A&R Logistics Adds Distribution Capacity as Anchor Tenant in New Industrial Park

October 15, 2019

Rendering of new facility to be constructed at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub in Effingham County, Georgia.

The Effingham County Industrial Development Authority (ECIDA), in partnership with OmniTRAX, announced today that A&R Logistics, Inc. plans to expand its distribution capacity on the east coast with the lease up to one million square feet in the newly developed Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub (SGIH) in Effingham County, Georgia.

“Congratulations to A&R Logistics on this next step in their operations,” said Governor Brian P. Kemp. “As the Top State for Business six years running, The Port of Savannah and Georgia’s expansive logistics network enable the Peach State to serve as a gateway to the global economy. This facility will help us to maintain that status in the years ahead, and I want to thank our partners in Effingham County and with the Georgia Ports Authority for their hard work to make exciting announcements like this possible.”

“We are so excited to have A&R Logistics as our first tenant in the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub,” explains Troy Smith, Chairman of the ECIDA.  “A&R is truly a first class logistics company, and we couldn’t have picked a better team to kick off the development of our joint park with OmniTRAX.  We look forward to working with A&R to make Savannah Gateway the premiere rail park in the southeastern US.”

A&R Logistics is a leading supply chain services company providing dry bulk transportation, warehousing, packaging, third-party logistics, and export solutions.  For over 40 years A&R has provided bulk logistics services for customers in the chemical and plastics industries.  The largest dry bulk carrier in North America, A&R has over 1,000 employees across the nation.

“We are delighted to partner with the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority and the Georgia Ports Authority to bring a world-class export facility to the Port of Savannah.  A&R Logistics is a leading supply chain solutions company to the chemical industry.  After an extensive analysis of global demand, production and trade flows, we have concluded that the Port of Savannah is uniquely positioned to provide strategic value to some of the largest chemical companies and trading partners in the world. Given this strategic significance, the time is right to invest in Savannah and our export operations.  We value the partnership with Effingham County and the Port of Savannah in facilitating our investment in this facility,” said Mark Holden, A&R’s CEO and President.

The facility in Effingham County will be a state-of-the art export facility with the latest, top of the line equipment to service customers exporting product to China, Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa.  A&R will offer a variety of packaging solutions and complete logistics services, including dual service rail, for customers shipping product out of the Port of Savannah.

“We are excited to welcome the expansion of A&R’s resin handling infrastructure in our market, as it will bring significant new export volumes to our container trade,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch. “The growing output of refineries in Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Canada will require alternate export capacity, and the Port of Savannah stands ready to serve that need."

Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub (SGIH) is a 2,700 acre industrial park located 12 miles from the Port of Savannah.  SGIH is being developed by OmniTRAX in partnership with the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority.  The park is a certified Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development site by the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and offers dual-rail access to two class one rail providers (CSX and Norfolk Southern).

“The opening of Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub is the result of a great partnership with A&R Logistics and the state and local officials that have truly embraced this development,” said OmniTRAX CEO Kevin Shuba. “Over the past three decades, our projects have helped communities generate $4.5 billion in investment and more than 22,000 jobs. We are excited to help bring investment and jobs to Effingham County.”

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