News

Inland Port Discussed by Wright School of Business

07/12/17

While many in Northwest Georgia have now heard about the inland port in Murray County, the full impact of the Appalachian Regional Port may not yet be understood. That’s the focus of a recent special edition of Dalton State’s Wright School of Business’ Business Analytics, a semi-annual publication from the Center for Economic Research and Entrepreneurship.

“We wanted to put together a series of articles about the inland port from our professors that explore the full impact the port could have on the communities in Northwest Georgia,” said Dr. Garen Evans, an assistant professor of economics and the editor of Business Analytics.

Dr. Marilyn Helms, professor of supply chain management and sesquicentennial chair, interviewed John Trent from the Georgia Ports Authority.

“I think it provides some important insights about the facility,” Evans said. “It will have a rail and truck components, is projected to reduce truck traffic in Georgia, and it should reduce transportation costs overall. Anything that makes trade easier should have an overall positive economic impact for the region.”

This issue also explores how the inland port affects small businesses in a positive way, allowing smaller mom-and-pop businesses to expand. Other articles address cargo containers, as well as how some sectors of the local economy have recovered from the recession faster than others.

Contributors are faculty in the School of Business, as well as alumni and current students. Each issue explores recent business trends in the Northwest Georgia region. The Wright School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a designation earned by less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools.