26 American Journal of Transportation American Journal of Transportation ajot.com Our project cargo expertise is the niche we thrive on. We belong to 2 Global Project Cargo Networks that give us access to experts around the world. We can deliver heavy, long, wide and tall machinery and equipment anywhere in the USA and around the world. Project Cargo BALTIMORE IS STILL THE BEST! Ship your OOG and Project Cargo to and from The Port of Baltimore with Thunderbolt Global Logistics 3500 Boston Street Suite 323 Baltimore, MD 21224 Phone: 410-633-2722 [email protected] www.thunderboltglobal.com Break Bulk Heavy Lift Out of Gauge Over-dimensional Over-sized Tradepoint Atlantic – A growing ‘city of logistics’ Tradepoint Atlantic’s city of logistics is growing fast, project by project. By George Lauriat, AJOT (CITY – continued on page 43) Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA) is a mammoth 3,300-acre multi-modal logistics center located in the Port of Baltimore on Sparrows Point, near the entry of the Patapsco River from Chesapeake Bay and ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean. On many levels TPA is a unique place. It is difficult to find a similar space anyplace else on the East Coast or for that matter in North Amer- ica. From a 20,000-foot view looking down on the facility jutting out into the Patapsco River, it is a maze of about 16 million square feet of newly built structures along with a slew of DCs, piers, rail and road connections with more projects ready to be added — such as a new container terminal. Even now with the impressive build out, it’s still hard to realize that a relatively short time ago Sparrows Point wasn’t a mega-logistics center but rather little more than a dream in waiting. Bethle- hem Steel occupied the site and operated one of the world’s largest steel mills on the site before ceas- ing operations in 2012. In 2014 Redwood Holdings took over Sparrows Point and the colossal process of turning the moribund steel mill into a mega-lo- gistics hub began. The Mega-Buildouts: A City of Logistics The problem, or perhaps the better term would be “challenge”, for TPA was given Sparrows Point’s immense inventory of real estate, with marine, rail and highway connectivity, exactly what do you build? And the answer has been a bit of everything which introduces its own set of challenges — as has been said a number of times before, you don’t want to ‘process’ a Lamborghini next to a salt pile. So, while it may look like a random develop- ment from 20,000-foot view, there has been a great deal of strategy behind the complex’s build-out. In a sense, TPA is a ‘City of Logistics’ and like any ‘planned’ modern city there is an infra-structure of retail shops and restaurants. But also in keeping with its mission, specialized logistics links like an onsite railroad [Tradepoint Rail (TPR)] — connecting to main line two Class 1 railroads, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern, along with an industrial road system designed to handle freight which connects to Maryland’s interstate highway system via I-695 (which is partially cut-off until the replacement for the Francis Scott Key Bridge is built). Since TPA opened its door, the development has attracted a wide array of name brand companies to the site, such as Amazon, Under Armour, Floor & Décor, Home Depot, Perdue, McCormick and Company (the world’s largest distributor of spices), Niagara Bottling, RPM, and East Coast Warehouse. In addition, the logistics complex has added highly specialized facilities such as vehicle processing centers (VPC) for brands like BMW, Volkswagen and McLaren (a British maker of luxury autos), as well as a roll-on/roll-off pier to facilitate auto load- ings and discharge, and a paved area dedicated for bulk and breakbulk commodities. TPA New Bulk Conveyance System Almost exactly a year ago on June 4th, 2025, TPA announced a $35 million investment in a state-of-the-art conveyance system to handle bulk Ro/Ro and breakbulk cargo is essential to having a diversified cargo base. The Howard Street Tunnel will hopefully be a tip- ping point for container carriers to consider using the Port of Baltimore. Chicago is a huge market. Baltimore can offer car- riers 48 hours from the time the train leaves Baltimore to arrive in Chicago. New York has con- stant congestion and delays with rail moves.” Shapiro’s not alone with his optimism of the business climate in Baltimore. Mark Anthony Thomas, CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), a nonprofit association “dedicated to fostering the pros- perity of the Baltimore Region,” in an interview with the AJOT, commented, “I think part of what I do have a lot of excite- ment about what is ahead.” In 2022 the GBC merged with Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore—an organization that marketed the region for business investments—and hired Mark Anthony Thomas as its first new head in over twenty years. Thomas said that “…it felt, when I moved here, there are so few examples of bold moves…” But believes the region is now forging ahead and now says, “I do think you have to have the muscle of making efforts happen to really understand the poten- tial of what can happen.” And added, “I want everyone in the world to have awareness around our economy, and have the story they need to be told, for why they should be investing here.” Looking Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities Pete Menzies, president of The Terminal Corporation, a fourth-generation logistics and warehousing company with locations in Baltimore and Jack- sonville, FL, sees opportunity all around the Port of Baltimore. “We’re expanding our roll-on/ roll-off and our oversized cargo handling and storage capabili- ties. We’re backing that up with investment in heavy-lift equip- ment rated to 36,000 pounds. We’ve also converted 30,000 square feet of indoor space to a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), along with six acres of outdoor FTZ, at our Dundalk facility, and we’re working to add more FTZ capacity at our Broening High- way facility, a 545,000-square- foot building right behind the Port of Baltimore,” Menzies said. “That FTZ option should be available soon, and we’re excited to bring it to our custom- ers...the Port handled roughly 50 million tons of cargo in 2025, its second-best year on record, and set new highs for container ship calls along the way. That kind of recovery happens when the people who run a gateway know how to adapt under pressure and get the work done. As we like to (BUSINESS – continued on page 42) (BUSINESS – continued from page 22)
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