Meeting a need for the growing logistics industry in Mobile
Posted On July 12, 2023
With a busy port, plentiful transportation routes and a positive business climate, logistics is a growing sector in Mobile. Philip Burton has a solution to meet its needs.
Burton, our guest in the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” is a commercial developer who saw the vast potential for growth in logistics in the area and started the South Alabama Logistics Park. It’s a place where shipments that come into the busy Port of Mobile can be unpacked from their containers and stored before moving on to their ultimate destinations by truck, rail or air.
“We saw an opportunity in Mobile specifically because of the port that there’s going to be a need for newer, modern facilities in the market,” said Burton, president and CEO of Burton Property Group.
Burton, who was featured in this month’s edition of Business Alabama, says the park currently includes three facilities, with plans for a total of about 12 million square feet of storage and warehouse space. The taller height and concrete construction of the facilities being built at the site are advantages for tenants.
Burton said the Port of Mobile is drawing more and more business because of the cheaper cost of unloading here. Add the presence of two intersecting interstates – I-10 and I-65 – and five Class I railroads and Mobile is uniquely equipped with the infrastructure needed for shipping.
“We’ve got incredible infrastructure that most markets don’t have access to,” Burton said, adding that the supply-chain problems caused during the COVID pandemic have also created a need for more warehouse space.
“Since COVID, we’re seeing a completely tectonic shift in industry,” he said. “They’re looking at opening operations, whether it’s U.S. domestic or closer to the U.S. So lots of stuff happening in Mexico, which is great for Mobile. Or they’re warehousing more product in the U.S. and not being so reliant on just-in-time. So it’s changing a little bit from just-in-time to just-in-case.”
Burton said he works closely with economic development teams from the Mobile Chamber of Commerce and the state to attract new business. It’s not a tough sell, he said, with Alabama’s attractive business climate compared to many states up north or out west.
“We are open for business as a state,” he said, “and that is a really fun solution to be a part of.”