La Porte
The News-Dispatch
2/5/2008
While some residents may be surprised by this, logistics expert Michael Gallis explained our appeal at his Dec. 6 lecture on global trade and logistics trends. We live in a global, knowledge based, integrated economy where economic regions (not individual communities) are connected to the global market place by transportation infrastructure. With the lack of a national transportation plan, it is left up to the regions to expand their infrastructure to meet future demands and stay competitive.
There will be a projected global increase in port activity of 186 percent over the next 20 years as Asian markets continue to grow. Chicago is the second largest industrial market in the United States and much of the resulting freight will come through La Porte County from growing eastern U.S. ports……Since La Porte County has a convergence of rail and interstate highway infrastructure it is being considered for logistics projects that accommodate freight and production needs of the 21st Century.
The newly announced $2 billion 3,850-acre CenterPoint Intermodal Center North and its predecessor (Elwood) are examples of how these factors can become great opportunities. Because it is on
Logistics development will occur in our region. We should proactively get the most benefit from it, or be left with what competing regions leave us. Due diligence still continues on the current multimodal concept. The La Porte County Logistics Task Force is correct to stay active. The developers are doing their homework - we should do ours and support logistics development.
Tim Gropp
Executive Director
Greater
John Regetz
Executive Director
Michigan City EDC
