Logistics tech firm Edray moves headquarters to Charlotte from Atlanta
By Liz O’Connell – Staff Writer, Charlotte Business Journal
A port logistics management platform for international shippers recently moved its corporate headquarters from Atlanta to the Queen City.
Edray’s move in August to an 8,400 square foot office at 1300 S. Mint St. was an easy one, the company says, as Charlotte is home to several leading shipping-industry businesses, including ocean carriers, freight forwarders, and third-party logistics providers and truckers.
Edray’s technology-driven platform provides collaboration between cargo owners, drayage companies, steamship lines, and ports. It helps improve velocity in and out of ports in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
“We chose the thriving Charlotte region for our corporate headquarters due to its solid growth, talented workforce, and the quality of life it offers,” says Reade Kidd, co-founder, and CEO, in a press release. “It’s important that we provide our current and future team with the rewarding and favorable business environment that supports the important work they do improving cargo velocity at ports and terminals and reducing logistics costs for our customers.”
The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance credits the Queen City’s location, infrastructure, and talent to making the region a standout for distribution and logistics operations.
Those operations in Charlotte are growing 66% faster than the national average, according to the Alliance. The projected growth over the next five years is likely to double the national average.
Edray currently has 30 employees working in Charlotte with plans to hire more.
About 70,000 people in the region work directly within the distribution and logistics industry and another 140,000 work in related occupations, according to the Alliance.
Charlotte’s location is prime for the industry, as the region is within a 12-hour drive to 53% of the nation’s population, the Alliance notes. Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the sixth busiest in the country, also provides a vital connection.
