I-26 Mega Site Receives CSX Select Site Designation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CSX today announced that the I-26 Mega Site in Newberry County, S.C. has been designated a CSX Select Site.

Select Sites are properties identified and vetted as capable locations for future manufacturing facilities along the CSX network. These sites can be developed quickly because standard land use issues and comprehensive due diligence items have already been addressed. 

"We are thrilled to add the Newberry site to CSX's Select Site program.  The combination of site readiness and South Carolina's overall economic competitiveness is key to attracting new jobs and investment to the area," said Clark Robertson, assistant vice president, regional development, CSX.  "Its location between Columbia and Greenville-Spartanburg allows new industry to attract its workforce from both local and regional population centers."

CSX introduced the Select Sites program in 2012 to better serve new or existing customers on its network. CSX partnered with The Austin Company, a nationally-known site selection consulting firm, to screen candidate sites and assist communities with the application and certification process.

This location is the second property in South Carolina to receive the Select Site designation.  The I-26 Mega Site is a more than 2,000 acre industrial park located adjacent to both Interstate 26 and the CSX mainline. All utilities are adjacent to the site. Additionally, Newberry County has arranged for larger utility lines to be extended to the property in case a specific industry demands it. 

Newberry County has spent the last two years working through various due diligence studies to receive this designation. "The unified support for seeing this site readied for development is unprecedented," said Jonathan Gemmen, senior location consultant with The Austin Company. "State and regional economic development officials, along with each utility provider came to the table to make this designation possible."

To receive CSX Select Site designation, the location must meet a rigorous list of criteria, including infrastructure and utility availability, environmental reviews, appropriate zoning and entitlement, rail serviceability, proximity to highways or interstates, and other attributes. Once certified, the sites are featured on a new user-friendly web portal that includes press releases, promotional materials and direct marketing to site selection professionals.

Les Hipp, Newberry County Councilman and Economic Development Committee Chairman, said, "We are very excited to offer the I-26 Mega Site with all the infrastructure and attributes that make it a prime location for a major industry. This site provides an opportunity to attract a major industry that will benefit Newberry County, the region and the entire state of South Carolina."

Robertson added, "We thank the Newberry County Economic Development team for their leadership in this endeavor.  Their efforts will undoubtedly provide a strategic advantage to the area when competing for new industrial projects."

To learn more about CSX Select Sites online, visit www.csxselectsites.com

About CSXCSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company.  It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products.  For nearly 190 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation's economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation's population resides.  It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike.  More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX). 

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SOURCE CSX Corporation