Seems that those late '90s reports of warehousing's imminent demise were greatly exaggerated. Not only is the industry alive; it's quite healthy, according to a new report by market research firm Armstrong & Associates. The report, "Warehousing in North America – 2007," shows that businesses spent nearly $33 billion on commercial warehousing in the United States in 2006, an increase of 9.7 percent over the previous year. In total, the report's authors estimate, the U.S. commercial warehouse "system" includes 7,900 facilities representing 1.25 billion square feet of space.

Along with statistics, the report includes commentary, trend analysis, and market estimates for both contract and public warehousing. The complete study is available from Armstrong & Associates. It can be purchased by phone at (608) 873-8929, or online at www.3plogistics.com.