Indiana Rail Road and Venture Logistics win prestigious business development award for rail-served warehouse

Indiana Rail Road begins intermodal expansion.

Indiana Rail Road

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) selected the Indiana Rail Road Company (INRD) as the winner of its 2020 Business Development Award, recognizing the INRD for its collaboration with trucking leader Venture Logistics to drive growth in Central Indiana. The annual award recognizes railroads that demonstrate one or more of the following: utilization of the railroad’s unique operating characteristics to deliver value; partnership with other companies or development authorities; and delivering economic success to both the railroad and the community it serves.

The INRD worked in partnership with Venture Logistics to build a 406,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art, rail-served distribution center in Indianapolis. The Venture Rail Warehouse, which features 58 truck docks and 15 indoor rail car spots, is the most modern rail-served facility in the key logistics hub of central Indiana. The INRD and Venture offer seamless transportation products that combine rail, warehousing and trucking service for shippers of a broad range of commodities. These products have proven to be an attractive alternative for shippers distributing product to and from the Midwest, including those facing higher costs and increasing congestion in the Chicago area. In 2017, the warehouse’s first full year of operati on, the INRD handled more than 1,200 carloads into the Venture Rail Warehouse. Through coordinated sales and marketing efforts, the business more than doubled to 2,600 carloads in 2019.

“Our partnership with Venture Logistics has been successful because we have combined the long-haul economics of rail, outstanding warehousing capabilities and the flexibility of truck delivery to offer distribution products that are competitive and attractive to our customers” said Peter Mills, INRD president and chief executive officer. “We continue to jointly market the product across a broad range of commodities, including paper, building products, food and beverages, and industrial products. Our long-term plan calls for a second, 550,000 square-foot facility adjacent to the existing warehouse.”

An Indiana Rail Road news release.

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