Characteristics of the Dallas – Fort Worth Logistics Center (Texas)
<\/strong>Dallas – Fort Worth is the largest metropolitan area in Texas and the largest commercial, banking, and financial hub (oil and insurance companies). It has a strongly developed aviation, electronics, machinery, and clothing industry. Dallas – Fort Worth (D-FW) is one of the main aviation hubs (2 airports), and 5 international highways, 19 state highways, and the transcontinental I-35 highway (Mexico – USA – Canada) run directly through the logistics center (LC).
The area is covered by a dense railway network. The geographical location of Texas facilitates the LC’s quick access to the most important markets (Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Alaska), as shown in Figure 1. The Dallas – Fort Worth LC is located in the very center of the USA, between the east and west coasts (roughly at the same distance from the 4 largest business centers – New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Mexico City). Within 24 hours, it can deliver goods (by road or rail) to approximately 35% of the United States population and 79 markets, and within 48 hours, it can reach 98% of the population. Cargo transport is the fastest-growing segment of the D-FW LC and has increased its share by 75% since 2002. In 2006, 281,000 tons of goods were handled, and it is estimated that in 2015, transshipments will amount to 1.9 million tons. The Dallas – Fort Worth center is one of the largest LCs in the USA. It is predicted that by the end of the 21st century, it will be the largest such center in the entire Western Hemisphere due to easy access to major markets, a very well-developed transport network, and the lowest distribution and warehouse rental costs in the entire United States. D-FW is also one of the largest beneficiaries of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). As a result, trade between Dallas – Fort Worth and Mexico and Canada increased by 3.9% in June 2007 compared to June 2006, reaching 69.5 billion USD. Companies operating within the center do not pay state taxes, and citizens of the state of Texas do not pay personal income tax; additionally, Dallas and Fort Worth do not levy a city tax. Furthermore, compared to other metropolises, the cost of electricity is lower, and gas is very cheap and widely available. Thanks to the dynamic development of the D-FW LC, employment in this agglomeration reached 2.9 million workers in 2005.<\/p>
The following companies have their headquarters in the D-FW LC: Kimberly-Clark, Union Pacific Railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Federal Express (FedEx), CompUSA, Southwest Airlines, JC Penny, Halliburton, Electronic Data Systems. Other large companies: American Honda, BlockBuster, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Home Depot, JC Penny, Kraft Foods, Mattel Toys, Mitsubishi Motor Sales, Nokia, Nestle, Panasonic, have their distribution centers in Dallas – Fort Worth. The Dallas – Fort Worth logistics center covers an area of approximately 4,200 hectares; 1,250 hectares of office space and over 21 hectares of warehouse space (100 public warehouses). Another warehouse, with an area of 2.17 hectares, is under construction, which is intended to complete the process of expanding warehouse space. The center has 7 runways, 2,926 m long, which will be extended to 3,962 m in the future. Furthermore, there are plans to build an eighth runway and other investments, for which 2.5 billion USD has been allocated. The D-FW LC is also one of the fastest-growing high-tech centers. It employs 260,000 people involved in its IT and technological operations. According to a 1999 study by the Milken Institute, this center is the second-largest region in the USA in terms of Hi-Tech saturation. This region is also an important telecommunications hub, reaching second place in the USA in terms of employment in the telecommunications equipment manufacturing sector. The Dallas – Fort Worth LC brings together companies in the telecommunications, semiconductor manufacturing, wireless technology, and computer hardware and software production industries. This creates a synergy effect, allowing for a competitive advantage. As one of the leading technology centers in the USA, Dallas – Fort Worth provides access to infrastructure that allows for a wide spectrum of services in this area.<\/p>
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 6/2007.
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