Inland Port

“We offer shipping companies
the opportunity
to load the containers
directly onto a train for
breakdown here at
Alliance.“
— Steve Boecking, vice president
of Hillwood Properties
Above: The relocation of FM 156 opens strategic land options immediately adjacent to BNSF Railway’s Alliance Intermodal Facility.
modest recovery seems to be under way, and
we are well-positioned to grow to meet our
customers’ demands.”
One of the most significant
developments at AllianceTexas during the
past year has been the partial relocation of
FM 156, previously located at the end of
the airport’s runway. The relocated FM 156
provides a new arterial for the hub, opening
up new site opportunities for AllianceTexas’
customers. The positive effect of the
relocation is twofold because it will also free
up needed land for the runway’s extension,
which will give FedEx and other airport
customers the ability to fly fully loaded, fully
fueled to Asia on even the hottest day of
the year.
According to Fort Worth Alliance
Airport President Tim Ward, the extension
will usher in a new era for the airport and
will help Hillwood achieve its long-range
vision for the aviation component of
AllianceTexas. “This has been an ongoing
effort for more than 15 years, and there
is still work to be done, but having the
relocation complete is tangible evidence
that we are moving forward and making
real progress,” said Ward. “It’s exciting
to think about how this will benefit our
customers and the region, as a whole.”
To date, the airport has received
approximately $195 million in funding for
the extension, with nearly $100 million
coming from the FAA, and the rest from
numerous public and private partners.
“This is certainly one of the most notable
public/private partnership projects that
the North Texas area has seen through
the years,” added Ward. “It’s taken a longterm
commitment from government at the
federal, state and local levels, which speaks
to the project’s importance to the region.”
With the new FM 156 arterial in place,
Hillwood Properties is now able to develop
additional industrial pad sites, just adjacent
to BNSF Railway’s Alliance Intermodal
Facility, along the new stretch of highway.
Moreover, the new sites will be able to take
advantage of the Alliance Heavy-Load
Container Area, which provides fortified,
private road access for shipments needing
to exceed public road weight restrictions.
One company that has taken
advantage of the configuration is Trans-
Trade, which has seen significant interest
from shippers looking to minimize drayage
costs to their customers. “A key issue for
shipping companies is the cost of breaking
down heavy containers at the point of entry,”
said Hillwood Properties Vice President
Steve Boecking. “Instead of breaking
down the containers at a seaport like
Long Beach, we offer shipping companies
the opportunity to load the containers
directly onto a train for breakdown here at
Alliance. This enables them to efficiently
distribute goods bound for areas beyond
the West Coast, and delay the breakdown
process until the goods are closer to their
The Alliance Global
Logistics Hub provides
unique access to
important transportation
nodes with Intermodal,
Class I rail, airport
and highway options
within minutes.
final destination. In the case of Trans-
Trade, we were able to construct a private
road from the intermodal yard, directly to
their facility, which borders the reroute of
FM 156.”
This kind of master planning has
paid big dividends for Alliance corporate
residents, who are able to reduce their cost
of occupancy without having to sacrifice
the quality of their facilities. “It’s been our
goal, since the inception of the Alliance
project, to provide exceptional value
to our customers,” said Burton. “North
Texas real estate prices are already some of
the most competitive in the nation, but
when you take into consideration the
proximity of rail, air and ground, all in one
location, the Alliance Global Logistics Hub
provides one of the most efficient logistics
centers in the nation. This translates into
real cost savings for our residents, and
is one of the reasons we have one of the
highest retention rates in the business.”
With retention rates high and new
companies taking advantage of what
AllianceTexas has to offer, the hub has grown
to be one of the top three General Purpose
Foreign-Trade Zones in the United States –
a significant accomplishment for an
inland port.
“The net effect is that the Alliance
Global Logistics Hub has become a job center
during a time when jobs have been hard to
come by,” added Burton. “Though we’ve
certainly felt the impact of the recession,
I believe we’ve weathered it well. When
you combine Hillwood’s internal efforts
with the pro-business spirit prevalent
in North Texas, a climate emerges that
is very favorable to the kind of growth
we are experiencing here. And that
combination translates into a big win for
our customers and the people who call our
region home.” n
12 Alliance HTexas
Alliance HTexas 13