From the Inbound Logistics article: The Best of the Best: Site Selection Assistance From Coast to Coast by Chris Lewis.
From Nevada to New Jersey, these seven U.S. locations attract site selectors looking for long-term logistics efficiency and economic success.
RENO, NEVADA: A CENTRAL HUB FOR DISTRIBUTION
For years, the greater Reno, Nev., area has been considered a hot spot for distribution centers. Not only is it strategically located among the 11 western states—and within 500 miles of 18 percent of the U.S. population—it also features two major highway corridors (I-80 and U.S. Route 395), two of the nation’s largest railroads (Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe), and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which provides daily UPS, FedEx, and DHL servivce, according to the Bender Group.
“Reno is the most ideally located central hub for distribution in the western United States,” says Mike Kazmierski, president and CEO, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN). “Aside from offering one-day truck transit to seven states—reaching more than 50 million customers—the area also provides one-day truck transit to five major ports serving the Pacific Rim.”
Site selectors are also attracted to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport’s cargo traffic, which was measured at 138 million pounds in 2015, according to the EDAWN. They are also attracted to the state’s tax advantages, including no franchise, income, or inventory taxes, among other benefits.
“Moreover, in 2015, Nevada’s average industrial electric rates were 7 percent lower than the U.S. average, and nearly 43 percent lower than California,” Kazmierski adds. “And they have dropped even lower since then.”
Due to each of these advantages, the area is also home to one of the United States’ largest industrial parks: the 107,000-acre Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. Located about 15 minutes from the Reno Tahoe International Airport, the Industrial Center has roughly 15,000 acres in Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III zoned for industrial use, as well as future plans for expansion. Approximately 130 companies currently use the park.
Furthermore, the Reno-Sparks metro area now has more than 500,000 residents, as Washoe County’s annual growth rate is currently estimated to be 3 percent. And a steadily rising number of students are pursuing degrees at Reno-based University of Nevada, where attendance has recently increased to 21,000.
