Today we take a look back at an outstanding project that broke ground during Economic Development Week 2019 resulting in Rocky Mountain Rail & Storage becoming the first “transload” facility in the Grand Junction, CO area.
Through the Grand Junction Area Chamber’s Business Retention & Expansion efforts, we identified a growing need in the business community for a solution to a logistics problem facing many area manufacturers and other businesses. With a need to simplify getting larger shipments to our businesses doorsteps, a transload facility became the clear solution. Although there were many sleepless nights on our part and the part of the Girardi family, who took the leap to open such a facility in May of 2019.
Today the business is a great success. The facility is currently serving 15- 20 business customers and averaging between 30 – 50 rail cars in and out of their track per month. Many weeks see the entire capacity of the spur bursting with rail cars.
Local and regional businesses, especially in the fuel and lumber industries, have indicated the facility is saving them thousands of dollars in shipping costs. These costs are a huge challenge for companies operating in rural environments such as ours, but may not be the biggest reason this facility has helped them. The time it takes for goods to get to Grand Junction from larger areas such as Salt Lake City and Denver is sometimes an even bigger hurdle to overcome. It can take additional weeks after arriving at similar facilities in these larger cities for needed products to make its way to our community. Customers can now have products sent directly to Rocky Mountain Rail & Storage, reducing the loss of valuable time seen from their typical deliveries and as we all know, time is money.
Needless to say, the business is thriving and big plans are on the horizon for additional expansion. Ashlee Girardi, the Manager of Operations for Rocky Mountain Rail & Storage states, “Future plans for us are very big and exciting, we are looking at closing in on a new facility which will give us the opportunity to sign about five new big customers.” Ashlee goes on to say, “we appreciate all of your help and all of the doors you have helped us open.”
This facility and the positive impact it is having on our local business community is why we do what we do each and every day as Economic
Developers.
