The Greatest Spectacle in Logistics!

INDIANAPOLIS – The 2011 Indiana Logistics Summit will bring an all-star cast of more than 20 top logistics experts and numerous CEOs to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Oct. 12-13 to talk about some of the greatest spectacles in logistics from around the country. Registration for the summit is now open with an “Early Bird” discount available through Monday, Sept. 19.

Some of the featured speakers for the 2011 Indiana Logistics Summit will include:

Derek J. Leathers, President and Chief Operating Officer of Werner Enterprises
Gary LaGrange, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of New Orleans
Jeff Belskus, President and Chief Executive Officer, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Michael Cline, Commissioner, Indiana Department of Transportation
John Vickerman, President, Vickerman Associates
Rich Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Ports of Indiana
John Grueling, President and Chief Executive Officer, Will County Center for Economic Development (Joliet, IL)
Cathy Langham, President, Langham Logistics
Jim Vena, Senior Vice President, Canadian National Railway
Kevin Walbridge, Executive Vice President-Operations, Republic Services Inc.
Jim Tumulty, Managing Director, Raymond James and Associates Inc.
Rene Circ, National Director of Research, Industrial & Logistics, Grubb & Ellis
Donald Davidson, Official Historian, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Charles “Shorty” Whittington, Past Chairman, American Trucking Association
Suresh Garimella, PhD, Associate Vice President for Engagement, Purdue University

With two days of logistics presentations, networking, special events and exhibits planned for Oct. 12-13 throughout the Indianapolis Motor Speedway grounds, here are a few of the highlights:

• Milestone Celebrations – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Ports of Indiana are both celebrating significant milestones anniversaries this year as Indiana’s port authority turns 50 and the Speedway caps off its Centennial Era. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an American icon and the world’s most famous racecourse, while the Ports of Indiana serves as the state’s maritime shipping connection to the world. The 2011 Summit will commemorate both anniversaries and pay tribute to their history and many accomplishments throughout the years.

• Hall of Fame Museum Reception – A special evening reception will be held inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Hall of Fame Museum as attendees will have the opportunity to network with logistics industry executives while walking through rows of racecars and memorabilia from the world’s most famous race. There will be hors d’oeuvres and beverages, bus tours around the track, visits to the yard of bricks, opportunities for photos inside a racecar and a special presentation by Speedway Historian Donald Davidson.

• Major Clean Energy Announcement about 6th Largest U.S. Truck Fleet – Kevin Walbridge, the executive vice president for Republic Services, which operates the sixth largest truck fleet in the United Sates, will be making a major announcement at the Summit related to clean energy.

• President of the Port of New Orleans – A featured speaker on Day 1 of the Summit will be Gary LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans since 2001. Under LaGrange’s direction, the Port of New Orleans has made major expansions and overcome major adversity, including coming back into operation within two weeks after Hurricane Katrina, the most extensive natural disaster in U.S. history. The Port of New Orleans is at the center of the world’s busiest port complex and it serves a vital role for the Midwest by connecting river barge shipments to international ships at the Gulf of Mexico. One of the foremost leaders in the shipping industry, LaGrange has served as chairman of the National Waterways Conference, the American Association of Port Authorities and the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association, and was named to the United Nations Maritime Hall of Fame and the National Rivers Hall of Fame.

• President of Werner Enterprises – A featured speaker on Day 2 will be Derek J. Leathers, president and chief operating officer of Werner Enterprises, one of the five largest truckload carriers in the United States and a diversified logistics provider throughout North America, Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. Throughout his tenure at Werner, Leathers was responsible for the establishment of Werner’s Mexico operations and lead the launch of Werner Global Logistics. He has worked in the transportation industry for over 20 years and holds a degree in economics from Princeton University. His experience includes advising two U.S. ambassadors to Mexico, serving on the American Trucking Associations’ Cross-Border Advisory Committee for North America, and becoming one of the first foreign members of CANACAR, Mexico’s national trucking association.

• The Intermodal Logistics Development of Will County, Ill. – Will County, Ill., is the site of the largest master-planned inland intermodal port in North America, located on 6,000 acres just 40 miles southwest of Chicago. John Grueling, President and CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development, will be making a presentation about how this project has sparked development for millions of square feet in commercial real estate space, over 10,000 jobs and $2 billion in private investment over the last 10 years.

• The State of Logistics in America - Part II – John Vickerman stole the show at last year’s Indiana Logistics Summit with his dynamic presentation about U.S. logistics and the Panama Canal’s impact on Midwest markets – so much so that he was invited back for 2011 to provide a sequel presentation. Vickerman is president of Vickerman Associates, a firm specializing in the planning and design of port, intermodal and freight logistics facilities. He has worked on major logistics projects throughout the world for more than 30 years, and 67 of the 90 North American deep-water general cargo ports have benefited from Vickerman’s strategic port master planning and development designs.

• Super Bowl Update from Cathy Langham, Langham Logistics – As the Vice Chair of the Indianapolis Super Bowl Committee, Langham Logistics’ President Cathy Langham will provide a first-hand account of the planning and preparations for the upcoming Indianapolis Super Bowl.

For more information visit, www.indianalogistics.com or contact Jody Peacock at (317) 233-6225.