It all adds up to remarkable momentum in Georgia’s logistics sector, fueled by economic growth and visionary state leadership. The state’s manufacturing sector leads in expansions and new locations, driving increased activity across the supply chain. At Georgia’s ports, forecasted growth underscores the ports’ role as critical hubs for international trade, and new efforts include reducing carbon emissions at neighboring port communities. Logistics technology is also transforming as businesses increasingly adopt arti cial intelligence and Internet- of-Things applications to optimize supply chain management. This dynamic combination of growth and innovation means Georgia will continue to tackle challenges and strengthen its position as a global leader in logistics. Georgia’s Center of Innovation for Logistics and other state resources will continue to assist logistics providers to ensure Georgia remains at the logistics forefront, says Lake. KEY INGREDIENTS FOR LOGISTICS LEADERSHIP Georgia’s tangible assets are easily identi ed, and each of those assets contains a subset of ingredients that are easily listed as well. The state’s transportation infrastructure, for example, includes its ports, interstate highway system, rail networks, and the Atlanta Harts eld- Jackson International Airport. Volumes could be written about the components of each of those ingredients. But the recipe for Georgia’s logistics success includes intangible assets too. Prominent among the intangibles is the vision of the logistics community’s leadership. For Syfan Logistics, located some 50 miles northeast of Atlanta in Gainesville, Georgia, the importance of preparing for the industry’s future looms large in the company’s mission. “The most signi cant way that Syfan Logistics distinguishes itself as a Georgia logistics asset is our continued commitment to developing the next
Syfan Logistics, located some 50 miles northeast of Atlanta in Gainesville, Georgia, invests heavily in technology, automation, and workforce development to streamline operations.
generation of local logistics professionals,” says Greg Syfan, president of Syfan Logistics. “We do this in a number of ways not limited to our internal training programs, high school outreach/ internship programs, intensive summer internship programs for college students, and our development of a Logistics Curriculum with state of cials and local universities such as the University of North Georgia. “Our company has always been focused on developing the next generation of logistics workers and we continue this today,” he says. Syfan Logistics specializes in the transport of refrigerated/frozen foods and manufactured automobile parts as well as the transportation of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical products. The company moves a variety of pharmaceuticals that have special temperature regulations and speci cations. As the company looks forward, it invests in the future. The company’s recovery from the pandemic was bolstered by investments in technology, automation, and workforce development to streamline
operations. “Our company focused on continuing to develop and train our team members, new and old, to better prepare them for a complex industry that is constantly changing and evolving,” notes Greg Syfan. “We put a lot of time and money into our internal training programs as well as our partnerships with local high schools and universities,” says Syfan. “Overall, our company has fared well since the end of the pandemic. Most of this can be attributed to the fact that we have continued to operate on our same principles of trust and transparency.” PORT ASSETS IMPROVE Among Georgia’s tangible assets, Syfan points to continuing improvements in the state’s port assets close to home. “As far as signi cant developments go, there is one big project on the horizon in our hometown of Gainesville,” Syfan says. “That is the development of the Northeast Georgia Inland Port. This inland port will work to bolster our Syfan Drayage division as well as our overall load transportation in our local and state markets.”
36 Inbound Logistics • March 2025
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