< PreviousSINGAPORE RISES TO THE TOP AMONG GLOBAL CONNECTORS DHL and New York University’s Stern School of Business in March released the DHL Global Connectedness Index 2024, an in-depth report analyzing 181 countries and territories to form a picture of the state of globalization and its prospects. The nearly 200 nations examined, says DHL, represent 99.7% of the global economy. With COVID-19’s most profound effects now fading, the report identifies geopolitical tensions as the top immediate challenge to the global flow of goods, capital and information. The United Nations, it notes, reports the largest number of violent conflicts since World War II and a concurrent escalation of big power rivalries over key technologies. Nonetheless, DHL found that cross-border commercial activities remain historically robust. “Global connectedness reached a record high in 2022 and remained close to that level in 2023,” reads the top conclusion. “The resilience and growth of international flows of trade, capital, information and people in the face of recent crises strongly rebuts the notion that globalization has gone into reverse.” Singapore, “uniquely positioned to excel in globalization” because of its ports, thriving financial sector and astute development strategies, swaps places with the Netherlands as DHL’s most connected country. Despite the latter’s marginal slip, the emergence of Luxembourg — with Belgium holding down its Top 10 position — add up to a Benelux sweep. Trade between the U.S. and China may have dropped again in 2023, but the two remain connected by larger flows than most every other pair of nations. “The data show that a fracturing of the world economy along geopolitical or geographic lines is still only a risk rather than a current reality,” said Steven Altman, senior research scholar and director of the DHL Initiative on Globalization at NYU Stern’s Center for the Future of Management. “The resilience of global flows in the face of formidable threats sends a strong message about the value of a connected world. This should motivate leaders to redouble their efforts to expand the benefits of globalization, while better managing its challenges.” TOP 10 GLOBALLY CONNECTED COUNTRIES RANK COUNTRY 1 Singapore 2 Netherlands 3 Ireland 4 Luxembourg 5 Malta 6 Switzerland 7 Belgium 8 United Arab Emirates 9 United Kingdom 10 Hong Kong SAR, China Source: DHL Global Connectedness Report 2024 Port connections lead the way for Singapore. Photo: Getty Images96 SEPTEMBER 2024 S I T E S EL E C T I O N emphasis on agility. And with evolving consumer preferences and technological advances driving many investment decisions, sustainability continues to emerge as one of the industry’s top priorities. LEED Award for REI in Tennessee In late July, REI announced that its newest national distribution center had received the prestigious LEED v4 Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The 400,000-sq.ft. facility in Lebanon, Tennessee, began operations last October and employs 275 team members, according to the Seattle- based outdoor retailer. Thirty miles west of Nashville, it’s one of only 10 warehouse facilities in the country to achieve LEED v4 Platinum, whose criteria include sustainable building materials, smart electric and water use, The 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development is one catalyst driving No. 2 metro Dallas-Fort Worth’s logistics economy. AllianceTexas reported early this year an estimated $119.8 billion in regional economic impact over the past 35 years, including $9.84 billion in 2023 alone. Photo courtesy of Hillwood TOP 10 METROS FOR LOGISTICS FACILITY PROJECTS JAN. 2019 – JULY 2024 METRO AREA PROJECTS Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,186 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 817 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 651 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA 288 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 233 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 227 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 171 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 169 Columbus, OH 166 Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX 143 Source: Conway Projects Database100 SEPTEMBER 2024 S I T E S EL E C T I O N and quantifiable measures of long- term environmental impacts. From the outside, REI’s Lebanon facility looks less like a warehouse than an attractive office or retail space. The interior is graced by wood and metal from a barn that once stood at the site, reclaimed by design-build specialist Al. Neyer, which teamed with REI on the project. A man-made stream meanders throughout. The DC utilizes 100% renewable electricity through an onsite solar installation and a separate array in eastern Tennessee, supported in part by REI. “Our Lebanon distribution center delivered on four guiding principles of people, community, sustainability and technology,” said Ruchi Christensen, REI vice president of distribution and fulfillment operations. “While the LEED Platinum certification highlights our commitment to the co-op’s climate strategy, we are also incredibly proud of the resulting workplace that fosters a sense of belonging through features including a community gathering space, employee gym and engaging outdoor spaces.” The Tennessee facility serves more than 60 REI stores and 5.6 million online members in the Midwest and Southeast. It’s REI’s fourth national distribution center, joining facilities in Bedford, Pennsylvania; Sumner, Washington; and Goodyear, Arizona, which was the first distribution center in the U.S. to achieve both LEED Platinum certification and Net Zero Energy. BNSF Pursues Efficiency, Sustainability in SOCAL BNSF Railway is in the planning stages of a $1.5 billion master-planned rail facility in Southern California, which it describes as the first of its kind developed by a Class I railroad. The 4,500-acre facility aims to improve supply chain efficiency by allowing direct transfer of containers from ships at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to trains headed to Barstow, REI’s new distribution center in Lebanon, Tennessee, is one of only 10 in the nation to achieve LEED v4 Platinum certification. One of the others is REI’s site in Goodyear, Arizona. Photo courtesy of REI/Ford Photography (continued on p. 106)Next >