President and CEO of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council

Jim Flanagan is president and CEO of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council in Hernando, Miss.  The council, comprised largely of local business interests, was formed in 1978 to unify efforts to bring economic development to the county.  Flanagan has led the council for approximately 22 years.

Question:

As part of its Crescent Corridor improvements, Norfolk Southern plans to construct a $112 million regional intermodal freight facility just across the state line in Tennessee near Memphis.  What benefits do you expect residents and businesses in DeSoto and surrounding counties in Mississippi to derive from this facility?

Answer:

From a business recruitment standpoint, it increases our opportunities to attract logistics companies and businesses in the supply chain management sector. This intermodal facility, along with improvements being made to the corridor, will give them much better access to Northeast markets and allow them to transport their goods more efficiently and in a much more cost-effective manner.

There also are potential environmental benefits. For example, we carefully monitor air quality here because we’re next door to a metropolitan area. Presently, we comply with federal regulations for ozone, but with new EPA standards coming out it appears that we could be classified as non-attainment real soon. So anything we can do to promote converting truck freight to rail and lessen highway traffic congestion bodes well for the overall air quality situation. I think that could be a big savings for us. Also, from a highway maintenance standpoint, taking some trucks off the road and putting containers on rail cars is a very efficient way to move goods and also lessens some of the maintenance costs on our interstate systems.

Question:

What kind of impact will Norfolk Southern’s intermodal facility have on job creation in Mississippi?

Answer:

As logistics companies look at this entire Memphis region they’re impressed with the five Class 1 railroads and intermodal yards that have resulted, and Norfolk Southern is an integral part of that game plan. Last year, we recruited 10 new companies to the area and had 12 industrial expansions from the manufacturing and distribution side. Many of our distribution centers are related to either electronic components or consumer goods, and our manufacturing is very well diversified, with everything from plastics and structural metals to food seasonings, hospitality soaps, and auto after-market products. We are confident that Norfolk Southern’s new intermodal facility will serve as an additional jobs magnet for us, especially in the eastern side of the county. The investment Norfolk Southern is putting into this intermodal yard is pretty remarkable. Again, it just serves as an excellent recruitment tool for us.