August 2007

Kansas City SmartPort E-News

Transportation Outlook 2008

KC SmartPort recently submitted a 2008 economic outlook for the transportation and logistics industry. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce will publish the report in its 2008 Economic Forecast. The overall outlook for transportation and logistics in the Kansas City region is positive. International trade has proven an anchor to the US economy.  Continually strong trade growth with our NAFTA partners and consistently rising retail imports, both of which have been resiliently steady, provide growth opportunities for transportation companies, regardless of the climate of the economy as a whole.


KC Ranked Number One in Economic Development 

We’re pleased to tell you that “Kansas City just had a monster year,” according to Southern Business & Development (which covers 17 southern states). The KC metro ranked as the Top Major Market for business development, “...in fact, Kansas City’s 195 points topped eight other southern states.” Our regional partner, St. Joseph, Mo., also received recognition as the No. 1 Small Market for business development.

Colliers Official Global Real Estate Partner for China’s Lingang Industrial Zone

The 50,000-acre Lingang project encompasses all land connected to the new port of Shanghai. It will serve as a preferred location for both domestic and foreign manufacturers.  The new Yangshan deepwater port is poised to become the world's busiest by 2015. The project encompasses four phases devoted to industries with heavy equipment manufacturing, light assembly, mixing, logistics, offices and port facilities.

Colliers Multi-modal division invited KC SmartPort to join them last year on a tour of this new facility to see first hand the potential of this port development.  Locally, Mark Sonnenberg and Whitney Kerr, Jr. from Colliers Turley Martin Tucker will be working with their counterparts in the Colliers' Multimodal Services Group based in Los Angeles, to market this development and subsequent links to the Kansas City area.

To read the ful article please visit Colliers.

Trade Data Exchange (TDE) Update

The University of Kansas’ Information and Telecommunications Technology Center (ITTC) and the University’s Transportation Research Institute (TRI) have become partners with SmartPort on the Trade Data Exchange project.  The University’s knowledge base on new technologies and transportation are critical to the success of the TDE.  In particular the University’s project with Oak Ridge National Labs and the SensorNet will be integrated into the overall project providing real time sensing information to the TDE.  For more information please contact Chris Gutierrez at Gutierrez@kcsmartport.com.

Investor Profile – Scarbrough International

Scarbrough International, Ltd. and Scarbrough Logistics, Ltd. are Kansas City, Missouri based full-service international third party logistics providers with three offices throughout the Midwest.  Founded in 1984 as a start-up U.S. Customs Broker, Scarbrough International. Ltd. has grown into a full-service global logistics provider.  Its customers include importers, exporters, overseas agents and other third party logistics providers who need Midwest expertise. 

By linking operations in Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City, Scarbrough offers a full range of international and domestic shipping services.  Scarbrough provides the services directly within its own facilities, with its own equipment and with its own employees, thereby ensuring a higher level of service, attentiveness and accountability. 

For more information visit www.scarbrough-intl.com.