July 2006
Kansas City SmartPort E-News

Fast Fact

Kansas City's U.S. Customs Port processes more than $9 billion worth of goods each year.

ITS Integration Project Promises Economic Benefits

KC SmartPort's efforts to develop a data fusion center to increase efficiencies for the private sector also promises to bring significant economic benefits to the region.

SAIC predicts the use of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in addition to efforts to attract distribution centers to the region will increase the KC area's Gross Regional Product by $870 million in ten years. It also calculates that these efforts will create 9,200 new full-time jobs and increase personal income by $492 million. State and local tax revenues are expected to see an increase of up to $90 million.

Industry Focus: Intermodal

The use of intermodal transportation continues to rise. The transfer of containers from rail to truck is increasing for a number of reasons.

•The United States' consumption of imported goods continues to rise
•Rail is more fuel efficient
•Rail is not hindered with rising insurance and labor costs or the shortage of drivers
•Lack of funding for highway infrastructure

As an example of the growth, in 1995 BNSF had between 225 and 250 intermodal trains on its network on any given day. At the end of last year, that number had increased to 377. BNSF's units have also increased from 2.5 million units to 4.5 million units in 10 years - an annual growth rate of 7 percent. Other railroads are experiencing similar growth.

Visit the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver to learn more.

KC Rises as a Distribution Hub

More and more corporations and commercial developers are considering and selecting the Kansas City region for major distribution centers. This past month Dow Jones Newswires and the Los Angeles Times profiled KC's logistics assets and our success in attracting major distribution facilities to the region.

Investor Profile: Bennett Packaging

Bennett Packaging of Kansas City, Inc. is one of the largest independently owned packaging companies in the Midwest. The company provides complete, in-house services that include: structural design, testing, graphic design, manufacturing, fulfillment packaging, pallet programs, and warehousing and distribution services.