T he competition among regions to attract site-selection decision makers is heating up as supply chains grow ever more vital and complex. Communities are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to incorporate and develop the characteristics that will place them among the select group of logistics hot spots. Some of those characteristics are dictated by pure geography, but some can be developed.
competitiveness. While they can’t replace core geography or hard infrastructure, they strongly in uence how well those physical assets are leveraged and how resilient the logistics ecosystem becomes. State and local transportation agencies shape the quality and capacity of highways, rail spurs, port improvements, and airport expansions, Sanders says, citing as an example the creation of state or regional foreign-trade zones, bonded warehouse programs, and streamlined customs procedures to reduce friction for international shipments. “Then there is the relationship with community colleges and universities with supply chain or logistics curricula that can feed a steady supply of skilled labor—from forklift operators to data scientists,” Sanders says. “Another example is state emergency management and regional planning bodies that coordinate contingency plans for natural disasters, strikes, or cyberattacks that could disrupt freight ows.” Forward-thinking leaders of regional assets can contribute mightily to enhancing the region’s place in the logistics hierarchy. A case in point is Port Tampa Bay, which provides leadership that does not stop at the dock.
advanced logistics capabilities can still create competitive supply chain nodes, but usually at higher ongoing cost,” Sanders notes. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND COMMITMENT How important are community, regional, and state resources to the equation? “Geography and transport networks provide the foundation, but community, regional, and state resources supply the soft infrastructure—policy, talent, innovation, and resilience—that turns a mere transit point into a durable, world- class logistics hub,” Sanders says. Community, regional, and state resources, both public-sector and academic, play a strategic, enabling role in a region’s logistics
“For a region to be considered ideal for logistics, certain physical and locational assets give it a built-in advantage,” says Nada Sanders, professor of supply chain management at Northeastern University, Boston. “The ideal geography for a logistics-friendly region combines strategic location (close to demand and trade ows) with physical suitability ( at, hazard-resistant land and room to grow), and natural multimodal access (ports, air, rail, and highway).” These assets provide logistics operators with both cost ef ciency and long- term resilience. Proximity to target markets is advantageous. This includes being located close to dense population centers or manufacturing clusters to reduce last- mile and replenishment costs. Another big draw is being located along international trade corridors or at the crossroads of continental freight ows. Providing logistics operators with multimodal transportation nodes—e.g., coastal sites, international airports, access to rail networks or interstate highways— is another green ag. Smart communities build from there. “Geography provides a structural foundation—the closer you are to key markets and trade corridors, the lower the natural logistics friction,” Sanders says. The most logistics-friendly regions combine both favorable geography and world-class transport infrastructure. “Where geography is suboptimal, sustained investment and
As Florida’s largest and most cargo-diverse port, Port Tampa Bay checks all the boxes. It oers multimodal access, industrial infrastructure, labor availability, technology and eciency, and a favorable regulatory environment.
October 2025 • Inbound Logistics 39
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