Articles
EcoDev
Missouri Gets Shipping
Missouri’s central location, sixth-largest public road and highway system, service by all seven Class I railroads, third-largest inland port in the nation, and major airfreight centers in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield might be enough to attract the attention of most nationwide shippers looking for a strategic Midwest location. But Total Quality Logistics (TQL) […]
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When Real Estate Intersects With Logistics
Fulfillment centers across the globe are adapting to better suit customer demands. We’re seeing increased automation and robotics, more office improvements, higher levels of complexity, greater security, and stepped-up employee workplace amenities, among others. In short, businesses are expecting more. And they want more now. Leasing new property is an important part of expanding or […]
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Start Now to Leverage the Benefits of the Panama Canal Expansion
The expansion of the Panama Canal, scheduled between late 2015 and early 2016, is one of the most important infrastructure projects of the past century. The upgrades mean that massive post-Panamax ships will traverse the waterway, leading to a significant shift in trade patterns and increased global trade. Global companies typically grow 15 percent faster, […]
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How to Choose a Business-Friendly Site
The U.S. manufacturing resurgence can largely be attributed to companies reshoring operations. With its low-cost, abundant energy resources, the United States has once again become a cost-effective siting option for energy-intensive manufacturers. As the energy boom brings companies back to the United States, they must decide where to locate. A number of factors make a […]
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Panama: Leveraging Opportunities Beyond the Canal
It’s not only shipping lines, railroads, logistics service providers, and multinational firms that want to know to what extent the Panama Canal expansion project will affect business. Every company will be affected plenty, and must be prepared to modify existing distribution operations to reflect the changing world. Why will the Panama Canal expansion have such […]
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Managing Complex Supply Chains in Emerging Asia
Capitalizing on Asia’s emerging markets requires the ability to effectively manage the complex supply chain challenges that the region presents. Often the first step to turning economic potential into actual growth is creating a strong and secure logistics hub. Global businesses commonly centralize their logistics and supply chain management functions in a stable, secure location […]
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Northeast Florida: America’s Logistics Center Drives Global Business
Thanks to its strong transportation infrastructure system, the Northeast Florida region is on a solid trajectory for increased international trade, as well as logistics and supply chain management investments and employment. Dubbed "America’s Logistics Center," Northeast Florida is one of the only centrally located East Coast regions offering all four pillars of logistics: rail, air, […]
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St. Louis: New Gateway to Asian Markets
Nicknamed the Gateway to the West nearly 200 years ago for its presence as an economic powerhouse, St. Louis, Mo., is making significant progress as a key partner for international trade relations and economic growth. For new businesses or those seeking to grow trade relationships, St. Louis now represents a gateway to Asian markets. St. […]
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Blazing Trails from the Crossroads of America
Missouri’s transportation system is an essential component of many industries, and the heartbeat of everyday life, working as a conduit between its rural areas and its big cities. But, because it’s always there, it can be easy to take the state’s transportation infrastructure for granted. Sometimes we need to be reminded that transportation can—and does—make […]
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Getting in the Zone: FTZs Fuel Improved Logistics
For decades, America’s foreign trade zones (FTZs) have provided a valuable platform for U.S. companies competing in global export markets. The FTZ program was established in 1934 to expedite and encourage foreign commerce. The nation’s 500 zones and subzones are secured areas, often near or adjacent to U.S. ports of entry, and are considered outside […]
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On a Roll: How a New Auto Plant Revived a Town
Six years ago, West Point, Ga., was on the brink of becoming a ghost town. More than 16,000 of the town’s factory jobs disappeared in the past 20 years, leading to high unemployment, a low standard of living, and a lost sense of community. But then, something amazing happened. In 2006, South Korean car company […]
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Efficient Use of State Resources Keeps Transportation Flowing
States have fewer dollars to spend on transportation these days, but that does not mean that highways and roads are destined to fall into disrepair. How can transport departments ensure the smooth, safe travel of goods and people in cash-strapped times? The Show-Me State’s answer: Change the way business is done. Missouri, on track to […]
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Growing a Statewide Logistics Sector
Recognizing that advanced manufacturing and the logistics sector represent a key economic development opportunity for Indiana, local leaders formed Conexus Indiana, a statewide forum for key logistics and manufacturing employers, academia, and government. Its goals are to attract and grow logistics and advanced manufacturing companies, add value to the goods that move through the state, […]
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Tapping Into the Power of Supply Chain Integration
In 4 B.C., Greek philosopher Plato said necessity is the mother of invention. That statement is as true today as it was then. During the past few years, it became a necessity for companies to find cost savings and run their businesses more efficiently to survive tough economic times. In addition to network rationalization, inventory […]
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It’s Time to Implement Cross-Border Trucking
When the United States signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which included a commitment to open our roads to Mexico’s cargo trucks, we were paving the way for economic opportunity, job growth, and prosperous foreign investment. Unfortunately, the United States has never fully complied with NAFTA’s cross-border trucking program, costing our country billions […]
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SIN Centers: An Investment in Ideas
Today’s entrepreneurs are developing new ideas, patents, systems, and technologies that could have a profound and sustainable impact on our ability to promote the next generation of green supply chains. For many of them, however, progress is slowed or halted by a lack of reliable funding and effective economic development programs. Every day, more foreign […]
Read MoreHealthy Seaports: An ‘Open for Business’ Sign
Nearly everything we buy or consume—from the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, to the coffee we start our day with—comes to us on a ship, through one of our nation’s seaports. In turn, nearly everything the United States sells in the global marketplace makes its way there via our seaports. This includes […]
Read MorePublic-Private Partnerships Fund Progress
With credit harder than ever to get and Congress casting a sometimes critical eye toward public-private partnerships (PPPs), some say combining public and private resources for the public good has become outdated, if not obsolete. In truth, the use of PPPs and private sector resources to address our nation’s public infrastructure needs continues to be […]
Read MoreEstablishing a Successful Industrial Park
Despite a rocky start, the North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP), a state managed and financed multi-modal transportation park, is thriving today. Conceived 20 years ago as an aviation-centered global assembly and distribution point, the 2,400-acre business park, located in the state’s southeastern quadrant near Kinston, encountered its share of problems before landing its first significant […]
Read MoreCommunity Developers: Take the Intermodal Initiative
My Sears vacuum cleaner, made by Panasonic in Japan a decade ago, quit working recently. Replacing the original relay with a part now made in Indonesia fixed the problem. Clearly, it’s not just America that is outsourcing. Manufacturing worldwide has morphed into production sharing, where companies assemble and sell products made from subassemblies sourced around […]
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