BNSF Railway rethinks plan to construct Texas logistics center after community opposition
BNSF Railway is pulling back from plans to develop a 950-acre logistics center in North Texas after weeks of community opposition.
The railroad announced Wednesday that it was withdrawing an application to rezone and annex property it owns in Gunter, Texas, about 50 miles north of Dallas.
“BNSF has been working very closely with town of Gunter and listening to feedback from the community as we plan for the event of a brand new logistics center,” BNSF officials said in an announcement to several media outlets.
“BNSF has decided to take time to further consider how we’ll orient and construct this facility. We’re withdrawing our applications to rezone and annex our property in town. We appreciate town of Gunter for his or her continued efforts to work with our company, and stay up for further developing this site in a way that’s mutually useful to the community and our customers.”
Officials for BNSF didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment from FreightWaves.
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The proposed BNSF logistics center was first presented to the community in June and aimed to supply intermodal services for light industrial manufacturing and agricultural goods through the Lone Star State.
BNSF officials said the Gunter location was picked based on its accessibility to the railroad’s intermodal line running through the Dallas-Fort Value area. The railroad currently has three logistics centers in Texas, including Dallas, together with facilities within the towns of Sweetwater and Cleveland, in accordance with its website.
“Logistics centers offer direct-rail service in multi-customer, multi-commodity business parks. … These facilities are designed to serve each manifest mixed freight and unit train single commodity customers,” BNSF said.
Jeanelle Davis, BNSF’s executive director of public affairs, said the logistics center would bring jobs and economic growth to the world during a gathering with Gunter community members on June 27.
In recent weeks, dozens of residents from Gunter voiced their concerns in regards to the logistics center during several public meetings held in the agricultural town of about 2,250 people. Dozens of residents spoke in opposition of the proposed logistics center.
Some residents said they don’t need to be living near train yards, while others feared the impact increased heavy industries would have on local roads.
“I didn’t pay that much tax for the last eight years to be next to a train yard,” Gunter resident Jennifer Jolly said, in accordance with KTEN.
Paschall Truck Lines adds latest cross-border terminal
Paschall Truck Lines and its parent company Interstate Personnel Services Inc. recently accomplished the acquisition of a truck terminal in Laredo, Texas.
The 6,000-square-foot terminal has parking for greater than 200 trailers and can house 12 support staff employees. Murray, Kentucky-based Paschall Truck Lines has 1,100 trucks and drivers, in addition to 4,000 trailers.
Paschall Truck Lines, which has been in Laredo for greater than 30 years, purchased the brand new terminal to accommodate increased trade between the U.S. and Mexico and to supply more amenities to its truck drivers.
“We’re proud to proceed our long and wealthy history of servicing cross-border transportation to and from Mexico,” Dave Gibbs, president and CEO of Paschall Truck Lines, said in an announcement. “The investment in this contemporary C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) compliant facility will provide the corporate a maintenance facility, additional secure parking for our customer loads near the border in addition to provide additional amenities for our drivers and employees.”
Greater than 10% of Paschall’s truckload business is cross-border freight between the U.S. and Mexico, officials said.
Interstate Personnel Services’ operating entities include Paschall Truck Lines, Paschall Trailer Leasing, Paschall Logistics, IPS Leasing and Transport Distribution Co., offering one-way, dedicated, regional, long-haul, logistics and equipment leasing services within the U.S. and Mexico.
Niagara Bottling to construct logistics center in Central Texas
Beverage manufacturer Niagara Bottling announced it should construct a $48 million logistics facility in Temple, Texas.
The logistics center will create 14 jobs and help the corporate manage the distribution of latest beverage products and serve customers throughout the Central Texas region, officials said.
“The highly competitive and attractive location, transportation infrastructure and workforce have helped fuel a very important partnership between Niagara and the community,” Brian Hess, executive vice chairman, said in a news release.
Commerce Department honors 3 Texas export businesses
Marisa Lago, the undersecretary of commerce for international trade, recently presented Export Achievement Awards to a few minority-owned businesses in San Antonio as a part of the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) global diversity export initiative.
The recipients are:
— J. Canavati & Co. LLC, a Hispanic-owned international trade and consulting firm.
— Knight Aerospace, a Hispanic- and women-owned business that exports products to greater than 37 countries.
— Higher Emissions, a Hispanic-owned manufacturer of unpolluted fuel enhancement technology, serving the agribusiness, automotive, construction, energy and transportation sectors.
The ITA is an element of the U.S. Department of Commerce, operating in greater than 100 locations across the country and 80 markets worldwide to advertise trade and investment.
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