With its central location and well-developed transportation infrastructure, the Lehigh Valley has been a hotspot for logistics and distribution companies across the nation who are considering relocating their operations.

Knowing the importance of the supply chain when it comes to site selection, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) will be sending a representative to attend the Logistics Development Forum, which brings together site consultants and economic developers to better understand the role of logistics in the location process.

Lea Glembot

Lea B. Glembot, LVEDC Vice President of Economic Development and Marketing, will attend the event, being held this month in Park City, Utah. It will include educational sessions, one-on-one meetings with industry experts, and extensive networking activities.

“Logistics are an important factor in a corporation’s site selection decision, particularly for new manufacturing distribution or warehousing locations,” Glembot said. “This forum will help LVEDC be even more knowledgeable about this crucial area, and allow us to network directly with the site selectors who will be making those decisions in the future.”

Some of the most prestigious brands in the world have a distribution and logistics facilities in the Lehigh Valley, including Crayola, Nestle Waters, Just Born, Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, and BMW. Last month, Walmart celebrated the opening of its 1.2 million square foot e-commerce fulfillment center, one of two in Bethlehem that will employ nearly 1,000 people in total.

The Logistics Development Forum will touch on such topics as new technologies affecting logistics, the market forces in freight flow, ways public sector involvement can boost private sector results, and how regions can develop a competitive advantage through risk reduction, business continuity, and enhanced recovery.

The event’s agenda includes such topics as “What is Our 2014 Experience Telling Us About the Future?,” “Evolving Supply Chains after West Coast Ports Disputes,” “New Frontiers in Logistics Site Selection,” and “What Drives Logistics Locations: Understanding the Realities.”

Speakers include representatives from such organizations as Foremost Quality Logistics, GLDPartners, Werner Global Logistics, McGuireWoods Consulting, DADCO Consulting, Charles McSwain Consulting, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, and CH2M Hill.

Norfolk Southern is among the event’s sponsors.

The Logistics Development Forum is one of several professional development opportunities LVEDC has participated in within the past year.

Representatives from the organization have also attended the Area Development Consultants Forum, the Data Center World Global Conference, the Industrial Asset Management Council Professional Forum, the FDI Forum, and the national Site Selectors Guild’s 2015 annual conference, among others.