b'SePTemBeR 14 - 27, 2020MidwestIntermodalHubs 7(SAVINGScontinued from page 4) shopping and parcel service, as well in their supply chain, CN is well-posi- as consumers returning to brick-and-tioned to participate in the growth ofmortar retail.many of these U.S. Midwest marketsWilliamssaidBNSFslogistics giventhenumberofterminalsweparks will remain integral to the rail-have to serve them. roads key strategy to address evolving DunnenotedthatCNhasbeenneeds of customers, adding, Located servinglarge-volumehubssuchasin the middle of the U.S., they pro-Memphis,ChicagoandDetroitforvide a streamlined supply chain solu-manyyears,adding,Startingintion that connects manufacturers and 2012, in an effort to help our custom- retailers to their Midwest markets.ersgetclosertotheirendmarkets,Omaha,Nebraska-headquartered we began building new import/exportUnionPacificRailroadbringsinter-terminals,targetedtolocalmarkets,modal volumes from U.S. West Coast like Joliet, Illinois, and Duluth, Min- ports to several facilities in the Mid-nesota. We have partnered with largewest, including Council Bluffs, Iowa; BCOs [beneficial cargo owners] likeKansas City, Missouri; Dupo, Illinois, Ashley Furniture, Menards and ADMacross the Mississippi River from St. [Archer-Daniels-MidlandCo.]toLouis;Marion,Arkansas;andfour build successful boutique terminals infacilities in the Chicago area, plus fiveBNSF Railways Logistics Park Kansas City is one of the Fort Worth, Texas-based railroads Arcadia and Chippewa Falls, Wiscon- Texas locations. three major hubs linking West Coast ports with midwestern destinations.sin, and Decatur, Illinois. We have col- Inan Aug.26lettertocustom-laboratedwithbest-in-classregionalers,KennyRocker,UPsexecutivefrom its Englewood yard, to furtherpre-pandemiclevels,commenting, railroads, like INRD [the Indiana Railvice president of marketing and sales,improve the network fluidity. In July, we saw a 10 percent increase Road Co.], to access Indianapolis andsaid UP is in the process of consoli- Rockersaidthat,nearlytwoinoverallvolume,withintermo-with Class 1 railroads to build OhiodatingitsHoustonareaintermodalmonths into the third calendar quar- dal growing the fastest from a quick Valley access, via NS and CSX. operations at its Settegast yard, awayter,UPvolumeshadrisentoabove(SAVINGScontinued on page 17)Asmanufacturingproduction shifts from high-cost China to South-westAsia,oceanservicesbecome logistically cost-effective to East Coast portsbyshippingthroughtheSuez CanalandtransshippinginEurope, ratherthancrossingthePacificand using expensive rail to Eastern U.S. and Central Canada, Dunne said.Calgary,Alberta-headquartered Canadian Pacific Railway is the other Canada-basedClassI,servingU.S. Midwest intermodal terminals in Min-neapolis and Detroit, plus two facili-ties just south of Chicago.FortWorth,Texas-basedBNSF RailwayCo.,whichoffersNorth Americas largest freight railroad net-work, with 32,500 miles of track in 28 states and three Canadian provinces, operates 25 intermodal facilities.BNSF Midwest hubs include the 638-acreLogisticsParkChicago,in Elwood,Illinois,toutedashometo the nations largest inland port, with suchkeycustomersasTheHome Depot,IKEA,Mars/Wrigley,Sam-sungandWalmart;the443-acre Logistics Park Kansas City, in Edg-erton, Kansas, with major customers includingAmazon,ExcelIndustries and Kubota; and the 400-acre Logis-ticsPark Alliance,inHaslet, Texas, northofFortWorth,whichcounts JCPenney,MichaelsandWalmart among top BCO customers.Throughout the pandemic, Logis-tics Park Alliance, Logistics Park Chi-cago and Logistics Park Kansas City have served our customers as efficient connectionstohelpmoveshipments through the West Coast ports via rail to Midwestern destinations, Tom Wil-liams, BNSFs group vice president for consumer products, told AJOT.Over the course of the pandemic, demand and import share has increased at the West Coast ports due to the speed andflexibilitytheyofferversusthe East Coast ports, Williams continued. Our logistics parks were instrumen-tal at the beginning of the pandemicHARNESS THE GLOBAL POWER OF A GREAT LAKES PORT.inhelpingusmeetthedemandandRegional, national and international logisticians count on Port Milwaukee for a turnkey approach deliver personal protective equipmentto solve their transportation and supply chain needs. Strategically located in the industrial center andessentialgoodstotheMidwest from the West Coast ports. of the U.S., Port Milwaukee provides premier access to domestic and world markets.Asstatesbeganquarantine measures,thesefacilitieswerea. @ MILWAUKEE.GOVvital link to the Midwest markets asVISIT PORTMILWAUKEE.COM PORTe-commercesalessurged,hesaid. They continue to be important as we are now experiencing peak-like vol-umesfromacombinationofonline'