Hi !

Yuma, AZ - Corridor to the World
Yuma, AZ (population 122,817) has positioned itself as a strategic economic corridor to the global market. As a center that connects businesses, talent, markets and other critical resources, Yuma is a "Global Gateway." Yuma was recently featured on an Economic Development Administration (EDA) telecast as a community successfully implementing a logistics development strategy to build their economy. The telecast focused on how Greater Yuma EDC has formed a regional collaboration to plan and develop their region for global competitiveness. This fall, Yuma is being highlighted on CNN Headline News Pulse on America.

Yuma County is a budding gateway due to its strategic location. They're located at the far southwest corner of Arizona, along the California and Mexico borders. Another asset lending to their success is their plentiful workforce and receptiveness to economic opportunity. Regional partnerships also have been vital in the region's success. They refer to their partnerships, which include 10 to 15 entities across state and country borders, as a mega-region. In today's global community, this type of attitude is a big advantage.

At the time of the telecast, Greater Yuma EDC was working with its partners to expand rail capacity and airport cargo facilities in anticipation of San Luis II commercial port construction. The new port will ease congestion at the traditional west coast ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. It will also increase the trade activity between Sonora, Mexico, where the port is, and Arizona. Yuma is also poised to benefit from the CanaMex corridor, which will increase capacity for truck transportation.

Yuma has taken their resource - their location - and leveraged it to become one of the fastest growing distribution hubs in the country. It is estimated that Yuma serves as the distribution point for 20 million people within a 500 mile radius. In the past two years over 1 million square feet of distribution and warehousing space has been constructed in the county.

What are Yuma's suggestions for becoming a global gateway?
1. Tolerance creates collaboration
2. Vision - don't see yourself in a little box, picture yourself big
3. Move ahead all the time

Do you possess these 3 attributes in your community? What can you do to obtain them?

* If you would like to read more about global gateways across the U.S., see our September Hot Topics at www.boomtowninstitute.com

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