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Industrial Development Briefs: G&W, Fastfrate Group

(Photo Courtesy of G&W via LinkedIn)
A new Georgia Central Railway (GC)-served transload location opens. Also, Fastfrate Group opens a new facility at CentrePort Canada Rail Park.

G&W

On Wednesday, No. 13, the City of Claxton and Evans County, Georgia, along with the Claxton/Evans County Economic Development Authority, held a ribbon cutting and grand opening of their new community transload location, Evans Rail Systems, along with an industrial lead into their 200-acre industrial park, which is now rail-served by Genesee & Wyoming’s (G&W) Georgia Central Railway (GC).

Fastfrate Group

Canadian transportation and supply chain solutions company Fastfrate Group announced Nov. 21 the grand opening of its brand-new, state-of-the-art facility, situated on 25 acres in Rosser, Manitoba. The new location is strategically located within the CentrePort Canada Rail Park, currently in development by Focus Equities Inc.

This milestone, Fastfrate says, marks the completion of a $55-million project, strategically designed to enhance the company’s presence in the Manitoba and Western Canada markets and provide a full range of transportation and logistics services to its clients.

“Fastfrate’s expansion here in CentrePort is exciting, and once again highlights Manitoba as a transportation hub for North America. This strength enables Fastfrate to offer unique and efficient supply chain expertise. We are pleased to celebrate their growth in Manitoba,” said Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mining, Trade, and Job Creation.

Fastfrate Group’s new 114,000-square-foot facility brings together its three key divisions—Fastfrate, ASL Distribution Services, and Precision Parcel & Package Deliveries—under one roof. This co-location, the company says, “streamlines operations, enabling the company to offer a full range of services, including intermodal LTL and FTL, Intra-West Trucking, warehousing, distribution, and final mile parcel deliveries.”

“This grand opening is a significant milestone for Fastfrate Group as we expand our footprint into Manitoba and Western Canada, and elevate our service offerings,” said Fastfrate Group CEO Manny Calandrino. “We’ve been a part of the Winnipeg community for over 50 years, and this new facility will allow us to better meet the growing demands of our customers while creating new opportunities for the local economy.”

With 56 dock doors and extensive cross-docking capabilities, the facility is designed to handle high volumes efficiently, ensuring smooth operations for both domestic and international shipments, Fastfrate noted. The new facility is strategically located to capitalize on road and rail infrastructure and to expand cross-border services with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico corridor. Its proximity to major transportation routes enables Fastfrate to “expedite shipments, tap into new markets, and meet the growing demand for cross-border services, drayage, and eCommerce fulfillment,” according to the company.

The new facility positions Fastfrate Group for continued growth in Manitoba, with plans to expand its workforce as operations scale. The co-location of Fastfrate, ASL Distribution Services, and Precision Parcel & Package Deliveries marks a significant operational milestone, enabling the company to “deliver end-to-end supply chain solutions from one centralized location, enhancing efficiency and service offerings for its customers.”

“This model of integrating multiple service lines under one roof will be a blueprint for future expansion in other regions,” said Fastfrate Group Executive Chairman Ron Tepper. “It’s a transformative step for our business, and we are excited about the positive impact it will have on our clients and the Manitoba community.”

“Today marks an incredible milestone in Rosser as we celebrate Fastfrate Group’s grand opening in the Rail Park,” said Reeve Ken Mulligan, RM of Rosser. “Fastfrate broke ground on this site in 2023, and we are delighted to see this transformational project open and operational less than a year and a half later.”

“The CentrePort Canada Rail Park is critical to the trimodal inland port’s vision and value proposition,” said Carly Edmundson, President and CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc. “Congratulations to Fastfrate Group on their new facilities, and on being the first company to start operations in the Rail Park.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Fastfrate Group to CentrePort Canada Rail Park,” said Chris Reiter, Senior Development Manager for Focus Equities. “Their commitment to enhancing transportation and supply chain solutions aligns perfectly with our vision of making CentrePort Canada Rail Park a leading logistics and intermodal gateway in North America.”