Within Reach.
Without Congestion.

It’s a classic case of too much of a good thing: Greater Chicagoland is one of the nation’s largest consumer markets, home to a $350 billion economy - larger than Switzerland, Taiwan, or the entire State of Michigan. As the freight capital of North America, Chicago boasts more rail lines and interstate highways than any other city in the nation. The trucking industry alone moves nearly $600 billion in goods through this distribution hub every year. And therein lies the problem: this robust distribution hub is jammed beyond capacity. Everyone wants to sell into Chicago, but more and more CPG and food service companies recognize that while it’s great for sales, it’s becoming a costly bottleneck for distribution.
According to Andrew Janson, “It just doesn’t make sense to locate in the metropolis; there are too many factors against it. We identified several locations east of Chicago, and in the final analysis, a state-of-the-art consolidation center in Hobart is the ideal solution: easy access, proximity to Chicago, attractive business climate, and a modern interstate and rail infrastructure for reaching the greatest number of people at the lowest cost.”

The Hanson Chicago Consolidation Center offers deep frozen and refrigerated storage, although the focus is on the company’s Velocities freight consolidation service for pooled truckload deliveries in the Chicago and Central States. The facility is designed from the ground up specifically for consolidation.

Continues Janson, “We’re not following a ‘me- too’ strategy with the facility or the location, so there’s certainly a level of risk involved, but the response is encouraging. The people I speak with are in the market for consolidation, especially when it’s supported by our balanced transportation capabilities. One look at the map and they quickly see the benefits of being at the crossroads of I-80, 94 and 65. You want Chicago? We’re right there. You need easy access to the rest of your Midwest customers? We have that, too.” As Chicago grows, so does the opportunity to serve this hungry market. But unlike the gold rush of the 1890’s, the motto for this golden opportunity is “Go east young man.”


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