SEPTEMBER 2004
Shoring Up Investment (cover)
Along the Shore
Serious Bridge Work
Coastal Virginia the Ultimate Point of Entry
Wilmington HQ Focal Point for MBNA, Others
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MID-ATLANTIC STATES
Shoring Up Investment
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id-Atlantic infrastructure starts with a higher-education
quotient second to none: Virginia, D.C. and Maryland are among the
top U.S. territories in college education attainment, according to
a July 2004 Census Bureau report. But the region's infrastructure
also
comes from what gives it its name: the bays, inlets and estuaries
that teem with commerce as well as recreation and wildlife.
Take the Port of Baltimore, which has the nation's largest facility for roll-on, roll-off cargo. In August 2003, Suzuki began bringing in its mid-size model at the port, with more to come.
"We plan to double our number of imports into Baltimore, from 25,000 to 50,000," said Mike Gorman, regional manager for Suzuki. "We chose this port as our debarking facility because of the white glove treatment the cars receive, and the processing and intermodal capacity of the location."
The port's inland position is an advantage too: At 160 miles (257 km.) inland, Baltimore is the closest U.S. Atlantic seaport to major mid-Western destinations and manufacturing centers, as well as a prime distribution point for its own region.
In late July 2004, Finnish forest products company UPM-Kymmene (a leading global manufacturer of magazine paper), terminal operator BalTerm and the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) announced an agreement on an extended lease on 556,822 sq. ft. (51,729 sq. m.) of shed space. It will also entail the construction by MPA of an additional $16-million, 300,000-sq.-ft. (27,870-sq. m.) shed, fully funded by the Maryland Dept. of Transportation.
"One of the reasons it costs $16 million is the structure is somewhat different from your standard warehouse," says J.B. Hanson, spokesperson for the MPA. "It's basically free of columns so they can maneuver more easily. And because it's paper products, the environment has to be different from your standard shed." Those facilities will see the importation of more than 500,000 tons of paper annually from Finland over the next five years.
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| Big things are happening outside D.C., where the $2.43-billion Woodrow Wilson Bridge rehab project exemplifies true regional collaboration. |
Take the Port of Baltimore, which has the nation's largest facility for roll-on, roll-off cargo. In August 2003, Suzuki began bringing in its mid-size model at the port, with more to come.
"We plan to double our number of imports into Baltimore, from 25,000 to 50,000," said Mike Gorman, regional manager for Suzuki. "We chose this port as our debarking facility because of the white glove treatment the cars receive, and the processing and intermodal capacity of the location."
The port's inland position is an advantage too: At 160 miles (257 km.) inland, Baltimore is the closest U.S. Atlantic seaport to major mid-Western destinations and manufacturing centers, as well as a prime distribution point for its own region.
In late July 2004, Finnish forest products company UPM-Kymmene (a leading global manufacturer of magazine paper), terminal operator BalTerm and the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) announced an agreement on an extended lease on 556,822 sq. ft. (51,729 sq. m.) of shed space. It will also entail the construction by MPA of an additional $16-million, 300,000-sq.-ft. (27,870-sq. m.) shed, fully funded by the Maryland Dept. of Transportation.
"One of the reasons it costs $16 million is the structure is somewhat different from your standard warehouse," says J.B. Hanson, spokesperson for the MPA. "It's basically free of columns so they can maneuver more easily. And because it's paper products, the environment has to be different from your standard shed." Those facilities will see the importation of more than 500,000 tons of paper annually from Finland over the next five years.