The following development organizations are recipients of Expansion Solutions Magazine’s 2011 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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City of Barstow
Barstow, CA
www.barstowca.org
The City of Barstow, located midway between Los Angeles, CA, and Las Vegas, NV is a major transportation corridor. It is strategically located at the crossroads of two major Interstates, I-15 and I-40. To the south, I-15 leads to the San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego markets. To the north, I-15 goes to Las Vegas and then north to Canada interconnecting with all transcontinental interstates. I-40 travels generally due east through the Sunbelt until it intersects with I-95 in North Carolina. U.S. Highway 58 intercepts U.S. Highway 99 and I-5, which are main arterials to central and northern California. There is no logical way to get to the Los Angeles Metropolitan area from points east except through Barstow. Additionally, Barstow is the home to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad's classification yard and is the western division point for the BNSF and the UP Railroads transcontinental mainline. The Barstow Industrial Park, which is over 1,200 acres, offers rail service.
The city is in close proximity to Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA); the airport is poised to become one of the largest international cargo airports in the nation. These transportation advantages offer businesses outstanding opportunities for moving products throughout the United States.
The City of Barstow has Enterprise Zone designation. The Barstow Enterprise Zone covers nearly 5-square miles of the city and includes Industrial and Business Parks. Enterprise Zones exist to encourage and stimulate growth, development and investment in the area. Businesses that invest, operate, or locate within the Barstow Enterprise Zone may be eligible for special state tax incentives.
Go Topeka Economic Development Partnership
Topeka, KS
www.gotopeka.com
Topeka and Shawnee County are nestled in the middle of the U.S. with connectivity to five major highways allowing quick access to Interstates 70 and 335. Topeka is home to one of the longest air runways in the U.S. At 12,800 feet long, Forbes Field Air Logistics Facility, located in the Kanza Economic Growth Complex, is one of the top six longest runways in the nation that is still under capacity. And, Kansas City International Airport is only one hour away.
Whether it’s bringing in raw materials or shipping finished product out, their central location makes for timely and cost-efficient delivery throughout North America. Within one day, goods shipped by truck reach 25% of the U.S. population, reaching 90% by day two. In addition to convenient access to major roadways, Topeka offers rail service.
Connected by Highway 75 and a BNSF Railway line and close to Interstate 335 and Interstate 70, three sites represent the industrial infrastructure of future economic growth in Shawnee County. Topeka’s strengths as a logistics and distribution hub have already proven to be invaluable to companies such as Target, Home Depot, Del Monte, Goodyear, Frito Lay and PTMW, who all have distribution centers in the community.
Not only does Topeka have land available and ready to develop, they work with local officials to make sure companies can transition quickly and smoothly into their new homes. And, they have programs in place to help businesses continue to grow, with incentives for expansion and dedicated people working to ensure Topeka remains one of the most business-friendly environments in the nation.
Midland Development Corporation
Midland, TX
www.midlandtxedc.com
Midland is located directly on Interstate 20, the La Entrada al Pacifico Trade Corridor, and the Ports to Plains corridor connecting Mexico and Canada,. Midland is the logistics, distribution, and warehousing hub for West Texas. Both Interstate 40 and Interstate 10 are within 150 miles of Midland with easy access from several state highways.
Midland International Airport along with its Foreign Trade Zone and service by Union Pacific Railroad provide additional resources for logistics, distribution, and warehousing. Serving more than 900,000 passengers annually, Midland International Airport, owned and operated by the City of Midland, offers residents connection to major hubs throughout the world.
The Midland Executive Airpark is located on the Northern side of the City of Midland and is only minutes from downtown Midland. Midland Airpark is designed to allow easy access to all areas of the Midland Community. Midland Airpark serves the general aviation public which includes business and corporate traffic. Midland Airpark plays a vital role in fulfilling the economic needs of Midland.
Midland's strategic location in West Texas and fully integrated air, rail and highway transportation system give excellent access to other North American regions, particularly the Southwest, Midwest, and northern Mexico. Major cities located in these regions, especially in Texas, Colorado, and Arizona, are among the fastest growing in the United States.
Salt Lake City Office of Economic Development
Salt Lake City, UT
www.slcgov.com
Salt Lake City’s prime geographic location has garnered it the title “Crossroads of the West.” Transportation is a major factor for businesses choosing to build or relocate their business to Salt Lake City. From a major international airport and heavy rail service to interstate highways connecting east to west and north to south, Salt Lake City is linked to the country and to the world, and provides multifaceted solutions for the movement of people and goods.
Salt Lake City directly connects to or is near several major interstate highways: Interstate 80 (east to New York City/west to San Francisco), Interstate 70 (east to Denver), and Interstate 1-15 (north to Canada/south to Mexico). The highways provide the city with great accessibility along the Wasatch Front and points beyond. Salt Lake City is also home to the Bangerter Highway and the I-215 belt route that provide expanded service to points within the Salt Lake Valley, home to over 1 million residents.
The trucking industry employs more than 13,000 workers in Salt Lake County. There are more than 2,300 interstate and intrastate motor freight carriers with operations in Utah. Daily direct service from Salt Lake City to all major cities in the continental U.S. and Canada is available through these carriers.
Salt Lake City's status as the crossroads of the West has allowed it to provide interline switching routes for West coast rail transit shipments, and for Eastern and Midwestern transit shipments, with the advantage of not having to backhaul shipments. With 1,500 miles of railroad spanning Utah, the city also provides excellent access to local markets.
The Union-Pacific Trans-loading Facility, located in Salt Lake City can accommodate up to 250,000 container lifts annually and provide connections to major eastern and western population centers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Trans-loading Facility is also the first major destination and interchange point for Union-Pacific Railroad from Seattle, Portland, Oakland and Los Angeles/Long Beach.
Salt Lake City International Airport is currently ranked the 25th busiest airport in the nation and 50th in the world. Geographically, the Airport is within a two and a half-hour flight from half of the nation's population. Air freight service in the Salt Lake area puts shippers within hours of any point in the nation. Sixteen cargo carriers handle more than 550 million pounds of air cargo and airmail.
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority
Valdosta, GA
www.industrialauthority.com
Few locations in America can boast of better transportation assets than the Valdosta MSA. With the third longest airport runway in Georgia at 8002 linear feet, the convergence of two Class 1 railroads, close proximity to two of the fastest growing ports in the country, and the nation's largest interstate running through the community, logistics companies located there have a distinct advantage.
Valdosta's strategic location could easily be considered the community's number one asset for modern day industrial development and recruitment. Sitting at the crossroads of I-75 and I-10, logistics has become a mainstay and a major industry in this region. Valdosta sits directly between Atlanta, GA and Orlando, FL splitting over 35 million Americans just in the states of Florida and Georgia alone. From Valdosta, companies enjoy one day truck service to all of Florida and significant distances up the eastern seaboard and out west via I-10 and U.S. 84. Because of the logistics advantage, Valdosta-Lowndes County is the home of several high profile distribution centers including: Lowes Regional Distribution Center (1.5 Million square feet), Home Depot Regional Distribution Center (656,000 square feet), Dillards Distribution Center (750,000 square feet), Fed Ex Distribution (150,000 square feet), IJ Foods (100,000 square feet), Smith Drug Company (108,000 square feet), Budweiser (65,000 square feet), and several others.
