Kansas City SmartPort to Sign Trade Route Agreement with Province of Manitoba

North American Inland Port Network Initiated

KANSAS CITY, Mo., October 11, 2005 – Kansas City SmartPort President Chris Gutierrez today announced that Kenneth Hoffman, chairman of Kansas SmartPort, and Gary Doer, premier of the Province of Manitoba, will sign a memorandum of understanding to establish a secure trade and transportation corridor between Kansas City and the Province of Manitoba on Friday, October 14, 2005 at 1:15 p.m. in the Kauffman Foundation's Town Square Room. The agreement, which will create a streamlined transportation network between Kansas City and the Province of Manitoba, which includes the city of Winnipeg and the deepwater port of Churchill, will take place during North America Works in Kansas City, a conference to promote development and expansion of transportation links and infrastructure across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

"We are delighted to announce the establishment of a secure trade and transportation corridor," said Gutierrez. "This new trade route will offer shippers more efficient, affordable transportation options—via air, truck, train and ship—between the United States and Canada, and will further enhance Kansas City's status as an international, multimodal port of choice."

The announcement follows on the heels of similar agreements between Kansas City SmartPort and Mexican officials to establish the Lazaro Cardenas-Kansas City Corridor, as well as a trade route between Kansas City and the deepwater port of Manzanillo. The Lazaro Cardenas-Kansas City Corridor is a seamless, ships-to-rail transportation corridor connecting Kansas City to the Far East via the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas.

Kansas City SmartPort is an organization formed to promote and enhance the Kansas City metro area’s status as America’s Inland Port Solution.  SmartPort has two main focuses in its mission:  1) to grow the area’s transportation industry by attracting businesses with significant transportation and logistics elements; and 2) to make it cheaper, faster, more efficient, and secure for companies to move goods into, from, and through the Kansas City area. For more information about Kansas City SmartPort, visit www.kcsmartport.com.

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