You might think that when it comes to air
cargo—especially international shipments—all
the action is in places like Chicago, New York, and
Los Angeles. But don’t discount airports in mid-sized cities. Things are really hopping at some of
these sites.
A good example is the MidAmerica Airport in
St. Louis. In recent months, MidAmerica has
announced several cargo-related developments
that showcase its potential as an international air-cargo destination. The biggest news: A private
investor is constructing a 62,000-square-foot
cargo building to replace the previous building,
which was taken over by The Boeing Corp. as a
manufacturing facility. The new building, slated
for completion by the end of June, will include
more than 20,000 square feet of space for processing perishable goods. Once construction is completed, MidAmerica will be the only airport north
of Alabama with on-airport ramp access to facilities for perishable food processing, according to
officials. The airport hopes to attract exports of
beef, pork, poultry, and fish raised in the Midwest.
MidAmerica has already attracted significant
interest as a destination for imports from China.
Last year, freight forwarder Beijing Expedient
Services made two test flights from Shanghai. The
second test run, which was conducted in
November, involved a Boeing 747-200 operated
by Southern Air that was loaded with nearly 100
tons of general cargo. That same month,
UniGroup Worldwide Inc., the household and
high-value goods mover, opened a customs brokerage office at the airport. UniGroup expects to
use MidAmerica as a port of entry for shipments
from China and South America.
To accommodate the added traffic, MidAmerica
plans to double the size of its cargo apron. The
expanded apron will allow for simultaneous cargo
operations for four 747-400 aircraft. ;
Mid-sized but mighty in
the Midwest
inbound
It’s spring break for many schools as we write this, which
makes this an appropriate time to pause and recognize the
many ways in which the logistics and material handling community supports high school and college students. Here are
just three examples that have crossed our desk recently:
▪ On Feb. 22, FedEx Corp. provided transportation free of
charge for more than 1,000 robots built by U.S. teams competing in the 2011 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. All told, FedEx
moved some 227 tons of robots and crates through its network.
The annual competition brings together more than 50,000
high school students from nine countries. Teams have just six
weeks to build robots within strict guidelines. In the 2011
competition, teams will compete on a 27- by 54-foot field
implanted with poles and attempt to earn points by hanging
as many triangle, circle, and square FIRST logo pieces as possible with their robots. Following a series of regional competitions in March and April, the championship event will be held
in St. Louis April 27–30.
▪ The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) awarded
its annual Logistics Student scholarships in March. The scholarship program gives students interested in a career in logistics
or supply chain management an opportunity to attend RILA’s
annual logistics conference. The students work with adult
mentors to develop and lead a session at the conference.
▪ Dock equipment manufacturer 4Front Engineered
Solutions brought its mobile showroom to Oklahoma State
University in February. The 53-foot custom semi-trailer containing more than 20 pieces of loading dock and warehouse
equipment is used to educate engineering and architectural
students about sustainability initiatives and the importance of
proper warehouse and loading dock design. ;
Students get “schooled” on logistics,
material handling
Mini-pallets take industrial chic to
new heights
