News from the LaGrange County Economic Development Corporation

Industry Spotlight:
Transportation and Logistics

LaGrange County is an ideal place for locating a transportation, distribution, or logistics (TDL) enterprise

given its location and access to the I-80/90 Indiana Toll Road, US 20, and State Roads 3, 5, 9, and 120. We currently have a number of companies and distribution centers that serve our large manufacturing base which is the largest employer segment in LaGrange County. Additionally, the ease of access to the interstate highway system via the Indiana Toll Road is perfectly positioned to serve as a hub for all of your TDL needs.

There is also:

the Sturgis-Kirsch Municipal Airport serving small aircraft within a half hour's drive of LaGrange County,
the Chicago O'Hare International Airport, as well as the South Bend Regional Airport, and the Fort Wayne International Airport, all within about an hour's drive,
the Detroit - Wayne County International Airport and the Indianapolis International Airport, both less than three hours away,
and two seaports feeding into the Great Lakes at the Port of Indiana - Burns Harbor and the Toledo Seaport.

More about LaGrange County's TDL Industry

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"Indiana earns top 10 ranking in 43 logistics categories"- Indiana Logistics Directory

Last year, Indiana appeared in the "Top 10" in numerous logistics categories. Forty-three to be exact. The state ranked 1st in the categories of Intersecting Highways, Rail tons of primary metals originated, Rail tons of primary metals terminated, and shortest distance to median center of U.S. population. The remaining categories ranged from interstates to barges and virtually everything in between.

The engine behind Indiana's success in logistics is its location, making the state, "an ideal business expansion site for companies moving just about any kinds of goods or materials."

Read Full Article

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Local Companies

Many manufacturing companies in LaGrange County use the area's ease of transportation to distribute their products internationally as well as world wide.

Therma-Tru Corporation, founded in 1962, is the nation's leading manufacturer and the most preferred brand of fiberglass and steel exterior door systems in t

he nation. They offer a wide range of entry and patio door system solutions, as well as decorative door components.

Several years ago, the company announced the acquisition of an approximately 350,000 square-foot rail served distribution center in LaGrange County because of the area's central location and ease of distribution.

Therma Tru's sister company Fypon Ltd., also distributing out of LaGrange County, offers a wide variety of synthetic trim to commercial businesses as well as homeowners.

M&L Trucking is a local company living by their motto, "A Satisfied Customer is Our First Consideration."

They have the expertise, technology, and resources needed to provide customers with specific shipping and distribution solutions. Because of their international division, M & L truly offers customers a one-stop solution for shipping challenges anywhere in the world.

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President's Perspective

I read an interesting and informative article that I would like to share with you for my President's Perspective this month.

The Geography and Transport Systems Magazine wrote this article tying together the relationship between Transportation and Economic Development. In the article, the magazine lays out 5 main influential factors that transportation has on Economic Development:

1) The Economic Importance of Transportation boils down to one main focus: "Efficient transportation reduces costs, while inefficient transportation increases costs."

2) Transportation and Economic Opportunities:

investments in transportation are commonly more wealth producing rather than wealth consuming.

3) Types of Transport Impacts are hard to pinpoint, but there are two main focuses. The "timing of development" varies, as each case study has its individual sets of timing circumstances, while the "types of impacts" also vary widely from case to case. Each case needs to be looked at individually.

4) Transport as a Factor of Production relates specifically to commodity markets and labor markets as small changes and improvements to the transportation system can have major affects on both markets.

5) Socioeconomic Impacts also have to be considered so that transportation changes do not become a burden to local economies. Transportation must be implemented carefully so that it benefits local companies while keeping the quality of life comfortable for local citizens.

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Come and see what LaGrange County has to offer to serve your company's TDL needs.

To learn more about LaGrange County's TDL industry contact us here or visit our website at LaGrangeCountyEDC.com

-Keith Gillenwater, President & CEO

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