INTRODUCTION
Missouri is the transportation hub of the United States, as well as all of North America. The infrastructure and location provide the ability to quickly and economically move raw materials, supplies, finished products and imports, all of which are critical to a company’s success.
Expansion Management Magazine compared 362 USA metropolitan areas on ten major criteria related to logistics. Missouri’s two major cities topped this national logistics study, which identified the most logistically-friendly cities in the United States. Kansas City, Missouri was rated number one and St. Louis, Missouri was rated number two, based upon transportation and warehousing, work force quality, road infrastructure, road congestion, road and bridge condition, interstate highway systems, state fuel taxes and fees, railroad services, water commerce and ports, and air cargo.
Kansas
City, Missouri was also awarded a Five Star rating by Logistics Today Magazine, citing Missouri’s 3,616
miles of Class I railroad tracks and 1,178 miles of interstate highways, as
well as Kansas City International Airport.
MAJOR COMPANIES
The Four Largest Class I Railroads in North America:
- Burlington Northern Santa Fe (Missouri business contact steve.dodd@bnsf.com)
- Union Pacific (Missouri business contact barbmoore@up.com)
- Norfolk Southern (Missouri business contact jessemoose@nscorp.com)
- Kansas City Southern (Missouri business contact werdman@kcsouthern.com)
Specialty
Motor Carrier Operators:
United Van Lines (dave_bengston@unigroup.com)
- Nationwide mover of household goods
- Nationwide mover of specialty items
- Specialty carrier of over dimension loads
- Carrier of hazardous materials
- Highest security clearance
Other
motor carriers may be located through the Missouri
Motor Carriers Association or by contacting: ross@motrucking.org
KEY FACILITIES
Logistics
and Intermodal Parks:
CenterPoint
Properties
Kansas City, MO
- Direct RR connection to Lazaro Cardenas Mexico port
- 370-acre intermodal facility
- 970-acre industrial park
- Distribution centers from 100,000 SF up to +1 MSF
- Proximity to Interstates 29, 35, 70, 435, 470 and 635
- Kansas City Southern RR intermodal yard
Contact: freynolds@centerpoint-prop.com
Gardner, KS
- 1,000-acre logistics park
- Over seven million SF of building potential
- Build-to-suit sites
- New BNSF RR intermodal facility
- Adjacent to Interstate 35
Kansas City, MO
- Largest underground warehouse distribution center in the United States
- Constant year round climate
- Optimum security
- Occupancy cost 2/3 of surface buildings and 50% savings on utilities
Two
Major Air Cargo Facilities:
Lambert St. Louis International Airport
St. Louis, MO
- Service by most scheduled air carriers for “belly freight”
- New runway for both east/west and north/south flights
- Sufficient room for growth of air cargo
- Located on Interstate 70
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City, MO
- Category III instrument landing systems
- Three 150-foot-wide runways
- Six air freight facilities
- Access by surface modes to 18 states within a 700-mile radius
- Over 7,000-acres of airport property for development
Contact: gary_bartek@kcmo.org
RESEARCH – ADVANCING THE INDUSTRY
Leading edge Logistics, Warehousing, and Distribution research is being conducted at such renowned centers as:
University of Missouri-Columbia
Engineering
Columbia, MO
Transportation engineering research is performed for Wal-Mart, as well as Yellow Freight Systems.
University of Missouri-St. Louis - Center
for Transportation Studies
St. Louis, MO
The center does extensive studies in logistic efficiency through the use of computerized warehouse systems.
Researchers at Missouri’s universities and colleges are working in conjunction with many Logistics, Warehousing, and Distribution companies:
Metropolitan
Community College Business and Technology Campus
The college is working with Union Pacific Railroad to develop a railroad employee training course. Contact: gary.sage@mcckc.edu
Metropolitan
Community College - Blue River Campus
The
college is offering truck driver training in order to provide drivers for
Kansas City-area motor carrier companies. Contact: Cheryl.carpenter@mcckc.edu
KC
SmartPort is working in conjunction with Electronic Datasystems Corp. (EDS),
seeking to develop a freight tracking system to give shippers real-time
information to improve just-in-time logistics.
North America’s Super Corridor Coalition,
Inc. (NASCO)
NASCO is working with Lockheed-Martin to develop a freight tracking system which will also add to the security of containers coming into the United States.
ASSOCIATIONS – SUPPORTING THE
INDUSTRY
Missouri Motor Carriers Association
Jefferson City, MO
This association represents over 725 members in the state. Additional motor carrier information may be located by contacting ross@motrucking.org
The Missouri Port Authority Association
Jefferson City, MO
This
association promotes river ports throughout Missouri. Missouri enjoys four public river ports on the Mississippi
River with no locks between the ports and the port of New Orleans. All have
rail service and easy access to Interstate 55. All have bulk loading facilities
and are ice free year-round. Missouri also has three public ports on the
Missouri river system. For more
details, contact the association at: P.O. Box 212, Jefferson City, MO 65102.
Ph: (573) 751-8620