“Automobile Manufacturing Drives the Need to Strengthen Infrastructure in Southeast,” Transportation & Logistics International (Vol. 8, Issue 3A)
In an article published in Transportation & Logistics International, John Kavanaugh discusses the growth of the automotive industry in the Southeast and how that is strengthening the ports and transportation infrastructure.
According to Kavanaugh, improving infrastructure – sea-ports, rail and roads – will only become more important if the anticipated growth in the Southeast’s automotive manufacturing sector continues.
Strengthening and improving infrastructure was critical to the Southeast’s growing automotive industry, and much credit is due to Mercedes Benz for selecting Vance, Alabama as the site for its first manufacturing facility in the United States. This move also spurred a host of foreign car manufacturers to also establish manufacturing plants in the area.
More so, the increase in auto manufacturing in the Southeast has prompted states and public authorities to strengthen the supporting infrastructure, such as ports and inland transportation systems. Kavanaugh affirms that at the 2018 “State of the Port” address, the Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority touted the Port of Brunswick and its success in capitalizing on the region’s nascent automobile industry.
The benefits of strengthening infrastructure will expand far beyond the auto industry, however, as it will enhance logistical efficiencies for all users.
