Autonomous Railcars Moving Closer to Reality

Session Details: Learn about the advances being made by St. Louis start-up Intramotev Autonomous Rail in the development of an autonomous, zero-emissions railcar that would be able to operate without the use of a locomotive. Autonomous railcars would enable better use of the U.S. freight rail network and help mitigate the type of supply chain challenges occurring around the globe while reducing pollution in the rail industry.

Speaker: Timothy Luchini, Ph.D., CEO of Intramotev Autonomous Rail
 

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Container-on-Vessel Services Coming to the St. Louis Region

Session Details: Get the latest on the collaborative effort to launch Container-on-Vessel (COV) service to the Midwest. This panel will include an update on the status of the overall project and the patented new vessels that will deliver the service, creating a new shipping alternative with tremendous benefits for shippers. Attendees will also hear from the developer of the new COV port facility in Herculaneum, Missouri, who will provide the latest milestones related to the new facility, while also giving an update on the other Midwest ports that will be part of this new, all-water, north-south trade lane connecting to the lower Mississippi River and on to worldwide destinations. The discussion also will feature representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard and Center for Maritime Education who will give an overview of the work underway to prepare for the debut of the innovative new service.

Speakers:

• Sal Litrico, Chief Executive Officer of American Patriot Container Transport LLC (APCT)
• James Hurley, President of Hawtex Development Corporation
• Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President Multi Modal Enterprises at Bi-State Development
• Captain John Arenstam, USCG (retired), Assistant Director for Seamen’s Church Institute’s Center for Maritime Education
• Daniel Every, LCDR, USCG, Prevention Department Head, Sector Upper Mississippi River
• Denson White, Director of Customer Engagement at APM Terminals

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The St. Louis Region’s Role in One of the World’s Most Comprehensive Port Networks

Session Details: Gain insight into APM Terminals’ global operation of one of the world’s most comprehensive port networks, serving 10,000 customers around the globe. Learn firsthand how the 76 terminals in APM’s global network benefit the Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCOs) and the role of the proposed new Container-on-Vessel Port in the St. Louis region as part of that network.

Speaker: Brian Harold, Managing Director of APM Terminals
 

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Ag Coast of America Riverboat Cruise

Narration by Susan Taylor, Port Director at St. Louis Development Corporation, and Eric Fields, Chief Engineer at Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis– Hosted by the St. Louis Regional Freightway, this special cruise highlighted key freight assets and opportunities that position the St. Louis region as a thriving freight and logistics hub with global access.

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Global Connectivity Through Union Pacific’s Dedicated Rail Service to the Largest U.S. Port Complex

Session Details: Learn about Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP) scheduled service to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the largest U.S. port complex. While those ports have been in the news lately because of the congestion issues and striking images of container ships stacked up off the coast, we’ll hear how that congestion impacted UP’s scheduled service between those ports and the St. Louis region and how UP has evolved its services to keep customers’ freight moving. The session will also reveal more information about the latest technology UP is deploying and how it benefits the industry, the operations at the UP Intermodal Yard in Dupo, Illinois, and the capacity UP has to serve more customers.

Speaker: Elise Gosch, Assistant Vice President of Intermodal Sales, Union Pacific Railroad
 

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Infrastructure Investments Continue to Strengthen Midwest Ports, Boosting Capacity and Increasing Profitability for the Barge Industry

Session Details: Learn about the significant investments underway at three Midwest ports and new infrastructure funding recently secured that will advance several other projects to strengthen these facilities and reinforce their important role in the global freight network. The discussion will highlight how these improvements, and others being studied by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will facilitate an increase in barge services and deliver cost efficiencies that drive profitability for the industry.

Speakers:

• Dennis Wilmsmeyer, Executive Director of America’s Central Port
• Mark R. Coulter, Vice President, General Counsel for PortKC
• Ed Weilbacher, General Manager of Kaskaskia Regional Port District
• John J. Grothaus, Program Manager for Missouri River Studies, Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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2023 Priority Projects List

Session Details: Digital release of the Freightway’s 2023 Priority Projects List, a valuable tool used to advocate for support and funding for critical infrastructure improvements that strengthen the St. Louis region’s position as a world-class freight and logistics hub for national and global supply chains.

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Partnership Between Kansas City and the St. Louis Region Highlights the Importance of Reconstruction and Adding Capacity to Missouri’s Statewide I-70 Corridor

Session Details: St. Louis Regional Freightway and Kansas City SmartPort are teaming up to demonstrate support for the Interstate-70 corridor from Kansas City to St. Louis. The Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) High-Priority Unfunded Needs Report includes a financial placeholder to reconstruct and add capacity to I-70. This panel will highlight the importance of I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis from a global freight perspective as a transportation corridor supporting the global supply chains for the aerospace, automotive, and Ag industries and others, and providing a critical link to multimodal connectivity and reliability. Attendees will also hear from a representative of a manufacturing company that relies heavily on this corridor for its domestic and global distribution.

Speakers:

• Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President Multi Modal Enterprises at Bi-State Development
• Chris Gutierrez, President of Kansas City SmartPort
• Chester Jones, Manager Supply Chain Operations, True Manufacturing Company, Inc.

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St. Louis Region’s Spring 2022 Industrial Real Estate Market Report

Session Details: Digital release of the latest Industrial Market Report for the St. Louis region, which focuses on bulk industrial buildings that are vital to the freight and logistics supply chain. The data highlights the latest market fundamentals in the St. Louis region, recent trends in construction and development, and the current labor figures that demonstrate readiness to meet the workforce needs of the bi-state region’s robust supply chain logistics, distribution and manufacturing industries.

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Three Things to Know About Illinois Route 3 in Southwestern Illinois

Session Details: Hear firsthand from the author of the latest study on the economic impact of Illinois Route 3 east of St. Louis and discover how this 60-mile-long corridor has become a nationally significant heavy industrial corridor. Economically impactful and successful, with an accessible and highly skilled workforce, and optimized for manufacturing and logistics, learn how this corridor is helping to meet the insatiable demand for industrial space with suitable real estate sites available right now and plans in the works to elevate other sites to developer ready status. Attendees will also get insight on how international business trends, especially in light of continued supply chain disruptions and shortages, COVID-19, inflation, and now the emerging geopolitical situation, affect site selection trends and foreign direct investment, including reshoring. Hear how those trends might positively impact an area like Route 3 in Illinois and the role state and local governments can play in advancing those efforts.

Speaker:

• Doug Rasmussen, CEO and Managing Principal of Steadfast City Economic & Community Partners
• Former Illinois State Senator James Clayborne, Founding Partner, Clayborne & Wagner, LLP
• Paulina San Millan, Vice President, Business Development, Intersect Illinois

Read Illinois Business Journal article on IL Route 3.

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