Last year, Norfolk Southern worked with 77 businesses that opened new or expanded facilities on its rail lines, supporting the economic growth of communities across the company’s eastern U.S. network.
Norfolk Southern customers across 16 states invested $1.9 billion to develop 54 new and 23 expanded rail-served commercial projects. The industrial development is expected to create more than 1,160 customer jobs. The investment will generate more than 62,300 carloads of new rail traffic annually for Norfolk Southern.
“Industrial development activity in 2019 reflected modest, but steady, growth across our service area,” said Chris Ingraham, assistant vice president industrial development. “We saw a balanced mix of projects across our business markets, including chemicals, agriculture, metals and construction, and forest and consumer products. Going into 2020, we’re encouraged as project activity remains steady and productive.”
Among the largest development projects were a fertilizer facility in Aurora, NC; a butane export plant in Chesapeake, VA; a tissue manufacturing plant in Macon, GA; an asphalt facility in Chickasaw, AL; and an auto frame warehouse in Maumee, OH.
Norfolk Southern works with customers and state and local economic development leaders to identify suitable rail-served sites and develop infrastructure connecting industrial development projects to its rail network. The railroad’s Industrial Development Department provides facility-location services, including industrial park planning, site layout, track design, and supply-chain analysis.
During the past 10 years, Norfolk Southern has participated in the location or expansion of 974 industrial facilities that represent private investment of nearly $62 billion creating more than 41,800 customer jobs across its service territory.
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