At Norfolk Southern, our customers trust us with the responsibility of moving their goods and materials safely and efficiently. Together, we help power the global economy, and we have long-standing partnerships in regions across the U.S. that help us deliver for consumers all over the world. In our Midwest Division, we help transport commodities such as dry bulk, grain, grain products, fertilizer, coal, steel, general cargo, coke products, salt, sands, wood, aluminium, project cargo, scrap, and more. 

“The states that makeup the Midwest Division actually service around 102 million acres of farmland, that’s the same size of an area as Germany, France, and Spain put together,” said Norfolk Southern EVP & Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins.

To do so, we partner with other supply chain carriers like SCF, a company that provides integrated river transportation and logistics services throughout the U.S. and South America. In addition to a large fleet of barges, SCF owns and operates towboats, inland terminals and loading facilities, warehousing, storage and distribution centers, fleeting operations and shipyard and dock services.

“They’re doing the same thing that we’re doing, which is adding value to a supply chain,” continued EVP & Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins.

Like many places, economic development partners in this region have recently doubled down on their efforts to develop and market rail-served industrial sites. Norfolk Southern has been a key partner in that effort, and companies are starting to take notice of the Midwest’s geographic location, particularly those with customers or supply chain links in both the eastern and western regions of the U.S. The Midwest provides an attractive benefit for those industries. For example, instead of developing an “eastern” and “western” plant, they can locate one larger facility in the St. Louis area that can serve both markets.  

St. Louis is a key logistics hub and has access to several Class I and short line railroads, intermodal facilities, port locations and highway corridors. This modal connectivity gives industries the optionality to shift their shipping mode as needed and in response to things like inclement weather or macroeconomic factors. 

The Midwest is critical to Norfolk Southern’s smart, sustainable growth goals, and we are looking forward to furthering opportunities and deepening our partnerships with our growing customer base in this region.