Location! Location! Location!
Sitting at the strategic midpoint of Chicago and Detroit, Southwest Michigan is one of the nation’s premier locations for logistics centers and warehouse distribution sites. Situated along the NAFTA Corridor, Southwest Michigan can help you reach your customers from Canada to Mexico.
Our pro-business environment, motivated labor pool and affordable wage rates have attracted distribution centers from companies like Target Corporation and Kenco Logistics. We offer one of the lowest cost origins in the Midwest; freight transportation by over forty truckload and less-than-truckload carriers, including American Freightways, ABF and ICX; and easy transport by rail, air and major parcel carriers.
- Key strategic location on NAFTA corridor lies within:
- 54% of the nation’s manufacturers
- 48% of all national retail sales
- 54% of the nation’s business payroll
- 65% of Canada’s Gross National Product
- Excellent highway access and little roadway congestion allowing immediate access to Interstate 94, US-131 and M-89; Interstate 80-90 is a short-drive south
- 37% of the U.S. population can be reached in one day by truck
- More than 78% of the U.S. population can be reached within two days by roadway
- More than 100 million people live within overnight delivery capability
- More than 105 million people live within a 500-mile radius and 221 million people live within 1,000 miles radius of the region’s center
- Affordable wage rates: $7.99 to $19.99 per hour
- Non-union environment with only 6% private union membership
- BC CAL KAL Port of Battle Creek — Foreign-Trade Zone 43
- More than 220,000 college and university students within a 75-mile radius
Top Regional Employers
| Logistics | Sector | Location |
|---|---|---|
| KAZOO, Inc. | Professional Garments | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Kenco Logistic Services | Multi-client | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Kendall Electric | Electrical | Portage, MI |
| Imperial Beverage | Food & Beverage Distribution | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Seneca Medical Supply | Medical | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Target Corporation | Retail | Galesburg, MI |
| Wal-Mart | Retail | Coldwater, MI |
Average Wage by Occupation
| Occupation | Mean Hourly Wages |
|---|---|
| Truck Transportation | $21.44 |
| Support Activities for Transportation | $13.08 |
| Warehousing & Storage | $18.07 |
| Maintenance & Repair Workers, General | $17.72 |
| Transportation, Storage & Distribution Managers | $34.33 |
| Switchboard Operators, including Answering Service | $12.31 |
| Office & Administrative Support | $14.92 |
Source: Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget, 2010-2011