Press Releases

For Immediate Release

What’s happening at the Columbus Chamber and with our members? In this section you will find a complete catalog of our recent and archived press releases.

To arrange an interview with a member of the Columbus Chamber team, contact:

Michelle Bretscher, APR
Director, Marketing and Communication
W: 614.225.6941
C:  614.499.0889

michelle_bretscher@columbus.org

  • Press Release June 20, 2012

    Columbus Region Receives Federal Funds to Expand Rickenbacker Intermodal Facility, Complete East-West Connector

    Columbus, OH -- New federal resources will expand the Rickenbacker Intermodal Facility, creating jobs and opening Columbus Region companies to new markets. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced a $16 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete the Pickaway East-West Connector Project, improving the roadways around the intermodal facility and linking the facility to U.S. Route 23, Interstate 270, and Interstate 71. The Columbus Chamber and its Columbus Region Logistics Council supported the Columbus Regional Airport Authority’s application for the federal grant for the East-West Connector Project.

    “The logistics industry is a major driver in the Columbus Region economy, and the Rickenbacker Inland Port is critical to local, national, and international markets as a logistics and distribution hub,” said Michael Dalby, president and CEO, Columbus Chamber. “The Pickaway East-West Connector project will create jobs, improve freight efficiency, and promote economic development. And this federal funding will be an important investment in the region’s continued economic development and economic future.”

    A group organized by the Columbus Chamber and the Columbus Partnership joined forces to compile a list of priorities for federal legislators, and the Chamber had identified the Pickaway East-West Connector Project as the top infrastructure priority in its public policy agenda. Advocacy is a major service of the Chamber, and its government relations staff grew from one to four in the last year to bolster outreach efforts on behalf of the Columbus Region business community.

    Rickenbacker is a high-speed international, intermodal logistics hub with an unparalleled location. It offers one of the world’s only cargo-dedicated airports, the industry’s top trucking companies and is connected to all major East and West Coast rail providers and major ocean ports. Over half the U.S. and Canadian populations and over 60 percent of the U.S. manufacturing base is within a one-day drive.

    Central Ohio’s distribution activities serve a broad market area and handle commerce, both importing and exporting, from the region and nation. The East-West Connector will:

    • Expand multi-modal (truck, rail, and air) infrastructure capacity and increase intermodal freight efficiency
    • Create jobs through construction and business expansion and promote continued future public and private investment in the region’s logistics infrastructure
    • Enable the Columbus Region to achieve greater competitiveness in the global economy

    The Rickenbacker Inland Port is a major job generator for the region. Improvements with the East-West Connector will enable continued investment, economic development and the creation of nearly 10,000 jobs in the Rickenbacker intermodal facilities area.

    The Columbus Region Logistics Council, an initiative of the Columbus Chamber since 2008, serves as the regional catalyst for the growth of the region’s logistics capability. The Columbus Chamber works closely with the Council to drive implementation of a strategic roadmap that will continue to grow this tremendous asset. For more information on the council, visit www.columbus.org/logistics.

     

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