Great Bend Post

GREAT BEND -When the news came out last week that Great Bend and Garden City were two finalists to receive a transload facility there was confusion that a competition still existed between the two cities to land the shipping hub.

Great Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO Jan Peters wanted to make it clear that both cities have been awarded the facility from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

“The economic director for Finney County was actually in Great Bend at a conference last week,” said Peters.

“Both of our phones would ring with questions on clarification on this new transload facility. They were under the impression it was one or the other also,” she said.

“I can tell you that both communities are getting it and in my opinion, the hard work now really starts.”

Great Bend representatives will meet with KDOT officials next week to run through a business and marketing plan.

Great Bend has partnered with Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad and Watco Companies to make the city an ideal location for the transload facility.

Great Bend plans for the facility to be built on nearly 18 acres adjacent to the regional airport.

Peters recognizes there will be upgrades and repairs needed to accommodate the shipping hub.

Both Great Bend and Garden City emerged from a group of 111 proposed sites for the transload facility.

Transloading is the process of moving goods from one mode of transportation to another and in this case, from truck to rail and rail to truck.