Quonset Business Park offers site-ready land and logistics

By Eric Moffett, Seaview Transportation Co. and RailroadThe past ten years have seen a dramatic shift in the way goods are moved, transloaded, stored, and delivered. E-commerce options, vertically integrated logistics solutions and a complete connectivity across all modes of transportation has become paramount in developing a successful supply chain. Many of the traditional ways of doing business are no longer adequate to meet the challenges of the connected, global marketplace and transportation companies must embrace these new ideas, lower costs, and simplify the shipping process if they want to attract new clients and keep old ones. When I purchased Rhode Island's only locally based, short line railroad, the Seaview Transportation Company, in 2012, I saw in the railroad - and the area it served - a tremendous opportunity for growth and development. By reinventing Seaview Transportation through the incorporation of these new approaches to transportation and business logistics, I knew it could become an essential, asset-based resource to attract and retain regional and global shipping opportunities within the Southern New England marketplace. As 2013 gets underway, Seaview Transportation and Quonset Business Park are well positioned to meet the modern needs of a global logistics world. The Seaview serves the largest logistics center in New England - the Quonset Business Park and Port of Davisville - an industry-oriented, 3,207-acre facility on Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. Quonset is now home to more than 175 companies, employing approximately 9,100 people in full-time and part-time jobs across several industries. In the past, Seaview's traditional operations focused on providing strong customer service while keeping rail cars moving as quickly as possible. The challenge was to elevate the Seaview beyond a mere rail switching service to become a one call, one contact, rail-centric development and logistics solutions for businesses looking to anchor their operations in the Northeast marketplace. We have made great strides in this endeavor, and our efforts to modernize Seaview were made easier by the dynamic and expanding facility we serve. Quonset Business Park has a full scope of logistics solutions embedded into its 1,400 developable acres. It offers rail terminals, warehouse and distribution services, and a state-of-the-art port with more than 4,500 linear feet of berthing space and 46 acres of laydown area. We also benefit by being able to draw upon a highly skilled workforce that is available for new and growing businesses, backed by an extensive selection of state-sponsored workforce development programs that can assist in recruiting and training employees to enhance your competitiveness. Seaview's strength rests in its ability to work closely with the Quonset Development Corp. (QDC) and the on-site third party logistics providers. Together, we combine all of the features offered in the campus - logistics solutions, transportation options, and build-to-suit parcels - into an integrated and personalized package that works to the benefit of the customer. Our team is focused on rail-centric port and terminal infrastructure, industrial and intermodal development, and logistics. Through the QDC's experience in public/private partnerships and an innovative "site readiness" program that streamlines the permitting and building process, we are uniquely well-equipped to help develop or re-develop facilities for clients looking for the advantages of a logistics park. At the Port of Davisville we are actively pursuing the development of project cargo and containerized shipping. Especially with containerized shipments, the port's strategic location, competitive pricing, extensive resources, and excellent connectivity provide shipping companies with a hassle-free alternative to the larger Northeast ports for overseas as well as short sea shipping. Recent investments by the QDC in the piers, lay-down areas, on-dock cranes, and container handlers can help us meet the time-sensitive and commodity-specific cargo handling challenges posed by today's global shipping industry. Site development is more than just a building and land, it is getting your product to market. Our relationships with ocean carriers, railroads, trucking companies, shippers and 3PL's is unequaled. Reinventing any business, especially one that has operated the same way successfully for over 30 years is never a quick or easy process. However, because of the strengths of the Seaview's location, partners, and services, it is proving to be exception. By supporting economic development at the Quonset Business Park through comprehensive, targeted logistical solutions for local, regional, or global business, the Seaview is ideally positioned to help you locate your operations in the demanding Northeast marketplace. Eric Moffett is the president of the Seaview Transportation Company and Railroad, North Kingstown, R.I.