Foreign Trade Zone 31 Establishes New Operator Agreement in Nashville, IL

America’s Central Port, Grantee of Foreign Trade Zone 31 (FTZ 31) and NOTS Logistics have been working together to bring another “value-added” benefit to companies in the Nashville, IL area.

Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc., a long-time customer of NOTS Logistics, was approved for FTZ designation and activation at their Nashville, IL distribution warehouse as FTZ 31’s newest Operator on February 14, 2020. Toyo Tire complimented the work of NOTS Logistics and FTZ 31 staff for making the approval process quick and easy.

Foreign trade zones are federally designated areas within the United States that are considered “outside the US territory” that were created to encourage foreign commerce and help the US economy by allowing companies to source component products from around the world at competitive prices to keep value-added activities, such as manufacturing, within the United States.

NOTS Logistics, a customized supply-chain solutions company located in Nashville, IL, offers their customers an array of services from leasing warehouse space to warehouse management and staffing to transportation management. “FTZ designation is another incentive we can offer to strengthen our partnership with our customers,” says Kevin Brink, NOTS Logistics’ Vice President of Business Development.

With the expansion of FTZ 31’s Service Area in 2018, companies located within the 12-county area in Southwestern Illinois can receive FTZ designation in as little as 30 days. “This is the first activation, of which I hope to be many, in our expanded Service Area. Helping companies to successfully grow their global competitiveness in Southwestern Illinois is the mission of FTZ 31,” said Robbie Williams, FTZ 31 Administrator. “I have to thank the Foreign Trade Zones Board staff and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol – St. Louis District for their cooperation and responsiveness in finalizing this new site,” said Williams.

“We are already seeing the positive effects of Toyo becoming an FTZ Operator,” said Brink. “We have begun receiving more shipments and have already had to hire additional people to handle the additional product.”

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Additional Information:

Foreign Trade Zone 31

America's Central Port, Grantee of FTZ 31, facilitates zone administration as a public benefit to manufacturers and distribution centers. Operating under the Alternative Site Framework for Foreign Trade Zones, companies located within our service area can be designated as an FTZ site within 30 days after filing the application. 

Businesses importing products to store, assemble, manufacture, mix, use, test, or display can realize significant savings by taking advantage of any one or more of the benefits of operating within a Foreign Trade Zone.

Duty Deferral

When importing product into the U.S., a duty may be assessed on the product. FTZs allow businesses to defer this duty until the product is removed from the Zone and enters the U.S. commerce.

Duty Reduction

When importing parts for manufacturing or assembly in an FTZ, duties may be reduced, or inverted, to the rate of the final product, reducing the cost on the imported part.

Duty Elimination

When goods are admitted to an FTZ and are exported to another country, the duty on the imported product is eliminated entirely.

Foreign Trade Zone 31 (FTZ 31) encompasses a 12-county Service Area in Southwest Illinois. This service area includes Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Randolph, St. Clair, and Washington Counties.

Within the Service Area, there are three Magnet Site locations. Magnet Sites are pre-designated sites located at existing industrial and distribution facilities whose transportation infrastructure, building space and available land are well established, giving businesses built-in flexibility for their operations.

America’s Central Port The Port provides multi-modal transportation, with access to six Class-I railroads, two Mississippi River harbors, and easy access to four major interstate highways. Warehouse, office space, and multiple development-ready sites are available for lease. This site also offers a public warehouse with FTZ-activated space for storing imported merchandise. 

Gateway Commerce Center This 2,200+ acre warehouse and distribution park offers build-to-suit and land sale options, with immediate access to four major interstate highways. Located on site are third-party logistics and trucking companies providing shipping and supply-chain options. 

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport

The airport offers over 2,500 acres of air cargo facility development and hosts state-of-the-art cargo support facilities for international and domestic customers, with easy access to four major interstate highways, as well as being a commercial passenger airport. 

For more information about Foreign Trade Zone No. 31, or to discuss how foreign trade zone benefits may be able to help your company, please contact Ms. Robbie Williams at (618) 452-8440 or via email at rwilliams@americascentralport.com.

NOTS Logistics | North Nashville, IL Industrial Park and Warehouse Complex

With over 750 acres of combined developed / available warehouse, industrial, and retail investment space, the North Nashville, IL Complex offers transportation, labor providers, and supply chain logistical services. The North Nashville, IL Complex supports existing large manufactures and a growing industrial presence. Located directly on a major Interstate and with close proximity to others, the North Nashville, IL Complex is strategically placed to positively impact economic growth and development in the Metro East / Southern Illinois area.

For more information about NOTS Logistics, or to discover how NOTS Logistics can help your business grow, contact Kevin Brink, Vice President Business Development, at (800) 642-5436 ext. 316 or via email at kevinb@notslogistics.com or visit our website at www.notslogistics.com.

Hospitality Emergency Grants Available: Applications Due April 1st, 2020

To help hospitality businesses make ends meet in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, DCEO is launching the Hospitality Emergency Grant Program with $14 million drawn from funds originally budgeted for job training, tourism promotion, and other purposes. Grant funds are available to support working capital like payroll and rent, as well as job training, retraining, and technology to support shifts in operations, like increased pick-up and delivery. Bars and restaurants that generated between $500K and $1M in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $25,000, and bars and restaurants that generated less than $500K in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $10,000.  Hotels that generated less than $8M in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $50,000.

Who is eligible?

Bars and restaurants with a valid license to serve food or liquor and who generated revenues of less than $1 million in 2019. Hotels with a valid license (hotels, motels other lodging establishments) and who generated revenues of less than $8 million in 2019.

What can grant funds be used for?

For bars and restaurants, based on the businesses needs identified in the grant application, funds can be used to support working capital (rent, payroll, and other accounts payable), job training (such as new practices related to take out, delivery and sanitation) and technology enabling new operations as well as other costs to implement that technology. For hotels, funds can be used as working capital to support the retention of employees.

How do businesses apply?

Businesses can submit an application online here: Landing Page, English Application, Spanish Application. Applications for awards will be accepted until 5:00pm on April 1st, and winners will be chosen via a lottery, therefore, there is no benefit to submitting an application first as long as a valid, complete application is received by the deadline.

Applications for awards will be accepted until 5:00pm on April 1st, 2020.

How much money is available?

$14 million is available under this program.

• Bars and restaurants that generated less than $500,000 in annual revenue last year will be eligible for up to $10,000.

• Bars and restaurants that generated between $500,000 and $1M in annual revenue last year will be eligible for up to $25,000.

• Hotels that generated less than $8 million in annual revenue last year will be eligible for up to $50,000.

How soon will businesses receive funds?

Accion will notify businesses on April 4th if they have received an award. Accion and DCEO are striving to make funds available to awarded businesses within two days of receiving the necessary bank information from an awarded grantee.

Information on other programs for Illinois small businesses launched under the leadership of Governor JB Pritzker and DCEO can be found on the DCEO website here. 

Granite City Harbor Update To Be First IDOT Project Completed Under New Competitive Freight Program

Federally funded, the Illinois Competitive Freight Grant Program marks the first time in Illinois' history that funds have been specifically designated for freight projects.

This IDOT program, which required a 10-20% funding match on the part of the awardee, has awarded a total of $245 million in grants for 23 projects in program years 2018-2022. These projects include roadway reconstruction, grade separation, intermodal infrastructure, port improvements, technology deployment, truck parking, and interchange construction.

As the first project slated to finish construction in the state of Illinois, IDOT’s work to revitalize the Granite City Harbor general cargo dock at America’s Central Port is a testament to Illinois’ commitment to infrastructure and the beginning of many projects slated for the next six years.

Awarded $1,092,130 with a $275,000 match on the part of America’s Central Port, this project will increase last-mile efficiency, reduce freight truck bottlenecks within the Port and enhance the intermodal connectivity of the Granite City Harbor. The projected impact will increase daily freight traffic by 60%, where an estimated 1.5 additional barges will be loaded each day, removing 31,500 long-haul trucks from the road each year.

As a result of this much needed improvement to the dock surface and rail tracks, SCF Lewis and Clark Terminals, the barge and harbor operator at America’s Central Port, is making significant additional investments.

“We are excited to announce the purchase of a state of the art Sennebogen hydraulic crane that will vastly improve loading times of trucks and rail cars. In addition SCF Lewis and Clark Terminals LLC has approved the upgrade to the conveying system currently used to load trucks and railcars with a larger and faster conveying system. Together, America’s Central Port and SCF are looking to the future to serve the needs of our customers with better and more reliable services.”

- Brice Power, General Manager

SCF Lewis and Clark Terminals, LLC

America’s Central Port is strategically located in the heart of the U.S. on the Mississippi River, adjacent to an excellent freight highway system, with access to six of the North American Class-I Railroads. The Port’s Granite City Harbor is the proven hub within this unparalleled transportation network which helps facilitate the movement of over $1 billion dollars’ worth of freight annually.

This project awarded by IDOT consists of upgrading the general cargo dock, which plays an integral role in the overall movement of approximately 3.4 million tons of steel, general cargo and dry bulk fertilizer each year.

The complete scope of this project includes resurfacing the dock with an 18 inch reinforced concrete pavement that will meet the needs of intermodal cargo transfers, as well as enhancing the drainage system where cargo is transferred between barges, rail cars and trucks. In addition, approximately 450-ft of intermodal rail track will be upgraded to a larger rail section and a new crossing surface will be installed along the length of the dock.

These updates are critical to the continued success of America’s Central Port and the role the Southwest Illinois region plays in attracting business through competitive freight and superior logistics, with excellent rail, river, and road access.