PROPELLED BY LOGISTICS
W orld-renowned golfer Bobby Jones, a proud son of Georgia, knew something about moving an object from here to there as expeditiously as possible. “The secret to golf, and business, is to turn three shots into two,” he famously declared. You might say that Jones—who held degrees from Atlanta’s Georgia Tech and Emory universities and picked up another degree from Harvard for good measure—was a master of logistics before the term was commonplace in business and industry. It is only tting that he called Georgia home. Managing the movement of products from one place to another quickly and ef ciently—through the air, across the water, and over winding terrain, if not sand traps—is the essence of logistics, the Peach State’s stock in trade. Businesses of all types and sizes thrive in Georgia, thanks in large part to the state’s pro-business government policies, traditionally low unemployment, available real estate, and ideal location— the latter especially important to the providers of distribution and logistics services. Add to all that the state’s plentiful educational and organizational resources
that are readily accessible to logistics professionals. The sum total is a treasure trove of logistics assets. SOARING HIGHER Georgia’s comprehensive logistics infrastructure includes Harts eld- Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the busiest and most ef cient airport in the world—and, many say, the best in North America. ATL is an economic star of Georgia, generating a $34.8-billion impact for metro Atlanta and providing more than 63,000 jobs on-site, making it the state’s largest employer. Harts eld-Jackson is a global gateway, offering nonstop service to more than 150 domestic and 70 international destinations. These locales include major commercial centers in Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, and South and Central America. In addition, ATL holds the distinction of being the rst airport in the world to serve more than 100 million passengers in a single year. Georgia also is home to Savannah/ Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), where passenger traf c reached an unprecedented high in 2022: more than 3.5 million passengers, a 27% increase from 2021.
The airport’s record growth has been spurred by expanded services offered by airlines and by visitors to the region’s popular destinations of Savannah and Hilton Head Island. SAV is currently engaged in capital projects totaling more than $150 million. Not only will improvements allow for additional growth in passenger traf c, but they also will lay the groundwork for a new air cargo complex and an expanded general aviation complex. These improvements will stimulate regional development and add to the airport’s $4.2-billion economic impact. In all, Georgia’s airport system includes 104 publicly owned, public- use airports, nine commercial service airports, and 95 general aviation airports. The airports are essential to the state’s transportation and economic infrastructure, supporting distribution and logistics as well as other diversi ed industries including technology, manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture. OVER LAND AND SEA Georgia’s location provides direct rail access to the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwest regions of the United States. Both Eastern U.S. Class I railroads, CSX and Norfolk Southern, along with 24 short-line railroads, track across the state. The Intermodal Division of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) conducts planning and project development for freight, passenger, and commuter operations within the state, and oversees the development of the State Rail Plan, which identi es long- range freight and passenger needs. Also crisscrossing the state are six U.S. interstates—1,200 miles of highway— connecting shippers to 80% of the country in two days or less driving time. To keep cargo and passenger traf c moving smoothly, GDOT even has a formal online and telephone program for reporting potholes. Meanwhile, Georgia’s extensive port assets—which include deepwater ports in Savannah and Brunswick—continually improve their logistics operations.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the 12th largest air cargo hub in North America and home to one of the world’s largest carriers, Delta Air Lines. The airport hosts 16 cargo carriers and oers more than 2 million square feet of cargo handling space.
58 Inbound Logistics • March 2023
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