Global Gateway F ounded as a railroad hub called Terminus, the Atlanta region's global reach has stretched well beyond its humble beginnings as a rail nexus. Today metropolitan Atlanta, the unrivaled transportation hub of the Southeast, is a global gateway, connecting companies to virtually every major international market in real time. The region's efficient, effective and dynamic transportation infrastructure provides businesses with several competitive options for transporting people, goods and information: its extensive intermodal network of air, road and rail services; its connection to port facilities; and its world-reaching telecommunications network. In addition, metro Atlanta's exceptional distribution infrastructure offers Atlanta-based businesses value-added advantages in today's global economy. Boasting the nation's seventh largest industrial market in square footage, the area offers a wealth of distribution options. Global Access    • Air: Home to the world's busiest passenger airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International with 2,400 flights daily; ranked 10th in U.S. air cargo traffic.    • Ground: More than 80 percent of U.S. commercial and consumer markets can be reached within two truckload delivery days.    • Rail: Atlanta is often described as the largest inland port in the world — provides access to the most extensive rail system in the Southeast with 4,900 miles in Georgia.    • Sea: Atlanta provides easy access to both east coast and gulf ports — only 250 miles to the port of Savannah, the nation's fastest growing and 4th largest container port. Center for Talent & Innovation    • Intellectual capital — Home to the Logistics Institute at GA Tech, Atlanta, the nation's 4th largest center of transportation and logistics employment, provides some of the world's best supply chain and logistics talent totaling more than 103,000 jobs.    • Corporate Logistics Center — Headquarters to Manhattan Associates and UPS; nearly 1,300 logistics firms operate in metro Atlanta. Home to the largest concentration of third party logistics operations in the country and the nation's 3rd largest concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters. Continued Growth    • Del Monte chose Atlanta for its $25 million, 800,000-square-foot southeast distribution hub, closing smaller centers in Birmingham and Jacksonville. Having large rail-served sites was a key advantage for Atlanta.    • PepsiCo chose metro Atlanta as one if its major U.S. distribution hubs due to Atlanta's ideal position for reaching consumers across the U.S. and Southeast. PepsiCo is expected to invest $30 million in its new 900,000-square-foot facility and create at least 100 jobs.    • Solo Cup will build a new 1.3 million-square-foot distribution center in southeastern metro Atlanta and Staple's new 400,000 square-foot distribution center will open in 2006.    • Atlanta added a critical bridge to China in November with the addition of Cathay Pacific Cargo's three direct flights a week from Atlanta to Hong Kong. The expansion will add about 25 airport jobs and provide a critical new trade link to China's fast growing economy.    Metro Atlanta's rich heritage as a logistics city and its unparalleled population and job growth over the past decade put it in a unique position to continue its unprecedented growth as a regional and global logistics leader and center for logistics innovation.