Southwest Johnson County EDC has attained BNSF Railway’s Site Certification designation for the New Century AirCenter located in Gardner, Kan.
BNSF’s industrial site certification program supports the railroad’s larger initiative of developing business parks and/or rail-served sites along its network. The program identifies optimal, rail-served sites and conducts in-depth reviews of ten economic development criteria to determine if the site meets BNSF’s stringent readiness standards, which are intended to minimize development risks for customers.
“Attaining this certification will increase marketing opportunities at New Century AirCenter. Reducing risks while offering rail-served companies a customized approach to transportation and property solutions is a game-changer,” said Greg Martinette, president of the Southwest Johnson County EDC.
BNSF Certified Sites are reviewed by an industry expert to ensure accurate, reliable data with the goal of providing an inventory of rail-served sites that are available for immediate development.
Certified sites are a part of BNSF’s Premier Parks, Sites and Transload program, which incorporates a strategic approach to address the increasing demand for customer site locations by developing various types of facilities across BNSF’s network. Businesses looking to locate to any of these properties could save six to nine months of construction time as a result of the analysis.
“This certification increases New Century AirCenter’s ability to speed up the development process while reducing facility construction time and costs. New Century AirCenter is perfectly positioned along BNSF’s network. Having this certification highlights how companies can maximize the efficiencies of locating directly to the supply chain,” said Aaron Otto, executive director of the Johnson County Airport Commission.
In addition to the BNSF Certification, the region is a AEROready™ Certified Site – the first to receive this designation in the state of Kansas.