CSX Express
| February 22, 2016 |
| Washburn Switch Business Park Receives CSXSelect Site Designation JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – February 22, 2016 – CSX (Nasdaq: CSX) announced today that the Washburn Switch Business Park in Cleveland County, North Carolina has been designated a CSX Select Site. Select Sites are development-ready properties along the CSX network where standard land use considerations and comprehensive due diligence items have been previously addressed. These properties are well positioned to meet manufacturers’ needs, significantly reducing the time required to construct facilities and ultimately bring products to market. “The fast-growing metropolitan areas of Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina, as well as Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, are all within a 60-mile radius of this site,” said Carl Warren, director of ports and industrial development at CSX. “The Washburn Switch Business Park offers one of the best available rail-served industrial sites in this region.” CSX introduced the Select Site program in 2012 to better serve new and existing customers on its network. CSX partners with The Austin Company, a nationally-known site selection consulting firm, to screen candidate sites and assist communities with the application and certification process. “Over the last four years, Cleveland County and the City of Shelby have taken the right steps to position this property to be ready for rail-served development,” said Jonathan Gemmen, senior location consultant for The Austin Company. “From purchasing the property, to designing and permitting utility extensions, to conducting the necessary environmental studies, these proactive steps send a welcoming message to prospective companies.” In early 2017, North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to open the first leg of the U.S. Highway 74 Bypass around the north side of Shelby. “With an interchange at Washburn Switch Road, the Bypass will provide interstate-quality access just a few hundred yards south of this site,” said Eddie Holbrook of the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners. “With several other industrial facilities in the neighborhood, we’ve known that this community should continue to see growth in the manufacturing sector,” said Kristin Reese, executive director of the Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership (CCEDP), the community’s industry recruitment arm. The Select Site designation was publicly announced today following CCEDP’s board meeting in Shelby, North Carolina. The Washburn Switch Business Park is the third site in North Carolina to be designated a CSX Select Site. 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 www.csxselectsites.com, a web portal that includes additional information, promotional materials and direct marketing to site selection professionals. To learn more about CSX Select Sites, visit www.csxselectsites.com. About CSX CSX, 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). |