The South's Best Automotive Assembly Plant Sites

Introduction by Mike Randle

We want the biggest of the big automotive players to listen up. You spend millions on the finest site search consultants available in the world for your projects. Good thing. Considering the environmental, labor, incentives, energy, logistical, legal and governmental aspects involved in a billion dollar deal, you should seek out those who have long resumes and experience.

But here at Southern Business & Development, we offer something else than what any consultant who can assist you in your site search decision making process can offer. We know the intangibles. Yeh, we crunch the numbers. But we also crunch the leaves as we walk the dirt of the potential site where your next project may land. We read the local's faces. We read the confidence or lack of exhibited by those that you must deal with in your decision to locate a billion dollar assembly plant on a patch of land in the American South. There is no source available on this planet that knows these intangibles more than SB&D.

There's no question many more automotive assembly plants will be announced in the American South over the next 10 years. We estimate there will be a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 in that time frame. That being the case, hear us out Big Three. Understand our research, foreign automakers. We're here to assist you.

The following are what we believe are the finest sites in the South that can accommodate an automotive original equipment manufacturer. We have ranked them in our favorite order. But that's our opinion. Yours may differ. For example, if your next assembly plant is dead set on Texas, well then, the first Texas site you discover on our list of the South's best automotive assembly plant sites should be the best site for you.

No. 1: Railport Industrial Park - Marion, Arkansas

Looking for ways to lower logistics costs? Then check out Railport Industrial Park in Marion Arkansas. This 2,200-acre privately owned park has a 1,265-acre tract that is clearly the South's best site for an automotive OEM.

Since it is within the Metro Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area, this site is fortunate enough to draw its work force from a population 1.2 million strong. The site is also blessed with an exceptional location-two miles north of Interstate 40 and three miles west of Interstate 55 with great proximity to the planned I-69. Further, it is a greenfield site only used in the past for agriculture and has one owner for ease of acquisition. A Phase One environmental assessment was completed in 2002 with no wetlands identified.

This site's transportation infrastructure helps to make it so outstanding. Two mainline Class 1 railroads are capable of serving the site and three additional Class 1's are available for switching to Eastern U.S. carriers just across the river in Memphis. Union Pacific Railroad mainline and intermodal terminal are adjacent to the northern boundary of the site. Burlington Northern Santa Fe mainline is five miles east of the site. West Memphis Municipal Airport (with its 6,000-foot runway) is two miles south of the site while Memphis International Airport and the FedEx hub are approximately 18 miles away. The Port of West Memphis (deepwater channel port on the Mississippi River) is eight miles south. The rail access combined with interstate access gave this site the lowest inbound and outbound logistics costs for two major auto assembly projects sited in the past year.

The Railport Industrial Park site also benefits from excellent proximity to the automotive corridor along Interstate 65, which means an economic synergy with existing suppliers. In addition, this location is within one-day truck service of 152 major metro markets in the U.S., allowing just-in-time delivery systems to work smoothly.

In terms of work force and training, this site also ranks among the South's best. The metro Memphis-area work force numbers almost 600,000, with an additional 200,000 potential workers within a one-hour drive time of the site. To train this work force, Mid-South Community College is located only three miles from the site. The school is a leader in Arkansas for creating and teaching custom-designed training courses for business and industry.

For more information on the Railport Industrial Park site, contact Kay Brockwell, director of economic development for the City of Marion at (870) 739-5414 or kayb@marionarkansas.com

Acres: 1,265 (additional 1,000 acres adjacent)
Location: Marion, Arkansas (metro Memphis)
Transportation Access: two-lane access road built to interstate strength and state highway (both with interchanges on I-40)
Utilities in Place: water with million-gallon storage tank, sewer with pumping station, electricity
Benefits for Auto Assembly: multi-modal transportation infrastructure, close proximity to auto suppliers and manufacturers along I-65, draws from metro Memphis work force, strong education, training and location incentives

No 2: Como Site - Como, Mississippi

This mega-site was one of the finalist in Toyota's most recent assembly plant site search, a search that ended in San Antonio. If the Como site isn't the best assembly plant site in the South, then at worst it's the second-best. The Como Site features 1,700 privately-owned acres, all under purchase option. In addition, thousands of acres are available adjacent to the site and there are four existing industrial parks within 12 miles. Currently Como is used for agriculture, so there are few trees, making it an easy site to develop. A Phase I environmental assessment has been done and there are no major wetlands on the property. In fact, soil borings have revealed that some of the best dirt in the Southeast can be found on the Como site.

There's no question the Como site is shovel ready. But it's the location and transportation infrastructure that places this site at the top of our list of the best auto assembly plant sites in the South. The site fronts Interstate 55 and in close proximity to the proposed I-69 NAFTA Interstate system. It is also located just 35 minutes southeast of the Memphis International Airport and the world's largest air carrier hub that's located there. Over 1.2 million people live within a 50 mile radius of the site and that includes the Memphis MSA. But being outside the Memphis MSA has its benefits. The site is located outside of any threat of non-attainment of federal air quality standards.

Mississippi's existing legislation authorizes the use of state bond funds for the acquisition, preparation and development of any "Super Project" site. This same legislation authorizes significant funding for training and slashes state tax liabilities for super projects such as an automotive OEM. The best incentive for a long-term automotive project on the Como site doesn't center on short-term incentives. A recent study has shown that Mississippi has the lowest 20-year net operating costs for super projects.

Acres: 1,700 (thousands of available acres adjacent)
Location: Como, Mississippi (near metro Memphis)
Transportation Access: Interstate 55 and highway 51, CNIC mainline railroad that connects to five Class I carriers that reach every major market in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, close to proposed I-69 route
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, gas and electric near site; state has a ready-to-go utility provision plan based on previous recruitment efforts with Toyota
Benefits for Auto Assembly: Mississippi has done this before with the location of Nissan north of Jackson, draws from metro Memphis work force, strong education, training and location incentives, close proximity to auto suppliers and manufacturers along I-65

For more information on the Como Site, contact Sherry Vance (601) 359-3449 or svance@mississippi.org

No. 3: Alamance County Mega Site - Near Burlington, North Carolina

Benefiting from one of the best locations in the South is North Carolina's Alamance County Mega Site. This property is located at a full cloverleaf interchange and is fronted by I-85 and I-40. In total, Interstates 40 and 85 front this site for more than one mile.

This property is also located between the two major metropolitan areas of Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill (the Research Triangle) and Greensboro/Winston Salem/High Point (the Triad). Both airports are within 45 minutes, with virtually the entire distance by interstate. Only 35 miles from Greensboro and 48 miles from Raleigh, this greenfield property includes 1,400 acres that are ideal for automotive assembly.

The western boundary of this site has an overpass, which can be improved to another interchange. In addition, preliminary analysis has been completed for extending more than one-mile extension of rail to serve the site.

Utilities are already located at this site including electricity, municipal water and sewer, natural gas and telephone service. These amenities can also be readily upgraded to accommodate the needs of assembly operation.

With major exposure from the two interstates covering north/south and east/west transport, Alamance County Mega Site is one of North Carolina's premier offerings. And perhaps one of the biggest benefits to the OEM that chooses this great site, North Carolina is ready to join the Southern Automotive Corridor and state leaders are eager to step forward to locate an assembly plant.

For more information on Alamance County Mega Site, contact Sonny Wilburn, president of Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce at (336) 228-1338 or sonnywilburn@alamancechamber.com

Acres: 1,400
Location: Alamance County, North Carolina
Transportation Access: two interstates
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, electricity, natural gas
Benefits for Auto Assembly: located at a full cloverleaf interchange and fronted by I-85 and I-40

No. 4: PruTimber Site - Near Aiken, South Carolina

What does the Masters Golf Tournament have in common with automotive assembly success? They share the same world-class address-the Aiken/Augusta market.

For automotive assembly plants, this community offers the PruTimber Site, which is adjacent to the Sage Mill Industrial Park. The site is located six miles away from Aiken, South Carolina and only 11 miles away from Augusta, Georgia. The Port of Charleston (the largest container port on the East Coast) is a two-and-a-half hour drive as are Atlanta and Charlotte.

PruTimber offers more than 1,500 developable acres not counting the acreage that can be used as buffer. It also claims direct frontage on Interstate 20 along with rail service to the site.

All utilities including fiber optics are adjacent to the site in Sage Mill Industrial Park. The bringing together of all utilities plus interstate visibility and frontage makes this site truly unique.

An OEM smart enough to locate at PruTimber will be able to draw its work force from an area with a population of half a million. And although the area does have a sizable population, quality of life is not sacrificed. In fact, Aiken has been named as an All-American City for the high lifestyle quality offered there.

For more information about the PruTimber Site, contact Fred Humes, director of Economic Development Partnership at (803) 648-3362 or edpsc@aol.com.

Acres: 1,500
Location: Aiken County, South Carolina
Transportation Access: interstate, rail
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, electricity, natural gas
Benefits for Auto Assembly: all utilities, interstate visibility and frontage combined with rail, outstanding quality of life in area

No. 5: Fayetteville I-95 Site - Near Fayetteville, North Carolina

Infrastructure, people, and an outstanding site make Fayetteville, North Carolina one of the South's smart picks for automotive assembly. As its name suggests, this site not only borders Interstate 95, but also has close proximity to the City of Fayetteville, which includes a countywide population of 300,000. The site is also only 26 miles south of Interstate 40, the east-west connector, is 10 miles from Fayetteville Regional Airport, 72 miles from Raleigh Durham International Airport, and is within 90 miles of the Port of Wilmington. This level, 1,000-acre site is also near the second largest community college in the statewide system.

As for utilities, the Fayetteville I-95 Site offers very heavy water and sewer systems. The water system has a capacity of 33 million gallons per day and the sewer 18 million gallons per day. In addition, Fayetteville is home to both Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base. As many as 13,000 active duty military persons re-enter the civilian work force from these bases each year. For companies that choose this location, this group provides a tremendous opportunity to tap into a capable, highly trained work force.

Acres: 1,000
Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina
Transportation Access: interstate, rail 3,500 feet south of site with commitment to extend
Utilities in Place: electricity, natural gas, water and sewer can be readily expanded to site
Benefits for Auto Assembly: borders on I-95, close to MSA of 300,000, near two military bases to provide work force

No. 6: Cecil Commerce Center, Greenfield Mega Site - Jacksonville, Florida

Within the Jacksonville, Florida MSA and with 10,000 feet directly on Interstate 10, automotive companies will find a true gem. This 1,350 greenfield site site was previously used as an agricultural buffer for a formal naval air station and is owned in fee simple title by the City of Jacksonville.

Topography of this site is a major selling point with less than one percent variation in grade across the entire site. Work force is another huge plus for any company eyeing this piece of southern real estate. It boasts access to a labor force of more than a half million within a one-hour drive.

Transportation also cannot be overlooked as a main advantage of Cecil Commerce Center. In addition to the interstate frontage, rail is in the site's future with the planned reactivation of an existing CSX rail bed, previously established to serve the naval air station. This location also offers easy access to sea and air transportation. It is 29 miles from Jacksonville's Blount Island Terminals on St. Johns River and 16 miles from Talleyrand Terminals of the Port of Jacksonville, a major container port on the East Coast and the leading port in vehicle import/export in the U.S. Within 25 miles is Jacksonville International Airport and within five miles is Cecil Field Airport, a major industrial and general aviation airport with a 12,500-foot runway.

All utilities are present at this site in industrial capacity. New electric substations are under construction with redundancy along with a new water plant within the park. A new campus of the local community college is also under construction to provide employee training directly in the park. This is a shovel-ready site that's 100 percent pre-permitted with all utilities available.

For more information on Cecil Commerce Center, contact John H. Haley, vice president, business recruitment of Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce at (904) 366-6671 or john.haley@jacksonvillechamber.org.

Acres: 1,350
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Transportation Access: interstate, rail planned
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, fiber optics
Benefits for Auto Assembly: access to labor force of 520,000 within one hour's drive, site is 100 percent pre-permitted, flat topography with less than one percent gradation change, site preparation and grading currently under development

No. 7: Berkeley Interstate Site - Near Charleston, South Carolina

What makes the Berkeley Interstate Site tops in the South is that it is "beyond the point of surprise," as quoted by a notable site-location consultant. As a two-time finalist for major auto assembly projects, the level of investigation has reached the point of having virtually all major permits in hand to construct a major assembly plant.

This 903-acre site (expandable to 1,500 total acres) is 15 miles from the center of population in the Charleston, SC region, which topped 549,000 residents at the time of the 2000 Census and continues to grow. While the site is considered "greenfield," the property has been permitted to handle development of over 4 million square feet of impervious surfaces and buildings.

Transportation accessibility to the site includes easy access to Interstate 26 (with two interchanges-both of which are being upgraded and one of which is undergoing a complete "rebuild"), access to Norfolk Southern rail, and access to the world via the Port of Charleston, only 28 miles away. The site features 9,000 feet of visibility along Interstate 26.

Another advantage is the network of 115 first or second tier automotive suppliers that already have a presence in the Palmetto State. In fact, the Charleston region in particular is home to a long list of automotive companies.

Acres: 903 (expandable to 1,500)
Location: Berkeley County, South Carolina
Transportation Access: interstate, rail, port 28 miles away
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, fiber optics
Benefits for Auto Assembly: depth of site diligence and engineering that has already been done, over 9000 linear feet of visibility along I-26, close access to the most efficient port in the world (as determined by the steamship industry), strong presence of auto suppliers already in the state, exceptional quality of life in the Charleston area

No. 8: Sharyland Plantation - Rio Grande Valley, Near McAllen and Mission, Texas

Sharyland Plantation sits between the cities of McAllen and Mission, Texas and just north of Reynosa, Mexico where it offers direct access to the booming manufacturing industry in border markets. The area has a combined population of 1.35 million and McAllen, Texas is the fourth fastest growing market in the nation. Owned by the Hunt family, the master-planned Sharyland community is designed to become an all-inclusive working, living, learning and playing environment designed to exceed the highest global standards.

This property is located on Highway 281, a divided interstate-quality highway that has been designated as the central route of I-69 to Mexico. Of the 6,000 acres at Sharyland Plantation, approximately 450 acres currently comprise the Class A Park, with another 2,300 adjacent acres available. The first phase of construction began in 1997 and today Sharyland Business Park has over 2.2 million square feet of industrial space and is home to many of the world's top companies including Panasonic, Emerson Electric, Black & Decker, and many others.

For auto assemblers, Sharyland Plantation offers major transportation benefits. The site is located next to the new Anzalduas International Bridge, which connects directly to the "auto pista" (interstate system) of Mexico. The site is currently served by two U.S. rail carriers and has direct rail services to a deepwater seaport 60 miles away. It is also located only 2.5 miles from the rail system of Mexico and is served by two international airports offering both passenger and freight service.

Adjacent to Sharyland is its Mexican neighbor, Grupo Rio San Juan in Reynosa, directly across the Rio Grande River. Grupo Rio San Juan's business park includes over six million square feet of existing space less than 10 miles away, much of which is already in use by many Tier Two auto suppliers. The strategic alliance of two development companies has created a unified business park on both sides of the border, which together total 22,000 acres.

Among its other unique features, the site is in an attainment area and meets all air quality requirements. Also, Sharyland Plantation offers a central location to the Texas/Mexico markets with Texas being the largest pickup and one of the largest SUV markets in the United States and Mexico being a very large market for trucks and SUV's. This site provides an excellent central location to service both markets from one assembly plant. The seaport proximity allows ease of shipping to emerging markets of Central and South America as well.

Other advantages are the availability of steel and other base commodity manufacturing within 120 miles of the site, a plentiful supply of low-cost labor (median age 26), an unemployment rate of 14.8 percent, multiple technical and university education facilities providing R&D, and technical and engineering training support located in close proximity. Further, an extremely attractive incentive package has been pre-approved for an automotive assembly plant on this site.

For more information, contact Diane Jones of Hunt Development at (214) 978-8018 or djones@sharyland.com . You can also contact Nancy Boultinghouse of McAllen Economic Development Corporation at (956) 682-2895 or nancyb@medc.org.

Acres: 6,000 total-425 in industrial park with 2,300 additional acres available
Location: between the cities of McAllen and Mission, Texas-just north of Reynosa, Mexico
Transportation Access: U.S. highway, next to Anzalduas International Bridge connecting to the interstate system of Mexico, rail
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, fiber optics
Benefits for Auto Assembly: central location to Texas/Mexico markets, seaport proximity to serve Central and South America, plentiful supply of low-cost labor, one mile away from Sharyland Plantation's residential communities with 15 neighborhoods, high-quality infrastructure in place

No. 9: Purysburg Industrial Site - Hardeeville, South Carolina

Within 25 miles of Savannah, GA and Hilton Head, SC is one of South Carolina's finest offerings for automotive assembly. This 1,050-acre, one-owner property is located within one mile of Interstate I-95, U.S. Highway 278 and U.S. 17, and is within 5 miles of Interstate 16. In fact, I-95 cuts straight through the middle of the site at exit 8 (Highway 278), which is one of the busiest and offers direct access to the resort communities of Hilton Head Island and Beaufort.

The Purysburg Site also has rail access provided by CSX railroad and is within 10 miles of the Garden City terminal of the Savannah Port. In addition, the site is only a one-and-a-half hour drive from the Port of Charleston.

Among its other benefits for auto assembly, the site is located in a "least developed" county, which affords the opportunity for aggressive economic development incentives from state and local government agencies as well as private utility providers. Also, a full Phase One environmental assessment has been completed for the site as well as surveying, wetland deliniation, GIS mapping to include accuracy to within +/- one foot, and complete infrared mapping to identify drainage basins.

Meanwhile, Purysburg boasts several advantages in terms of work force. First, the community of Hardeeville has more than its share of factory workers for automotive assembly. Especially in recent years, its upscale neighbors of Hilton Head and Bluffton have become more expensive in terms of cost of living, driving the "blue collars" into neighboring Hardeeville and providing a wonderful work force within the town's boundaries. A second advantage is that in 2004, the University of South Carolina is scheduled to open a new four-year university only five minutes from the Purysburg site.

This institution will offer several outwardly focused programs to assist nearby business and industry.

Another important factor when weighing this site is outstanding quality of life. Not only is it only 20 minutes from some of the Atlantic's most breathtaking beaches, but it is also located in the quaint community of Hardeeville, one of the South's last true historic towns.

Hardeeville, though a distinctly rural community, is actively undertaking the kind of vision and planning that will help it determine its own destiny. It is seriously investing in its own look and feel to make itself upscale and attractive-the kind of place an executive would want to live. To accomplish the desired results, it has hired Group 3 Architecture (one of the most renowned on the East Coast) and J.K.Tiller Associates (a firm responsible for the master planning of some of the most successful, forward-thinking communities in the South).

A mega-site directly on Interstate 95. Easy access to two of the leading ports. Aggressive location incentives. A ready-to-go work force. All in one of the most charming towns the region. Add it all up and it's easy to see why the Purysburg Site in Hardeeville, South Carolina is one of the South's sure bets for auto assembly.

Acres: 1,050
Location: Hardeeville, South Carolina
Transportation Access: interstate and U.S. highway one mile away, rail
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, electricity, fiber optics, natural gas planned
Benefits for Auto Assembly: proximity to Savannah Port, full environmental studies complete, three universities and two community colleges located within 25 miles

No. 10: Clarksville-Montgomery County Corporate Business Park Phase II - Near Clarksville, Tennessee

Adjacent to the Clarksville, Tenn. city limits and within Montgomery County is an outstanding 1,018-acre, greenfield site owned by the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board. This development-ready site is centrally located near the Tennessee/Kentucky border where it is within driving distance of 66 percent of the nation's major cities.

Portions of this site have interstate frontage on Interstate 24 with the southern border at an exchange. The site is also rail serveable. Planned amenities include a four-lane thoroughfare through the park, municipal sewer, water, gas and fiber optics.

What makes this a top auto assembly location? Clarksville is a diverse, non-union community with a host of international companies. Employers that have already chosen the area have discovered a well-trained, highly skilled, disciplined work force, largely as a result of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. Approximately 250-300 Fort Campbell troops exit service monthly, providing a constant, readily available labor pool. Of these men and women, research indicates that nearly 70 percent of them prefer to stay in Clarksville.

The design of Clarksville-Montgomery County Corporate Business Park Phase II is flexible with 879 contiguous acres. Two additional greenfield sites of more than 1,000 acres are also nearby to accommodate large projects. For a major project, Lockwood Greene Consulting designed this park with a 500-acre "mega site" that has interstate visibility.

For more information, contact Mike Evans, executive director, Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board (931) 551-4313 or cmcidb@clarksville.tn.us

Acres: 1,018
Location: Clarksville/Montgomery County, Tennessee
Transportation Access: interstate, rail serveable
Benefits for Auto Assembly: a skilled and readily available labor pool, location in a non-union community that is home to many international companies, positioned directly on Interstate 24.

No. 11: MidAmerica Industrial Park - Pryor, Oklahoma

A Massive Site in a Great Setting

MidAmerica Industrial Park is located 40 miles from Tulsa, Oklahoma, one of the top 60 metropolitan areas in the U.S. The park is situated at the intersection of two major highways: U.S. 69 and U.S. 412, which are respectively referred to as the "NAFTA Transportation Corridor" and the "Wal-Mart Expressway." In addition, the park is located just 21 miles south of Interstate 44.

MidAmerica spans over 9,000 acres, making it the largest industrial park in Oklahoma and the largest rural industrial park in the nation. The park has multiple greenfield sites and can accommodate plant construction footprints that exceed 1,000 acres.

Transportation accessibility to this site is superb and MidAmerica is becoming recognized as a regional logistics center. The park is now served by over 70 trucking companies on a daily basis and two trucking companies have terminals onsite. Plus, the location of the park - equidistant from each coast - enables park industries to reach over 60 percent of U.S. markets via truck on a same-day basis. Union Pacific also serves MidAmerica industries with lead rails that traverse the park.

Fifteen miles from the park, industries can use low-cost barge transportation at a major port on an ice-free inland waterway navigation system. Forty miles from the site, the Tulsa International Airport has a variety of airfreight companies and forwarders for expedited domestic and international shipments.

MidAmerica also boasts a spectrum of industry-attracting amenities that provide a fully developed infrastructure for growing companies. Park-owned water and wastewater treatment facilities are onsite with rates that are far below national averages. And, a park-owned Regional Business Airport (RBA) is onsite with the ability to accommodate the needs of most business aircraft. Two work force development institutions have training facilities onsite; one nationally regarded center, OSU-Okmulgee, specializes in skill development for high-productivity advancing or leading edge technologies.

Three electric utilities have on-site power generation facilities at MidAmerica and natural gas providers that offer highly competitive rates also serve the park. Finally, MidAmerica's telecommunications network is state-of-the-art with offerings that range from a new high-speed DSL connectivity to SONET-ring protected fiber-optic broadband networks and wireless service.

More than 70 firms now operate at MidAmerica including seven "Fortune" and seven "Global 500" divisions. These companies and others that will locate in the park can draw prospective employees from a 30-mile radius with a potential work force that surpasses over 280,000 people. Furthermore, these companies can benefit from the park's designation as a state enterprise zone and a Foreign Trade Zone, as well as from fast-track permitting that cuts red tape and allows construction to begin in days rather than months.

For more information on MidAmerica Industrial Park, contact Marketing Director Don Berger at (918) 825-3500 or donb@maip.com.

Acres: 9,000
Location: Pryor Creek, Oklahoma
Transportation Accessibility: two U.S. highways, rail, barge and airfreight options nearby
Utilities in Place: electricity, water, sewer, natural gas, fiber optics
Benefits for Auto Assembly: size-a mega site that accommodate a large facility, many greenfield sites within the park that can yield fast construction timetables, two employee training centers onsite, 70 trucking lines providing service, central U.S. location

No. 12: Henry County/I-73 Auto Site - Near Martinsville, Virginia

Offers a Skilled Work Force Readily Available

What makes Henry County/I-73 Auto Site one of the best in the South? First, it offers a central geographic location that provides access to auto suppliers and OEMs. Second, it is close to an exceptional airport (Piedmont Triad International Airport-30 minutes away), which offers eight major carriers and 77 daily non-stop service flights to major cities.

This 1,400-acre, one-owner site is within 30-40 minutes of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem, NC and within 65 minutes of Roanoke, VA. It borders the four-lane Highway 220 with 7,500 feet of frontage, is at the intersection where I-73 will adjoin Highway 220 as it goes into North Carolina from Virginia. I-40 and I-85 are within 30 minutes while I-77 and I-81 are within 60 minutes. And, Norfolk Southern rail runs adjacent to the property for 7,500 feet.

But perhaps the biggest advantage for the company that selects this site is the work force. With 13.6 percent unemployment due to the losses in the textile and furniture industries, skilled work force availability is a key selling point for this area. Historically a manufacturing community (60 percent manufacturing), the work force is used to shift work and to making a quality product.

There is also a significant trucking available because of the distribution activity in the area. Add to that low operating costs an aggressive, business-oriented local government, and you have a very creative site location package with all the ingredients for success.

Acres: 1,400 one owner, also have 2,900-acre plan with multiple owners
Location: Henry County, Virginia
Transportation Access: interstate, rail
Utilities in Place: all infrastructure included in the site plan
Benefits for Auto Assembly: skilled work force availability, a significant trucking industry available, low operating costs, aggressive and business-oriented local government

Other Possibilities: Atmore, Decatur, Greene County, Jackson County, St. Clair County and Opelika, Alabama; Tallahassee, Florida; Meriwether County, Jackson County and LaGrange, Georgia; Leavenworth and Topeka, Kansas; Bowling Green, Hopkinsville and Hardin County, Kentucky; Statesville, North Carolina; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Victoria, Temple, Sherman, Longview, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Waco and Huntsville, Texas; Richmond, Wythe County and Danville, Virginia; Putnam County, W.V.