Buffalo Niagara ITGO

BUFFALO, NY (November 4) – Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway Organization (ITGO) executive director Craig Turner announced today that the region’s logistics industry group will hold a forum, “Freight Challenges of a Redesigned Skyway," on Tuesday, November 19 from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. in the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council’s “Sunburst Conference Room,” 438 Main Street in Buffalo. The program will highlight the critical freight needs of the Skyway corridor, and the importance of keeping regional logistics at the forefront of the public dialogue on the issue.

“It’s very easy to get caught up in Take-Down-the-Skyway Fever, but the road actually has a very practical purpose that many companies and future development programs depend upon,” said Turner. “The impact – and possible solutions for freight movement in case a new design is the end result – is a critical part of the conversation. ITGO exists to bring this perspective to the regional dialogue, and we’re very pleased to be getting an avid response to doing so.”

Presenters at the event include Mike Leydecker, Associate Principal, Wendel, Hal Morse, GBNRTC Executive Director and Steve Weathers, Chief Executive Officer for the Erie County Industrial Development Agency. The program will include a moderated discussion with attendees, as well.

“Hundreds of commercial trucks use the Skyway every day, and that number only promises to grow with economic development efforts along Route 5 south of downtown,” Turner said. “The conversation on November 19 is not being designed to support or oppose any specific proposal for the Skyway, but to raise the awareness that the Skyway is strategically important to a great many companies in our region, and their ability to access their suppliers and customers.”

More information, including registration details, can be found at www.itgobuffaloniagara.com/events. The Skyway forum is open to the public, but registration is required.

(Oct. 29, 2019) - Public/private collaboration, active stakeholder engagement (especially from the private sector) and focused promotion were recurring themes at ITGO’s 2020 Logistics Outlook, held yesterday at the Tewksbury Lodge in Buffalo. 

ITGO’s annual event, subtitled, “Building a First-Class Regional Logistics Center,” welcomed three fantastic speakers to lend their insights into what it will take for the Buffalo Niagara region to better position itself as a hub for freight movement. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from Mary Lamie, Executive Director for the St. Louis Regional Freightway; Ian Hamilton, President & CEO of the (newly named) Hamilton and Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports); and Dr. Alexander Heil, Chief Economist of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). 

As ITGO charts the course for the growth of logistics and freight opportunities in the region, having access to peers from other cities who have achieved their share of successes is invaluable. Lamie and Hamilton both discussed their region’s growth in logistics through a concerted effort to position themselves as the go-to center for freight movement – St. Louis highlighting its significant capabilities to serve the Midwest, and HOPA Ports creating critical mass to become the most active Canadian port in the Great Lakes region. Both attributed several factors to their successes (with more successes on the horizon): 

1.      Public/Private Collaboration: Both St. Louis and Hamilton have achieved success – in the form of significant regional economic growth – by the public and private sectors working together on a shared mission and vision for logistics. Both Lamie and Hamilton emphasized the importance of doing so. 

2.      Active Stakeholder Engagement: For both Hamilton and St. Louis, active engagement from the private sector was the key to getting the public sector to take on freight growth as a vision, and catalyst for economic growth. Both highlighted the receptiveness of their manufacturing and distribution communities to participate in the strategy and implementation. 

3.      Focused Promotion: Both regions have thrived from the story they’re telling, elevating their regions’ capabilities related to freight movement as prominently as any other regional benefit they’re putting forward. 

With ITGO’s on-going work with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Dr. Heil’s overview of trends and opportunities at PANYNJ was a key component of the evening’s discussion. While many anticipated a tariff-related downturn, PANYNJ continues to experience record month after record month – which is an opportunity for our region as an inland relief valve for freight coming through the Port, especially freight headed to Ontario. Perhaps the most significant changes at PANYNJ over the past year have been the origin of the freight, Heil reported, with inbound cargo from China declining significantly, and freight from Vietnam into PANYNJ jumping 31%, offering a perspective on U.S. importers’ response to increased tariffs on Chinese goods. 

ITGO’s 2020 Logistics Outlook was preceded by a very successful roundtable facilitated by consultant WSP, which is currently engaged in the update of the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council’s (GBNRTC) 2010 Regional Freight Plan. The initiative is a 12-month project that will better position the region to plan and advocate for infrastructure funding and policy actions to strengthen freight and logistics opportunities in the region. The program calls for significant engagement from the private sector to best identify solutions to regional logistics challenges, and yesterday’s roundtable was the first outreach. For more information, or if you’d be able/willing to participate in the process, please contact me at [email protected].

BUFFALO, NY (October 25) – Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway Organization (ITGO) executive director Craig Turner announced today that the region’s logistics industry group will be hosting its annual Logistics Outlook event on Monday, October 28 at Tewksbury Lodge on Ohio Street. This year’s event, titled, “2020 Logistics Outlook: Building a First-Class Regional Logistics Center,” will feature speakers from the St. Louis Regional Freightway, the Hamilton Port Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

“ITGO’s annual Logistics Outlook event is the regional logistics industry’s premier event of the year for discussion on how to grow the industry in our cross-border region, and for networking with industry leaders,” said Turner. “We’re very pleased to have an outstanding panel of speakers, all of whom have significant been-there-done-that experience that our region can tap into, and are looking forward to engaging our economic development community in a bigger conversation about the importance of logistics and freight.” 

The evening’s speakers include Mary Lamie, executive director of the St. Louis Freightway, and Ian Hamilton, president of the Hamilton Port Authority, who will be sharing their region’s approach to positioning themselves as logistics centers, and their strategies for success and regional growth. In addition, Dr. Alexander Heil, chief economist for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will discuss trends the Port is seeing in ocean shipping, and how they link to ITGO’s efforts in Buffalo Niagara. 

“As we’ve worked to grow the region’s logistics presence the last several years, we have looked to peer regions for insight and best practices, and we’re very fortunate to have two of our go-to resources sitting with us face-to-face for this conversation,” Turner said. “With the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s information looking out to the future, we’re looking forward to hearing a great deal of insight that will be significant for growth among Buffalo Niagara’s logistics companies.”

In collaboration with GBNRTC and WSP, ITGO will also be providing an update on the on-going regional freight planning process, a 12-month initiative that is currently underway.  

The full event will run from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at Tewksbury Lodge, 249 Ohio St, Buffalo, NY. More information is available at www.itgobuffaloniagara.com.

The International Trade Gateway Organization (ITGO) is a collaborative initiative of the public, private and academic sectors to create a globally-known logistics center in the bi-national Buffalo Niagara region. The mission of the Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway is to build upon the capacity of existing organizations and leverage the advantages of the region – extensive transportation system, experienced logistics and trade networks, positioning as part of the third largest and fastest growing metropolitan region in North America, and our history and reputation since the nineteenth century – as a center for trade and commerce.

Recently, the Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway Organization (ITGO) joined a nationwide coalition spearheaded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce advocating for Congress to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), approved by all three North American partners at the end of November. 

The Coalition, which is comprised of more than 300 companies and associations from around the U.S., is predicated on a message of “preserve and strengthen,” building on the foundational relationships between the three countries created through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The group’s advocacy to Congress highlights not only the importance of ratification, but the timeliness of getting it done to strengthen the North American market. 

Some upcoming benchmarks: As laid out in the Bipartisan Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (known as Trade Promotion Authority or TPA), the Administration will share a draft Statement of Administrative Action with Congress to solicit input on a final SAA, which will implement some aspects of the agreement. Also, on or about April 20, the U.S. International Trade Commission is expected to issue its congressionally-mandated assessment of the projected economic impact of the USMCA. These are steps that precede any formal congressional action on an implementing bill. 

BUFFALO, NY (January 22) – Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway Organization (ITGO) executive director Craig Turner announced today that the region’s logistics industry group added four new Board members at this month’s Board meeting.

“With two high-profile initiatives – the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park Crossdock Facility and the new ITGO Logistics, Trade and Transportation Directory – on the agenda for 2019, it is essential that we have outstanding leadership to help us be successful in implementing ITGO’s vision,” said Turner. “Our new Board members bring additional perspective, insight and expertise that is critical to the mission of growing logistics opportunities for companies in the bi-national Buffalo Niagara region.”

ITGO’s new Board members include:

Kevin Jacobi, General Manager, Canada BW

With more than 17 years’ experience in the field, Kevin Jacobi has focused his professional career in the logistics industry. He has been general manager for two large 3PL companies and co-founded an additional warehousing company that is still in operation. He is an active member of the community serving board and committee positions with the Welland/Pelham Chamber of Commerce, the Niagara Industrial Association, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, Niagara College and the Niagara Free Trade Zone Task Force.

Damon Piatek, President & CEO, Welke Customs Brokers USA

Damon Piatek is President and CEO of Welke Customs Brokers USA Inc., headquartered in the City of Tonawanda with offices in Cleveland, OH, and a licensed U.S. Customs broker and certified customs specialist. Damon sits on the Board of World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara, the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) in Northeast Ohio and the Ken-Ton Chamber of Commerce, and is an active member of the National Association of Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders and the Northern Border Brokers Association.

Barbara Saieva, Director of International Programs, Speed Global Services

Barbara Saieva has been involved in international logistics, freight forwarding and customhouse brokerage for over 25 years. Since 2006, she has been with Speed Global Services and is currently the Director of International Operations. Barbara is a certified customs specialist and has worked with hundreds of companies assisting their staff in global logistics and compliance management including on-site training. She is a member of the NCBFAA, WTCBN and BWTA, as well as a past president of the BWTA.

Dr. Nallan Suresh, UB Distinguished Professor, School of Management, University at Buffalo

Dr. Nallan Suresh is a faculty member in department of Operations Management & Strategy in UB’s School of Management, specializing in supply chain, manufacturing and logistics management. He has published widely in professional journals, and presented numerous papers in international conferences. He has also taught and conducted industry education programs in China, Singapore, and Europe for more than 20 years.  Dr. Suresh is Associate Director for UB’s Stephen Still Institute for Sustainable Transportation & Logistics.

“In just a few short years, ITGO has gone from a well-intentioned concept to a key player in regional economic development, engaged in regional, bi-national and statewide freight planning,” said Jim Manno, vice president of sales and marketing for Sonwil Distribution, and ITGO board president. “I’m thrilled with the knowledge and diversity of experience we’re adding to the ITGO board, and look forward to making great strides in 2019.”

BUFFALO, NY (October 29) – Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway Organization (ITGO) executive director Craig Turner today invited the border-crossing community in the bi-national Buffalo Niagara region to ITGO’s premier event of the year, the 2019 Logistics Outlook: “The Future of the Border,” on Tuesday, October 30, 3:00-6:00 p.m. at the Tonawanda Castle in the City of Tonawanda. 

At ITGO’s 2019 Logistics Outlook, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will provide an in-depth look at technologies that are being implemented right now – and in the near future – to make borders, airports and commerce safer and smarter, supporting the flow of freight and people in the bi-national Buffalo Niagara region. 

“Each year, we gather the regional logistics community together for our annual Logistics Outlook, around a topic that is top-of-mind for manufacturers, shippers, carriers and economic development organizations,” said Turner. “With the importance of our border to our regional economy on both sides of it, and with technology changes happening at a more rapid pace than ever before, this is the perfect time to be having this conversation, and we appreciate CBP and CBSA making themselves available to our stakeholders.” 

Speakers for the event are: 

Colleen M. Manaher - Executive Director CBP/OFO/PPAH Entry Exit Transformation

Rose Brophy - Director, USCBP Field Operations Buffalo, NY

Rick Comerford, Regional Director, S. Ontario Region, CBSA

After the presentations, members of the audience will have the opportunity ask questions in a panel discussion moderated by ITGO Board President James Manno, followed by networking with the logistics, manufacturing and economic development community.

“At the borders and at the airports, the best way to take advantage of new technologies and use them to enhance your experience is to know that they exist, and the purpose for them,” added Turner. “This year’s Logistics Outlook is designed to create that awareness, so companies in the Buffalo Niagara region can optimize their work with U.S. and Canadian Customs and, most importantly, use the new systems to improve their logistics processes.”

More information on the 2019 Logistics Outlook is available at www.itgobuffaloniagara.com/events.