National Retail Systems Inc. (NRS), a leading provider of retail logistics services in the United States, broke ground on a 140,000 square-foot container transload and special project distribution facility in Savannah, GA. Scheduled to open for operation in September, the facility will be one of the largest multi-user retail logistics facilities near the Port of Savannah, capable of processing several hundred thousand containers per year.

The Port of Savannah is one of the nation's fastest growing major ports, spurred by container shipment imports from Asia. NRS will develop the facility, located just four miles from the port, as part of its ongoing Gateway Ports Strategy.

"Our Gateway Ports Strategy will extend our national distribution network to every major retail import gateway in the country, adding to the import logistics operations we have established in the New York and Los Angeles areas," said Larry Ravinett, senior vice president of logistics and supply chain solutions. "Savannah is booming. We already have several commitments from national retailers to use the new facility. We are looking at other gateways and will continue to expand to meet our customers' requirements."

NRS already operates the largest distribution campus in the New York area, including several cross-docks, transload facilities, warehouses and a state-of-the-art automated distribution center (DC) that is among the most advanced of its kind in the world. NRS operates multiple facilities in the Los Angeles area, including an automated DC and over 1 million square feet of distribution space within 10 miles from the Port of Long Beach. The new Savannah facility will add to NRS' significant presence in the Southeast with facilities in Greensboro, N.C.; Tampa, Fla.; and Miami.

"Transloading and distribution facilities like the one in Savannah ' that are near the port and can offer a variety of high-speed distribution services - are becoming increasingly important to retailers," Ravinett said.

The Savannah facility, situated on 50 acres of property in a new industrial park being developed by Northpoint Industrial, LLC, is designed to perform high-speed, high-volume container transloading. The 85-foot-wide cross-dock will have 90 doors on each side, including 40,000 square feet of special project warehouse space and a full maintenance and repair shop. NRS will perform a full array of retail logistics services at the facility, including pier drayage, container transload, DC bypass, store delivery, nationwide truckload and special project retail services, such as ticketing, marking and labeling. The new facility will have the same cutting-edge security features and information technology systems covering yard management and import visibility that are installed across the NRS network.

Northpoint Industrial, under the leadership of Principal Manager Wrenn Blalock, has developed more than 8 million square feet of warehouse, distribution and transportation space in the Savannah area. "NRS is the nationwide leader in retail logistics. We couldn't ask for a better client to anchor our new port services development property in Savannah," said Blalock.