Celanese plans to expand its Florence, Ky., operations as the facility becomes the North American headquarters of its Ticona operations.

Transportation Systems
Boost Kentucky

Although the Ohio River per se was not a factor for FedEx in its selection of a site in Northern Kentucky for a new distribution hub for its FedEx Ground Support Systems division, the region's transportation systems were. FedEx will site its 335,000-sq-ft. (31,121-sq.-m.) facility in the Enterprise V Industrial Park in unincorporated Boone County, one mile from I-75/71 and 11 miles from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport. FedEx expects to employ more than 80 office and clerical employees and 300 package handlers.

Group Promotes River As Global Trade Route The Ohio River carries about 300 million tons of cargo annually along its 981-mile (1,578-km.) route. The immense transportation potential of the river has spawned ORBITS (Ohio River Basin International Trade/Tourism Transportation System), a regional consortium of port and waterway interests led by the Appalachian Regional Commission that seeks to tie the river into global trade.         "We have a broad-based mission, and we are biting off our goals in small chunks," says Dan Ritchey, ORBITS administrator. "River transportation has not kept up with other modes of transportation and is not relied on as just-in-time transportation. We want to bring along the barge industry. We are hopeful that by discussing the benefits of river transportation we will be able to entice industry to locate in the region."

        Columbia Sportswear of Portland, Ore., a designer, marketer and sourcer of activewear and footwear, plans to build a 428,000-sq.-ft. (39,761-sq.-m.) distribution center for its footwear business in Henderson, Ky., in the Four Star Regional Industrial Park, which has a port on the Ohio. The facility will serve the company's markets in the Midwest and East. The $40-million project will be built on a 68-acre (28-hectare) site. When operations begin in 2005, the company says it will employ 90 at Henderson, which will be its second U.S. distribution center.
        Celanese AG is expanding its Ticona technical polymers business in Florence, Ky. The facility will become Ticona's North American headquarters as the company gradually closes its Summit, N.J., site. Celanese will spend about $34 million to build a 100,000-sq.-ft. (9,290-sq.-m.) addition that will include office and R&D space, says spokesman Paul Reichenbacher.