Growing logistics in SoCal

With a strong air, rail and trucking infrastructure, the Southern California-based Inland Empire Economic Partnership (www.ieep.com) has experienced vibrant growth with a large number of major corporations — including Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target, Costco, Staples, Kohl's, and Black & Decker — establishing operations there.

The Inland Empire Region is made up of Riverside and San Bernadino counties, and the partnership is the region's private, non-profit economic development organization. It leverages Southern California's transportation infrastructure. Rail company Burlington Northern Santa Fe operates a major intermodal yard in San Bernadino. Nearly all of Southern California's major trucking companies have established cross-dock hubs in the area.

There are four existing airports — none of them Los Angeles International — that place particular emphasis on cargo operations. One, the Pacific Gateway Cargo Center, is working to develop one million square feet of warehouse, office and operations space with 400 truck docks, as many as 16 aircraft parking stations and 1,200 parking spaces.

Both Oneida and IKEA have signed lease agreements with the Tejon Ranch Co. (www.tejonranch.com), which will bring 570,000 square feet of space within existing buildings at the Tejon Industrial Complex (TIC), a 1,450- acre master-planned commercial development.

TIC is located in California's Central Valley, immediately-north of Los Angeles in Kern County at a point where Interstate 5 intersects Highway 99. Additionally, it has reached agreement with Rockefeller Group Development Corp. for development a 500-acre tract at TIC into a Foreign Trade Zone.

Situated four hours from the Port of Oakland and two hours from the Port of Los Angeles, TIC has interstate access as well as commercial airline and rail links.

The IKEA facility at Tejon Industrial Complex.