Georgia's 4th Annual Logistics Summit Addresses "Sustainable Competitiveness"

ATLANTA, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2012 Georgia Logistics Summit on Feb. 8, hosted by the Center of Innovation for Logistics, a program of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, attracted a record number of attendees during its fourth year. Almost 1,600 people from 28 U.S. states and seven nations attended the event to participate in opportunity sessions and hear speakers like Governor Nathan Deal; Curtis Spencer, President & CEO of IMS Worldwide; and Page Siplon, Executive Director, Georgia Center of innovation for Logistics. 

"The conference has since grown to become one of the largest gatherings of logistics industry professionals in the nation and is a platform to find solutions to key issues facing our industry," said Siplon. "The Summit is the only statewide logistics-focused event in Georgia, and the high quality of its sessions and speakers are quickly making it the 'must-attend' event of its kind."

Spencer, the Summit's morning speaker, shared his view of the top trends in logistics for 2012:

• Slow steaming is here to stay
• Fuel costs continue to be a challenge
• Port labor issues growing
• Panama Canal widening's impact
• Use of inland ports as important centers
• Back-haul fuel loads so there are no empties

"We are seeing a shakeup in retail commerce in which consumer's purchases are moving from traditional brick-and-mortar outlets to e-commerce, m-commerce and s-commerce outlets," said Spencer.  "With global e-commerce sales expected to grow by 19 per center per year and e-commerce projected to represent 30 percent of all retail sales by 2025, this shift in consumer behavior will continue to impact how goods are transferred from one place to another."

Maritime logistics was the luncheon topic for keynote speaker Curtis Foltz, Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority and for a four person panel of senior executives representing major freight carriers including Hapag-Lloyd, NYK, Maersk and Orient Overseas.  Foltz delivered the outlook for Georgia's deepwater ports for the next eight years and updated the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, while the panel discussed current issues in moving ocean freight.

Logistics issues affecting international trade were discussed in the Summit's closing session. Matt Kennedy, Director of Strategic Partnerships in the U.S. Department of Commerce's Commercial Service, International Trade Administration, gave opening remarks and moderated a panel representing trade and logistics experts from Brazil, Mexico and Turkey. These international representatives offered a first-hand look at the products, partnerships and possibilities for international trade and the logistics parameters and infrastructure unique to these markets.

Breakout opportunity sessions covered logistics trends and solutions in industries ranging from automotive to retail to food and beverage. Issues in intermodal, durable goods and out-of-gauge freight were also examined by industry experts. These interactive panel sessions were led by the executives of logistics-enabled companies who rely on the services and infrastructure that Georgia has to offer, allowing the service providers to hear direct from their customers on what that needs and opportunities are for improving service offerings.

This year the Logistics Summit was held in conjunction with the inaugural MODEX exhibition, sponsored by the Material Handling Industry of America. MODEX is the industry's newest event, offering supply chain solutions for manufacturing and distribution. It is slated to return to Atlanta every two years.  

Georgia's logistics and transportation network is one of its most formidable assets, undergirding all industry in the state by enabling companies to quickly and seamlessly reach domestic and international markets through interconnected airports, seaports, rail and roads. Companies in Georgia can reach 80 percent of the U.S. market within a two-day truck haul or a two-hour flight, and the port of Savannah is the fastest-growing container port in the country. The state is home to more than 11,000 logistics service-providers and directly employs over 142,000 Georgians from all parts of the state.

About the Georgia Center of Innovation

The Center of Innovation, an industry-focused component of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, helps companies streamline, quicken and lessen risk in logistics innovation by connecting them with a broad range of university research, technology and industry expertise and connections. Its goal is to identify new business opportunities and models that will help them compete and grow. The Center founded the annual Georgia Logistics Summit in 2009. It also publishes the annual Georgia Logistics Report, a comprehensive profile of the state's logistics industry and a blueprint for its growth.

About GDEcD

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) plans, manages and mobilizes state resources to attract new business investment to Georgia, drive the expansion of existing industry and small business, locate new markets for Georgia products, inspire tourists to visit Georgia, and promote the state as a top destination for arts events and film, music and digital entertainment projects. Visit www.georgia.org.

Facts about Georgia's logistic industry

• World's busiest passenger airport with top 10-ranked international air cargo hub
• Fastest-growing container port in the U.S.
• 4th-largest container port in the U.S. and 6th largest automobile port in the U.S.
• 80% of U.S. market within a 2-day truck haul or a 2-hour flight
• Most extensive railroad network and largest intermodal hub in the Southeast
• Over 230 million cubic feet of cold-storage warehouse space, including half of North America's Top-10 largest providers
• 142,000 Georgians directly employed by 11,000-plus logistics service providers in 2010
• More than 800,000 workers employed 33,000 logistics-dependent users in 2010
• Operations in Georgia by 90% of the world's top 25 third-party logistics providers
• More than 100 logistics-related education degrees, courses, programs and certificates
• 5th in the U.S. for logistics-related patents
• The No. 1 companies on Transport Topic's Top 100 "For-Hire Providers," Private Users," and "Service Providers" lists are located in Georgia (UPS, Coca-Cola Enterprises and UPS-Supply Chain Solutions respectively)

SOURCE Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)