Logistics Locations: Moving At The Speed Of Business

Several macroeconomic forces are driving growth in Virginia and many companies are taking advantage of the unique operating environment in place there thanks to the port’s executive leadership. The global pandemic sent the world’s supply chains into chaos, from which they have yet to fully recover. At the same time, geopolitical conflicts have created further challenges, with the threat of ongoing disruption continuing. Together these trends are leading executives at the world’s biggest brands to reconsider global sourcing and supply chain networks on a scale unseen for a generation.

Positioned right in the middle of the East Coast with a deep-water harbor and room for expansion landside, the Port of Virginia is capitalizing on a differentiated operating platform appropriately named The Virginia Model. Unlike most ports, the Port of Virginia is not a “landlord port.” Instead, it owns and operates the terminal facilities, technology, equipment, and chassis pool that deliver for customers, giving the team in Virginia unparalleled control and flexibility.

The result is customer-focused solutions tailored to help both shippers and their logistics partners create more reliability in the supply chain—a very rare commodity today. In the past year, The Virginia Model has delivered for a global automotive brand when it needed parts to keep manufacturing online. It has delivered a new “reverse land bridge” rail service from East to West to help shippers fight congestion at California ports. Infrastructure projects and new warehouse space have continued to expand for port-centric logistics operations.

Cargo volume at the port set another record in fiscal year 2022, running from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, topping 3.7 million units, a 14.7% year-over-year increase. Offering productivity improvements and efficiency for shipping customers and logistics providers, the Port of Virginia is poised to meet the growing supply chain demands of tomorrow. With its Gateway Investment Program, the port is currently investing more than $1.4 billion in infrastructure and technology, continuing its position as one of the most modern ports in the Western Hemisphere. Increases in automated marine terminal, rail, and chassis capacity, along with a deeper and wider 55-foot channel, ensures it is future-ready to facilitate the reliable and sustainable movement of cargo today and tomorrow.

Underpinning this success is an expanding, experienced workforce that includes positions from skilled labor to finance to information technology. Given the region’s heavy military presence, the Port of Virginia and regional maritime interests have a unique advantage: the military provides a steady stream of skilled professionals who are ready for life in the private sector.

The future is moving to Virginia, and the Port of Virginia is prepared for growth.

Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance (SWLA): Promoting Regional Development

Immediate access to waterways, airport runways, railroad tracks, and interstate and state highways are some of the reasons logistics company leaders and managers should consider operating in Southwest Louisiana. Some of the points of origin for those transportation byways include the Port of Lake Charles and Chennault International Airport. Additionally, the area has 12 Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Certified Sites. A robust multi-modal transportation system has been created in the region due to a 100-year industrial growth period. Southwest Louisiana is home to dozens of companies that produce and transport a wide range of products that must be transported domestically and internationally.

“Our region is moving forward and we have lots of physical and workforce assets that make it worthy of business development investment in Southwest Louisiana,” said George Swift, President and CEO of Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance/Chamber SWLA. “If you are here, you can produce and distribute easily.”

Port of Lake Charles is a deepwater port located in Lake Charles, LA, on the Calcasieu Ship Channel, north of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Port opened in 1926 and today is the 12th-busiest port district in the nation, based on tonnage, as ranked by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Port of Lake Charles was also named by Forbes magazine as the seventh-fastest growing seaport in America. The Port manages the Calcasieu Ship Channel, which runs inland 36 miles and extends into the Gulf of Mexico another 32 miles. The Port of Lake Charles’ official name is the Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District, a public body created by the Louisiana Legislature. The District encompasses 203 square miles in Calcasieu Parish and operates on 5,420 acres.

The Port is regarded as a growing strategic energy port of national importance, with $46 billion in recently completed or announced channel-dependent projects, and is expected to increase deep draft vessel traffic significantly. With the addition of Cameron LNG and Venture Global LNG tonnage, the Port of Lake Charles should grow to the eighth or nineth largest tonnage port in the U.S.