December 2011 - Hyperlogistics Among the Top Ranking Logistics Arena in the U.S.
Press Release
December 16, 2011
According to a study in industrial developments across the United States, IMS Worldwide, Inc. reports that Columbus, Ohio has always been one of the top locations for warehouse, distribution and logistics related activities in the U.S.
Supply chain consultants and logisticians routinely name Columbus as the "one" location for a distribution center in the country. Columbus retains this location ranking for cargo owners, importers and those third party logistics service providers whose supply chains require a single Distribution Center (DC), broad consumer support and access to the largest clusters of the U.S. population.
In terms of population reach, Columbus ranked as number one in a 500 mile reach in a 10-hour truck drive with over 46% (150 million consumers) of the U.S. and Canadian population, including New York, Atlanta and Chicago.
Hyperlogistics is strategically located next to two rail terminals with an over-weight road allowing containers to be lifted and hauled directly from the Norfolk Southern (NS) rail terminal to Hyperlogistics loading docks within minutes! Product can be off-loaded and shipped to customers within hours of reaching the rail terminal. This benefit saves not only time, but truck shipping costs for the importer!
Another significant aspect of Columbus' strength is a rail carrier agreement between NS and the traditionally West Coast carrier, BNSF. Through a "steel-wheel interchange" program, unit trains coming from West Coast origins are pulled into Chicago by BNSF and sided. At this point, a crew-swap (step-on, step-off) occurs and the NS crew moves the unit train directly into Columbus, Ohio. (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Croxton, New Jersey are other destinations for this program.) This system eliminates as much as three days of transit time between western ports of origin and the Columbus market! CSX also has an interchange program with BNSF to move trains from Columbus to the West Coast. In July, BNSF announced that a container service will run directly from the West Coast to the new CSX facility in Northwest Ohio with connections to Columbus, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Kearny, Philadelphia, Portsmouth and Syracuse.
Both CSX and NS report that Columbus, Ohio remains an inland port dominated with respect to imports from West Coast ports. The amount of cargo arriving in the Columbus region from West Coast ports is 70% versus 30% from East Coast ports. However, as this provides significant empty containers to shippers in Columbus, the loaded exports in Columbus are more cost effective due to the container availability; virtually no destination container yard charges and these containers can, and are being used to ship exports to the East Coast ports.
Hyperlogistics in Columbus is looking forward to the completion of the Panama Canal expansion. There are several key ingredients that set the Columbus region apart from other regions and can serve a guide for cargo owners who have never sailed their product through Panama. One is the knowledge that this one location is equal in pricing from both west and east coast port routings, so decisions do not have to remain on hold until after the completion of the canal expansion. Location choices can be made today with the knowledge that selecting a DC in Columbus, it will remain competitive into the future. See the tables below to compare Columbus to other regions.
Hyperadvanced.