The Allen Group and BNSF Railway Announce New Partnership to Develop an Intermodal Logistics Park Near Kansas City

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Allen Group, a major developer of logistics parks and office properties throughout the United States, and the BNSF Railway Company today announced a joint agreement to develop a new logistics park located near Gardner, Kansas, 25 miles southwest of Kansas City.

The two companies will master-plan a 1,000 acre logistics park, adjacent to I-35 and BNSF's Transcontinental mainline. Approximately 350 acres will be designated for a new BNSF Intermodal Facility with the remaining acreage dedicated for warehouse and distribution facilities by The Allen Group.

BNSF Railway, one of the nation's largest freight carriers with extensive experience in the development and operation of rail intermodals, will develop and operate this new state of the art facility. Intermodals serve as hubs for the loading and unloading of shipping containers between truck and rail modes of transportation. The intermodal facility is expected to be operational by late 2008.

"BNSF Railway and The Allen Group have a long term working relationship and we are pleased with the confidence they have demonstrated in our Company," said Richard Allen, CEO of The Allen Group. "We look forward to partnering with BNSF to create a major economic engine for jobs and new development in the region."

"After a national search and review process, we selected The Allen Group for their knowledge, experience and track record in developing these national logistics hubs," said Vann Cunningham, BNSF's Assistant Vice President of Economic Development.

"We are confident that the Kansas City Logistics Hub will be recognized as the heart of the coast to coast rail corridor," said Edward Romanov, President and COO of The Allen Group. "As a result of the increase of trade with the Pacific Rim nations, rail movement and intermodal development has become a vital component in the international supply chain."

The Allen Group is a commercial development firm specializing in rail-served industrial parks and build-to-suit facilities, including Class A office buildings and large scale distribution centers. The Company has over 8,000 acres under development. The Allen Group has developed over one billion dollars in projects ranging in size from 35,000 to 1.7 million square feet. Current developments include the International Trade and Transportation Center (http://www.ittc.com/); MidState 99 Distribution Center (http://www.midstate99.com/), both in Central California; and the Dallas Logistics Hub (http://www.dallaslogisticshub.com/), the largest new logistics park in North America. For more information about The Allen Group, please visit http://www.allengroup.com/.

For more information contact: Jon Cross, The Allen Group, 858-764-6800 jcross@allengroup.com