The Allen Group Addresses Inaugural Texas Transportation Forum

Forum Highlights Texas’ Key Position for Future Trade

DALLAS, Texas (June 9, 2006) — On June 8, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) hosted the inaugural Texas Transportation Forum to discuss future trade and transportation challenges and opportunities. In addition to keynote speeches by Secretary Mineta of the United States Department of Transportation and Texas Governor, Rick Perry; Edward B. Romanov, Jr., President and COO, The Allen Group, outlined his vision for the future in a panel discussion entitled “The Road To Economic Opportunity”.

During the panel, which addressed current and future global trade patterns, trends and economic opportunities, Mr. Romanov addressed how increases in trade volume, container shipments and size of ships are challenging the leading shipping ports such as the port of Los Angeles/Long Beach. He also discussed the need for rail shipping and how solutions like newly developed ports in Mexico and strategically positioned intermodal developments, like The Allen Group’s Dallas Logistics Hub, to efficient goods distribution in the United States.

“As a key trade route Texas is uniquely positioned to ease the current strain on shipping in North America,” said Mr. Romanov. “The Dallas Logistics Hub, along with improvements in infrastructure throughout the NAFTA trade corridor, will help further alleviate that strain, while affording Texas and specifically Dallas/Fort Worth, with unsurpassed economic opportunity, job creation and tax base increases. We believe open dialogue, such as this Forum will help to address these issues and work with colleagues and representatives throughout the state to strengthen Texas’ position as a transportation leader for the foreseeable future.”

More than 1,500 people attended the two-day forum, which was co-sponsored by TxDOT, Texas Road Goods/Transportation Association, Associated General Contractors of Texas and Texas Transportation Institute. Attendees included leaders in the transportation industry as well as important political figures.

The Dallas Logistics Hub is the largest new logistics park in North America, with 6,000 acres of land and the potential for 60 million square feet of vertical development at complete build out. The Hub will help strategically position Dallas, the nation’s fourth largest industrial market, as the number one trade center in the Southwest region and the most integral connector along the NAFTA trade corridor allowing distributors and manufacturers to reach the greatest percentage of U.S. consumers. It will take advantage of I-35, the principle NAFTA trade route through North America.