b'12American Journal of Transportation ajot.comSPONSORED CONTENT Omni TRAX Savannah facility Georgias Mason Mega Rail drivingencapsulates new possibilities for intermodalvalue for shippers By Matt Miller, AJOTBy Paul Scott Abbott, AJOT Laterthisyear,Omni- JournalofTransportation, TRAX is scheduled to inau- It is a very efficient way to Intimeswhenhigh-volumespeedtoGPA drives value into the supply chain ingurate an innovative facility itget this product exported.marketandoverallsupplychainvaluearethe current environment through its superioris constructing some 12 milesIts trans-loading on ste-takingonever-greatersignificanceforship- service for e-commerce retailers. fromthePortofSavannah.roids,saidShuba,describ-pers, Georgias Port of Savannah is movingAccording to a Jones Lang LaSalle study,Its the focal point of a mam- ing the facility. One million towardcompletionbynextsummerofthee-commerces share of retail was 12.8 percentmoth industrial park develop- square feet is a heck of a big nationslargeston-dockinter- ments first phase, tethered tobuilding.modal facility. aproximitytotheportandOmniTRAX will lease the Withitsfirsttracksandtwo Class One railroads thatbuildingtoA&RLogistics, rail-mountedgantrieshavingtraverse the property.whichspecializesinchemi-entered service earlier this year,The building, along withcals-related supply chain ser-theGeorgiaPortsAuthor- a new rail yard and switchingvices. The plant is due to be itys85-acreMasonMegayard,willcost$75million.operational by the first quarter Rail facility already is provid- Itwillenableplasticpelletsof 2021.inge-commerceretailersandcomingbyrailhoppercarsBothCSXandNorfolk others with swift, efficient linksinitially from the petrochemi- Southernpassthroughthe throughout the burgeoning U.S.cal plants on the Gulf Coast2,700-acreindustrialpark, Southeast and far beyond. tobeoffloaded,processed,ownedbytheEffingham InanexclusiveQ&A,baggedandcontainerized,CountyIndustrialDevelop-GPAs executive director, Griffthenhauledbytrucktothement Authority. OmniTRAX, Lynch,enthusiasticallysharesport,wherethecontainersaDenver-basedcompany withAJOTreadershisvisionwill be exported by ship.with one foot in railroads and forthe$220millionMasonGriff Lynch, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, sees masonThe project encapsulatestheotherinrail-relatedreal MegaRailendeavor,whichmega Rail as a breakthrough in providing e-commerce retailers and othersmulti-module cargo transportestate and industrial develop-bodestodoublethePortofwith supply chain value, featuring speedy links to markets throughout therail,truckandprepara- ment, is the master developer.Savannahsrailcapacityto2U.S. Southeast and beyond.(Photo credit: Georgia Ports/emily Goldman) tion for shipthat can comeThe development can work million 20-foot equivalent con- togetherprettymuchunderto trans-load in both directions. tainer units per year. in the fourth quarter of calendar 2019 and wasone roof. It adds those threeWedohaveinterestfrom While it has been in the works for moreprojected to reach 30 percent by 2030. However,layersanditsalittlemoreother people who are looking than four years, how will Mason Mega Rail bedigital sales were already approaching 30 percentcomplex, said Kevin Shuba,atdistribution-typefacilities, a particularly valuable supply chain enhance- of retail by March and April of this year, largelyOmniTRAXsCEO,inan(FACILITYcontinued on ment in a pandemic-impacted world? (VALUEcontinued on page 18) interviewwithAmericanpage 27)51%of shippers are looking to improve decision-making and risk mitigation through the implementation of a TMS FREE E-BOOK: NAVIGATING A WORLD TRANSFORMEDIn May 2020, Odyssey Logistics & Technology commissioned a third-party research study of logistics professionals about how to face the future of aMeeting the world transformed due to COVID-19. Discover peer i nsights, including: Challenge Of A WorldUnderstanding Visibility is Crucial to Vitality Transformed Utilizing Cloud-Based TMS to Combat Changing ConditionsDiscovering New Ways to Automate Cost Management Expanding the Role of Risk MitigationDownload Our Closing the Communications Gap Free E-Book Today: Download today for a roadmap on how to rise to todays logistics andodysseylogistics.com/ researchsupply chain challenges. 2020 Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corporation'