The first annual Global Logistics Summit of Will County was hosted by the Transportation and Logistics Council of the Will County Center for Economic Development on Tuesday, September 18, 2007.  Over 350 attendees from all areas of business, industry, education, and government were in attendance.

The first segment of the event took a global perspective of the manufacturing, transportation, and logistics industries and then addressed how Will County has become a major player in this new global market.

Keynote Speaker, Ted C. Fishman, author of China, Inc., delivered powerful messages about China’s emergence as the world’s dominant manufacturing center and the challenges facing workforce development in light of technology and international demographics.

“If our homes resemble china cabinets, they should,” said Fishman.  “And whenever I am in Will County, I see China.”

That’s because the presence of the BNSF intermodal yard in Elwood put Will County on the world map as the Midwest terminus of the China distribution chain.  “Will County embraced reality, found an opportunity and created jobs,” said Fishman.

According to Fishman, China will be the world’s economic powerhouse for the next century, and it’s not just because of low-cost labor.  China is creating “work places of huge scale,” he says.  More than 85 million private, entrepreneurial businesses were created over the past 15 years and they are giving American suppliers stiff competition.

“Our suppliers are learning that they have to partner with their Chinese competitors if they want to survive as vendors to Chinese manufacturers,” Fishman said.  Indeed, the concentration of manufacturing in China produced a “center of gravity” that is forcing other business segments to locate there, too.

Fishman said the Chinese are producing a full range of consumer goods, including top-ticket items because “they are being schooled by the world’s most demanding customers.”  Wal-Mart alone will do $22 billion in business in China this year, according to Fishman, and its reach will extend to tens of thousands of Chinese factories.

China’s message to the world, says Fishman, is “We’re a peaceful trading partner, we’re in it with you, come play with us.”

Featured Speaker, Tim Feemster, Senior Vice President and Director of Logistics for Grubb & Ellis said, “few places in the world have embraced that challenge and benefited from it more than Will County.

Next to the giant Inland Empire in California, the Chicago metro area (including Northwest Indiana) is the hottest inland port in the U.S. and Will County is far and away the hottest logistics and distribution submarket in the region.

“Development begins where the rail ends,” said Feemster, referring to the BNSF intermodal yard in Elwood.  “The railroads are spending billions of dollars on infrastructure to get their stuff to Will County.”

Feemster said that location is another reason why Will County is attractive for distribution centers.  “You can’t serve Chicago from St. Louis because the transportation (trucking) costs are too high.”

Congestion is a problem, though.  The BNSF and Will County will face increasing competition from other railroads and other regions as shippers seek alternate routes to avoid crowded West Coast ports.  And without significant new investment, “Chicago will be a nightmare of roads at over-capacity by 2020.”

A copy of Feemster’s presentation is available by clicking here.

A lively question and answer session with Fishman and Feemster followed and participants focused on how the current and future industries of Will County play into the global market.

Segment two of the Summit consisted of panel presentations.  The first panel focused on what logistics organizations do to create value in a global economy.  The tremendous growth that Will County has experienced has been observed first-hand by these professionals and they were able to share how they have adapted and refined processes and procedures at their companies to keep up with the growing demand for services.

The second panel addressed how manufacturers and retailers use the supply chain as a competitive advantage and specifically commented on Will County’s competitive advantages in this market.

During lunch, a presentation by Mara Swan, Senior Vice president of Global Human Resources at Manpower, which provides staffing in 73 countries, shared that another challenge facing the U.S.—and the world—is that an aging workforce and a lack of skilled trades-people and professionals will lead to aggressive competition.

Companies are learning to shift the work to the people or they are importing workers with the skills they need, Swan said.  “The talented people—white collar and skilled trades alike—are looking globally for the best employment opportunities and they’re moving from country to country to find them.”

And technology fosters this trend, says Swan.  “Technology allows us to organize work differently so that the worker in the U.S. hands the job off to the worker in India as the sun moves.”

Swan warned that the U.S. must stop worrying about protecting jobs and adopt policies to empower workers.  “The nations with the right policies will attract the workers they need,” she said.

Swan painted a picture of a vastly different workplace that will be multi-cultural, multi-generational and one where women may dominate.  Yet, few employers are accommodating the differing needs of these groups.  For example, she said Manpower finds that “very few have changed their strategies to encourage retirees to work longer.”

Swan said American businesses must understand the labor market, anticipate change, rethink people practices, and learn more about China and India.  The slides that accompanied Mara’s presentation can be viewed by clicking here.

In addition to the speakers and panel presentations, an exhibition hall was set up where networking with representatives from all areas of the transportation and logistics industries took place.

Special thanks to the Summit Steering Committee

Co-Chairs

Donald D. Maier, Ph.D., P.Log., Asst. Professor, College of Business - University of St. Francis

Dennis Paschen, Facility Manager, Bolingbrook Dock Operations - RR Donnelley

Jack Cozzie, Senior Vice President - Grubb & Ellis Company

John Greuling, President & CEO - Will County Center for Economic Development

Angelo Ippolito, CEO - PrideStaff

Renae Miller, Database Coordinator - Grubb & Ellis Company

Jim Ostrom, Senior Project Manager - Provena St. Joseph Medical Center

Nicole Puracchio, Manager of Operations - Will County Center for Economic Development

Adam D. Roth, Senior Associate – NAI Hiffman - Director – NAI Global Logistics

Sandy Reno, Economic Development Manager - Will County Center for Economic Development

Ron Romero, President & CEO - Stage Right Event Production Group, Inc.

Tameka Stanley, Dock Operations Coordinator - RR Donnelley

Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors