Investment in key North American logistics hub to support Korean firms' US expansion

Center enables two-day delivery across the continental United States

The CJ Logistics distribution center in Elwood, Illinois, near Chicago, in which Korea Ocean Business Corp. invested, has begun full operations. [Korea Ocean Business Corp.]
The CJ Logistics distribution center in Elwood, Illinois, near Chicago, in which Korea Ocean Business Corp. invested, has begun full operations. [Korea Ocean Business Corp.]

Korea Ocean Business Corp. said Wednesday that a CJ Logistics distribution center in Elwood, Illinois, near Chicago — developed through a joint investment with the state-run maritime agency — has begun full operations.

"This investment is significant in that it secures logistics infrastructure allowing Korean companies to store and deliver products locally in the United States, supporting their overseas business operations," a Korea Ocean Business Corp. official said.

The Elwood distribution center was developed on a previously undeveloped site that CJ Logistics already owned, through a joint investment with Korea Ocean Business Corp. The facility sits on a total land area of about 295,389 square meters, with a gross floor area of about 102,775 square meters — equivalent to roughly 14 soccer fields. It features 130 loading docks capable of handling large volumes of cargo simultaneously and a clear ceiling height of 12 meters, giving it high-capacity logistics processing capabilities.

The center's greatest strength lies in its accessibility and strategic location. Elwood is situated about 72 kilometers southwest of downtown Chicago, adjacent to CenterPoint Intermodal Center — the largest inland logistics hub in the United States — at a distance of just 5.5 kilometers. Connected to rail and road networks linking major ports on the US West Coast and in Mexico, the facility can deliver anywhere in the continental United States within two days.

The center can also rapidly move Asia-origin imports arriving at West Coast ports across the country via the rail networks of major carriers including BNSF and Union Pacific. The area is home to distribution hubs for major US retailers such as Walmart, Target and Home Depot, and logistics demand there has been consistently growing, driven by e-commerce and retail activity.

The facility has also earned LEED Silver certification, a US green building standard, positioning it as modern infrastructure that meets environmental, social and governance criteria.

Korea Ocean Business Corp. said it plans to actively support CJ Logistics' efforts to have the center designated as a Foreign Trade Zone in the United States. The move is expected to help Korean companies reduce tariffs and maximize logistics efficiency, while further strengthening their supply chain competitiveness in the North American market.


alsgp9737@heraldcorp.com