Logistics Summit Begins
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowHundreds of logistics industry leaders are gathering in Indianapolis starting today for the annual logistics summit. This year's event has a strong focus on Asia and will run into tomorrow's official opening of a new intermodal facility in Indianapolis, which could cut shipping time to that continent by 10 days. Ports of Indiana Chief Executive Officer Rich Cooper and OSP Group Executive Vice President of Operations Chip Edgington talked about the facility during an appearance on Inside INdiana Business Television. October 2, 2013
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Governor Mike Pence will join over 300 business leaders at the 11th annual Indiana Logistics Summit on Oct. 9-10 to provide the keynote speech and to officially open a new intermodal rail terminal that will create a “Gateway to Asia” for Hoosier businesses.
This year, the state's premier transportation and logistics conference is titled “Asia to Indiana Nonstop” and it will spotlight a new intermodal rail service that could reduce transit times for shipping containers between Indiana and Asia by a week. Top executives from Indiana Rail Road, CN Railway, East and West Coast ports, global shipping experts and top Indiana intermodal users will be discussing the 'game-changing' economic benefits of this service – especially for importers, exporters, manufacturers, agribusinesses, industrial developers, consumers and workers.
“Establishing a new intermodal rail service will further enhance the connection between Indiana and Asia,” said the Governor. “I would like to applaud the combined efforts of CN Railway and the Indiana Rail Road to open a new intermodal terminal that will provide direct service from Indiana to Asia, resulting in significant time savings and a positive economic impact for the regional companies who use this service. Those companies include everything from clothing manufacturers to agricultural businesses.”
The Summit is co-hosted by Purdue University, Conexus Indiana and the Ports of Indiana and will take place Oct. 9-10 at the Indiana Convention Center in Downtown Indianapolis. The deadline for registrations is Friday, Oct. 4, and can be made online at www.indianalogistics.com.
Upon returning from his recent nine-day economic trip to Japan, Gov. Pence noted that Indiana is now more involved in importing and exporting goods with Asia than ever before.
“The Japanese and Hoosiers have had a great deal in common in terms of our long traditions of manufacturing and agriculture,” said Gov. Pence. “I have often said Indiana is the middle of everywhere. Asian companies can go anywhere in the world to conduct business, but more and more of them are choosing Indiana. My recent trip reinforced the optimism I have for future commerce between Indiana, Japan and Asia as a whole.”
Following the Summit's keynote address on Oct. 10, Gov. Pence will join business leaders at Indiana Rail Road's intermodal terminal on Senate Avenue less than a mile south of Lucas Oil Stadium. There the Governor will officially open the new intermodal gateway to Asia and the world. Earlier this year, the Indiana Rail Road Co. and the CN Railway announced an agreement to offer Indiana importers and exporters a new West Coast rail connection for containerized products moving to/from Asia.
“This is an exceptional opportunity for Indiana importers and exporters who for years have asked for all-rail, direct West Coast intermodal service,” said Thomas Hoback, president and CEO of Indiana Rail Road. “The CN and Indiana Rail Road service offers a way for shippers to avoid the bottleneck of Chicago and the congested I-65 corridor to Central Indiana. This service provides a more reliable, consistent and environmentally-friendly movement of goods that is less susceptible to costly weather and congestion delays.”
Because of the importance of intermodal transportation to Indiana businesses, both days of the Indiana Logistics Summit will be devoted to discussions of how this service could change the state landscape for freight transportation, create new export opportunities for manufacturers and agribusiness, and generate major economic developments throughout Indiana.
“This is a 'can't miss' event for any company who imports or exports via Asia,” said Rich Cooper, CEO for the Ports of Indiana. “Indiana handles over $500 billion in freight shipments per year, providing hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers with careers in logistics. The Logistics Summit will present a clear picture of how this new intermodal service can offer a tremendous boost for the state economy.”
Source: Ports of Indiana