Buffalo New York-Waterfront Park

Waterfront park in Buffalo NY where Lake Erie flows into the Niagara River

Mural of Buffalo NY as part of the Deleware Districts public art project-Hertel Walls

Have a great weekend friends and thanks for stopping by 🙂

Alice

Sculpture Saturday

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.

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.