Warehousing and Distribution + Planes, Trains and Trucks
The old real estate saw real estate is Location, Location, Location;
for logistics I’d add Transportation, Transportation, Transportation.
Arizona is well located in the southwestern U.S. Major interstate freeways and transcontinental railroads connect the state directly to numerous major markets in the region. Trucks from Arizona locations are able to reach 65 million people in a one-day drive. Arizona is also an international shipping point and a nexus for major warehousing and distribution operations.
Arizona has:
- Nearly 130,000 miles of interstates and highways
- 40 public transit systems
- Two Class I railroads
- Over 80 airports
- Six ports of entry on the border with Mexico
Roads Highways and Interstates
Arizona is well served by state, federal, and interstate highways, including I-10, I-40, I-17, I-8 and I-19, U.S. routes 60 and 93. State routes 51, and Loops 101, 202 and 303 connect greater Phoenix communities and the interstate system. The Loops have opened up significant amounts of land for new business opportunities in the greater Phoenix metro area.
Rail
Arizona has robust rail infrastructure. UP’s 760 mile Sunset Route corridor from El Paso to Los Angeles through Arizona currently carries approximately 20 percent of the railroad’s traffic. Union Pacific continues to work on double tracking the Sunset Route corridor – with approximately two-thirds of the project complete. UP also plans a major new classification yard between Tucson and Phoenix near Red Rock in Pinal County. Tucson is UP’s principal terminals in Arizona. UP also serves the Nogales Port of Entry – a gateway for trade with Mexico. UP has invested about $500 million in Arizona infrastructure since 2009.
BNSF has a major intermodal transfer facility in Glendale and has spent nearly $100 million in rail improvements in Arizona since 2012 which included almost 400 miles of track surfacing.
Rail served siting opportunities include industrial parks, repurposed brownfields and large tract greenfield properties of adequate size / length to be unit train capable – some large acreages are in the early to mid-stage entitlement process.
If a rail served manufacturing, industrial or logistics site fits your plans I can help. Info@StrategicSiting.com
Airports
International Airports
Companies doing business internationally can utilize Arizona's two international airports – located in Phoenix (PHX) and Tucson (TUS). Arizona also has 12 commercial airports and 71 reliever and general aviation airports.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport:
- One of the 10 busiest airports in the U.S.
- 17 carriers
- Non-stop service to 100 domestic destinations; 20 international destinations.
- Fly to Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas or Santa Fe in less than an hour
- Fly to Dallas, Denver or San Francisco in under two hours
- Fly to Chicago, Houston, Mexico City, or Vancouver, Canada in three hours
- More than 100,000 passengers on a typical day.
- More than 800 tons of cargo daily.
- Customs and Immigration services seven days a week daily for passengers; weekdays for cargo
Tucson International Airport:
- Six carriers
- Non-stop service to 15 domestic destinations
- 55 departures on a typical day
- Over 34,000 tons of cargo per year.
- Customs and Immigration services are available 24 hours a day
Alternate Phoenix Metro Area Airport – Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is served by Allegiant Air and emerging as an alternative to Phoenix Sky Harbor for some purposes including as an alternative for air cargo. The airport has adequate runway length for wide-body aircraft to fly non-stop to Asian and European destinations with three parallel runways: 10,401 feet, 10,201 feet, and 9,301 feet. P-M Gateway is also located within Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #221, which facilitates international shipping and trade and offers tax / cost advantages. It also offers:
- Eleven-acre cargo apron
- On-Airport U.S. Customs
- Relatively low operating costs
- 24-hour airport operations
- ILS on runway 30C
There are excellent siting options at and near these three metro area airports ranging from existing improved properties to shovel ready / build to suit sites to sites fully or partially entitled capable of major campuses / multi-user planned developments.
Arizona has numerous smaller airports, including in the growing communities of Prescott, Scottsdale, Yuma, Flagstaff, and Kingman.
Arizona Commercial Service – Primary Airports:
Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
Grand Canyon National Park Airport
Page Municipal Airport
Grand Canyon West Airport
Yuma International Airport / MCAS Yuma
Commercial Service - Non-Primary Airports:
Prescott Municipal Airport (Ernest A. Love Field)
Show Low Regional Airport
Arizona Reliever Airports:
Many of these airports have good siting options adjacent or nearby. Some have land owned / managed by development authorities that can help facilitate siting and development for various types of projects.
Foreign trade zones
A foreign-trade zone is a designated location in the United States where companies can use special procedures that help encourage U.S. activity and value added - in competition with foreign alternatives - by allowing delayed or reduced duty payments on foreign merchandise, as well as other savings.
A site which has been granted zone status may not be used for zone activity until the site has been separately approved for FTZ activation by local U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials, and the zone activity remains under the supervision of CBP. FTZ sites and facilities remain within the jurisdiction of local, state or federal governments or agencies. Magnet zone sites are usually located at ports or industrial parks. They are open to multiple zone users. Subzones / usage-driven sites are approved for a specific company / use. Businesses located in a zone or sub-zone in Arizona may be eligible for up to a 72.9 percent reduction in state real and personal property taxes (source: Arizona Commerce Authority).
Foreign Trade Zone Port of Entry
Santa Cruz County
FTZ No. 60 – Nogales
Grantee: Nogales-Santa Cruz County
Economic Development Foundation, Inc. Nogales
Maricopa County
FTZ No. 75 – Phoenix
Grantee: City of Phoenix
Community & Economic
Development Department Phoenix
Cochise County
FTZ No. 139 – Sierra Vista
Grantee: Sierra Vista
Economic Development Foundation, Inc. Naco
Pima County
FTZ No. 174 – Pima County
Grantee: Tucson Regional
Economic Opportunities, Inc. Tucson
Yuma County
FTZ No. 219 – Yuma
Grantee: Greater Yuma
Economic Development Corporation San Luis
Maricopa County
FTZ No. 221 – Mesa
Grantee: City of Mesa
Office of Economic Development Phoenix
Maricopa County
FTZ No. 277 – Western Maricopa County
Grantee: Greater Maricopa Foreign
Trade Zone, Inc. Phoenix