OneVoice DSM Podcast: Des Moines Industrial Transload Facility

The OneVoice DSM “Major Projects” podcast series highlights the major projects and initiatives happening in Greater Des Moines (DSM), as well as the key players and Partnership Investors making these projects happen.

In the latest episode, Greater Des Moines Partnership Chief Operations Officer Tiffany Tauscheck discusses the
Des Moines Industrial Transload Facility  with John Wahlert, logistics supply team manager at Bridgestone Americas, and Todd Ashby, executive director of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The facility, which is located at 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy, is years in the making and has involved significant collaboration between many DSM organizations. More than $13 million was raised in public funds in order to fund the project.

Project Progress

The transload facility brings freight, by truck or rail, to a central point, where it’s broken up into truckloads and distributed from that point. Local companies needing to send product to other parts of the country can also send goods to the transload facility, receiving significant savings. Construction has begun on the site and work is being done on the warehouse building now. The project is expected to be mostly completed at the end of this year, with the facility planned to be fully operational by early 2022.  

Wahlert discussed the efficiencies of the facility through larger shipments on rail, bringing big economic benefit to companies in the region as well as those looking to locate here. Ashby said that public funding, like the DOT, who provided a $1.7 million ten-year  loan with zero percent interest, along with an $11.2 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration and private industry (Des Moines Industrial), worked together to make the project happen, reiterating the importance of public-private partnerships in continuing economic growth in the region.   

Over the course of 10 years, the need for a transload facility in Iowa became clear. Wahlert said that having three class one railroads and one class two railroad that converges on this site helped make it the perfect location. Ashby touched on the cost advantage to the region in utilizing the facility, while Wahlert said there is also a reduction of carbon emissions when you ship by rail versus delivering by truck.  

Listen to the entire podcast above to learn more.  

Throughout Greater Des Moines’ (DSM’s) 10-county region, a thriving economic environment is attracting more Investors to do business. Learn more about other recent development projects in the region.