Why “Y’all” Should Consider An Atlanta Distribution Center

When it comes to fast and cost-effective fulfillment, there are numerous reasons why Atlanta, Georgia should be on your mind.  

Home to nearly 6 million people, it’s the country’s ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area, not to mention the Southeast’s leading commercial and logistics hub.

Want to know more?   Here are 10 fun facts collected from the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and other notable experts about why an Atlanta distribution center could be a smart choice for you.

1. Widespread national fulfillment possibilities. Your company can reach up 80% of the continental U.S. population via truck within two days from Atlanta’s Gwinnett County (which includes towns like Lawrenceville, Duluth and Norcross). As a result, it’s an ideal candidate for companies with single-warehouse budgets and national warehouse needs.   
2. Sky-high transportation advantages. Atlanta is also just a two-hour flight away from 80% of the country, which means it’s possible to offer many customers same-day premium delivery from an Atlanta distribution center.
3. Impressive eCommerce and transportation neighbors. In addition to being one of the finalists for Amazon’s second headquarters, Atlanta is home to UPS’s global headquarters, a Fed Ex SmartPost hub, and consulting/software leaders like Manhattan Associates, Mailchimp, and SMC3.  Many other notable eTailers and logistics companies also have headquarters or a significant supply chain presence here, including Home Depot, Wal-Mart and ThredUp.
4. High marks for business friendliness. Area Development has named Georgia the #1 state for doing business for four years in a row. In addition, Site Selection has ranked it the #1 state for business climate for five years running.  And CNBC has named it the #1 state for economy. 
5. Proven land transportation reliability. Georgia’s high-performing highway network carries more than $620 billion worth of cargo each year, thanks to six interstates and 20,000-plus interstate and highway miles; and many distribution centers in Atlanta are located right along I-85, making it easy to get goods on the road and into customers’ hands fast.  The state is also the region’s undeniable rail hub, with 4,680 miles of track and the largest intermodal rail facility east of the Mississippi River.
6. Extensive air cargo capacity. Atlanta handles more than 625,000 metric tons of air cargo annually thanks to its massive Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (the world’s busiest) which features three cargo complexes (2 million square feet of warehousing) and a 250-acre foreign trade zone.
7. Zone home. Speaking of foreign trade zones, Georgia is home to nine general purpose ones, a fact that bodes well if your company imports any of its goods and wishes to reduce delays, defer duties, or (in some cases) eliminate tariffs altogether.  
8. A substantial supply of industrial real estate. With nearly 600 million square feet of industrial building inventory and an additional 16.5 million square feet under construction, Atlanta is one of the country’s largest industrial real estate markets. However, its warehousing vacancy rates there are declining, causing average rents per square foot to rise above the $4 mark for the first time since 2004, according to a report from Cushman & Wakefield. As a result, one strategy to find space in this fast-growing Southeastern distribution market real estate market may be to contract with one of the many third-party fulfillment warehousing companies that already operate there.
9. Superior regional and global access. The major Southeast eCommerce markets of Nashville (Tennessee), Charlotte (North Carolina), and Birmingham (Alabama) are located within a few hours’ drive of Atlanta, as is the high-volume Port of Savannah. Atlanta is also less than a day’s drive from many Midwestern and East Coast cities, including Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and St. Louis.
10. A highly experienced logistics workforce.Georgia is now the fifth-largest logistics employer in the nation, with more than 150,000 qualified supply chain and fulfillment personnel actively working in the profession.

P.S.  Rather than lease space directly in Atlanta, many companies choose to outsource fulfillment to a third party logistics company. Staci Americas Logistics, which specializes in direct-to-consumer fulfillment services, operates three Atlanta distribution centers.  So should you decide that it makes sense to have an Atlanta warehouse but don’t have the budget or bandwidth to operate your own facility, Staci Americas can give you access to choice distribution space fast, with none of the capital expense or workforce management headaches.  We offer a wide range of services designed to improve fulfillment services and reduce parcel costs.