights, railroad systems and intermodal terminals.
McAllen has 1 local International Airport and 2 additional International Airports within a 35- mile radius. McAllen Miller International Airport has daily flights into Houston (Continental Airlines) and Dallas (American Airlines) with connecting flights to other cities within the U.S. The airport also has daily direct flights to Mexico City (Continental Express), Las Vegas Nevada (Allegiant Air), and Orlando, Florida (Allegiant Air).
McAllen is served by US Expressway 83, a 6 lane divided highway and US 281, a 4 lane divided roadway, which is a designated I-69 corridor. U.S. Hwy 281 and 83 connect McAllen with I-37 and I-35 running North and South. The I-69 corridor, extending from Mexico City to Canada, will run through McAllen and connect with other Interstate Highways throughout the U.S. Reynosa is the first city directly located on the I-69 Corridor, the shortest route between the Industrial Northeast of the United States, Canada and the largest market in the center of Mexico.
McAllen sites also have rail accessibility and are located only 65 miles from a seaport.
McAllen currently has three Ports of Entry: Mexico International Bridge (McAllen-Hidalgo/Reynosa Bridge) and Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge and the new Anzalduas Bridge.
Red River Waterway Commission
Natchitoches, LA
www.redriverwaterway.com
Situated in the heart of the South, the Red River Region is accessible to the entire Mississippi
River System and Intracoastal Waterway. It also sits amidst a Louisiana Highway system that
includes east-west highways I-10 and I-20, as well as north-south Interstate Highways I-49, I-55
and I-59. Louisiana railway systems put almost every major city in the United States within seven days travel.
Throughout the area, office parks and industrial complexes are close to port facilities along the river. Also, a vast realty prime for custom development and an abundance of natural resources
makes the area a major consideration for any company.
The Caddo-Bossier Port (located just south of the Shreveport-Bossier area) is currently a United
States Customs port of entry and has received the designation of “Foreign Trade Zone number 145.”
The Red River Waterway bustles with commercial activity. On any given day, products such as creosote, fertilizer, coiled steel or chemicals may be the cargo en route to destinations near and far.
What makes all these movements possible is the navigable Red River, aided by excellent facilities at ports and industrial parks along the river's path.
Four public port complexes on the Red River are presently operating - The Port of Shreveport-Bossier, the Port of Alexandria, Natchitoches Parish Port and the Port of Red River Parish. In addition, there are several private terminals along the Red River.
Warren County Port Commission Economic Development Foundation
Vicksburg, MS
www.vicksburgedf.org
The Vicksburg-Warren County area is within overnight delivery of the Middle South Market that encompasses over 55 million people and 76 metropolitan areas. This area has been determined to be one of the fastest growing areas in the United States in the next 20 years.
The inland navigation system puts connects to the heart of the United States and the largest tonnage port in the Western hemisphere, the Port of South Louisiana (Baton Rouge-New Orleans).
Warren County is intersected by an excellent highway system. U.S. Highway 80 and Interstate 20 run parallel in an east/west direction. Both thoroughfares intersect U.S. Highway 61 that runs north/south.
The only four-lane interstate bridge between Memphis, Tennessee and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, crosses the Mississippi River at Vicksburg. The junction of Interstate 20 and Interstate 55 is located only 40 miles from Vicksburg in Jackson, Mississippi.
The Vicksburg Municipal Airport, eight miles southwest of the city, is a full-service facility with a 5,000-foot by 100-foot lighted runway and NDB instrument approach. Aircraft repair and jet fuel service are also available.
The Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport is located six miles west of Vicksburg. The facility provides an FAA instrument approach system with lower minimums and modern.
The Port of Vicksburg has twenty-one business and industries operating at the Port employing over 4,000 employees. The Port is a designated Foreign Trade Zone, Port of Entry, and it maintains a United States Customs service. The Port of Vicksburg is approximately 55 acres with a potential 600 acres available for future development.
A rail and road loop allows direct access from barge to truck to rail. Liquid warehouse facilities, barge fleeting, and marshalling services, and barge cleaning and refurbishing services are available.
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