The number of jobs created by the logistics industry in Hall County grew from about 1,900 to more than 4,800 between 2015 and this year.
That’s according to a new report from the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce.
During that same period, the number of logistics firms increased by eleven to 76. And, the report notes that many existing companies have expanded in recent years, including Clipper Petroleum, Eskimo Cold Storage, Mansfield Energy Corporation, Performance Foodservice, Simpson Trucking & Grading, Syfan Logistics, and Tribe Transportation.
“Gainesville-Hall County has developed into a growth center for expertise in freight brokerage, third-party logistics (3PL), cold-chain logistics and transportation services for freight,” reports Tim Evans, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce.
The recent employment growth at logistics service providers in Gainesville-Hall County underscores the increasing need for specialized workforce development programs for logistics, according to a chamber news release.
Evans noted, “Gainesville-Hall County is known for creating new wealth through manufacturing, and the I-85 corridor is a growing center for large distribution and e-fulfillment facilities. Logistics is an integral part of the value chain for manufacturing and distribution. Our logistics service providers have built a reputation of moving inventory and products very efficiently.”
Logistics service providers in Gainesville-Hall County have a strong concentration of logistic service consumers in the region’s manufacturing and distribution sectors. And, Georgia’s importance in trade routes and the international transportation network allows local logistics service providers to compete on a global scale.
Tatsumi Intermodal of Japan operates its North American third party and export logistics business from Gainesville-Hall County.
Arrik Williams, Business Expansion Manager of Tatsumi said, “Tatsumi has had four major expansions since we located our North American business in Gainesville-Hall County in 2001. Recently, we completed a new, 112,000 square foot facility expansion that provides us another 200,000 square feet of future business growth. The business relationships and logistics innovations developed in Georgia have helped us provide better customer service and grow in business.”
Hall County is a major exporter of finished goods from agricultural equipment, transportation equipment and poultry products with some individual businesses exporting more than 1,000 cargo containers per month. Currently, cargo is moved by truck 250 miles or more to and from regional container port facilities, including the Port of Savannah. Recent infrastructure improvements in the Georgia Ports Authority’s Mason Mega Rail Terminal at the Port of Savannah are making it possible to move more cargo by rail to and from inland port terminals like the Northeast Georgia Inland Port, which will be developed in the Gateway Industrial Centre near Highway 365 in North Hall County.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2019/9/835733/working-do-not-use-hall-chamber-logistics-central-to-creating-wealth