showing of West Memphis was suggested to the group.

By John Rech

news@theeveningtimes.com

E-Commerce and logistics business representatives met with West Memphis Economic Development Director Ward Wimbish at city hall last Tuesday. Wimbish met with the group, which traveled from Shenzhen region of Southeast China to make the visit.

That city of 10.6 million people is located in the Guangdong Province of China, north of Hong Kong, in a Special Economic Zone.

“The general director of the logistics association puts on a conference every year,” said Wimbish. “He has been to Arkansas several times over the last six years. They’ve been to the University of Arkansas today about establishing a pilot school for logistics and are coming here to meet with us. There is tremendous interest there in doing business in the ‘Walmart state.’” The Chinese showed interest in containing distribution expenses and a

showing of West Memphis was suggested to the group.

“In the US we spend about eight percent of our operating costs moving and handling products,” said Wimbish, “but, in China it is closer to 20 percent.”

Wimbish made the most of the opportunity pointing out the competitive advantages of basing fulfillment centers in the city’s business park. The economic development office regularly markets the Wonder City in China. Wimbish said he annually travels to the same region there. But with this being the initial meeting with the group of eight, they held their cards close tot he vest.

“This group is particularly interested in e-commerce,” said Wimbish. “They have been closed mouth about what they specifically want to do, but e-commerce means fulfillment centers.

So our message has always been that America does not stop at California. If you are want to control your operating costs or you want to do business with Walmart, you need to set up business in West Memphis because we are the center of logistics and distribution in the nation.”

Wimbish greeted the group in Chinese and showed a video done in Chinese that highlighted the interstate, the intermodal yard, and the city port. Freight and trucking companies were featured as well. The video was followed by a power point presentation, much of which was also in Chinese.

Wimbish employed two Chinese interpreters from the Confucius Institute in Memphis to facilitate questions and answers.

The logistics experts heard that 75 percent of the nation can be reached within two days trucking time from the city. Wimbish touted year round access to city’s deep water port, the Interstate interchange, and the FedEx world hub increasing speed to market while reducing costs.

Lower overall operating costs were demonstrated including low rates for city utilities and the potential for tax abatements.

The presentation was done in twenty minutes but the Chinese showed more than polite interest by asking detailed business and West Memphis related questions for more than ninety minutes. The meeting concluded with the Chinese tradition of exchanging gifts and a group photo.

Everybody was all smiles.