Ten Sites in the South that Can Accommodate Any Project

By Lee Burlett

We realize there are several dozen sites in the South that can accommodate virtually any massive project, such as those found in the aerospace and aviation sectors, automotive, large distribution, semiconductors or other heavy industries. Here are 10 of our favorites.

1. Prutimber Site

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

2. Sharyland Plantation

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
Features: 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

3. Enterprise South Industrial Park

Acres: 1,200
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Transportation Access: interstate, rail, river port nearby
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, fiber optics
Features: surrounded by 3,000 auto suppliers in area, convenient to three major interstates, two major rail lines and 16,000 miles of navigable waterways

4. DaimlerChrysler Site

Acres: 1,600
Location: Pooler, Ga., located just west of Savannah
Transportation Access: two interstates, rail, port
Utilities in Place: water, sewer, electric, natural gas
Features: this is the site DaimlerChrysler was going to build on. It has over $60 million in improvements paid for by the state of Georgia

5. Clarksville-Montgomery County Corporate Business Park Phase II

Acres: 1,018
Location: Clarksville/Montgomery County, Tennessee
Transportation Access: interstate, rail spur can be arranged
Features: 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

6. Henry County/I-73 Auto Site

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

7. Fayetteville I-95 Site

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
Features: borders on I-95, close to MSA of 300,000, near two military bases to provide work force

8. Como Site

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
Features: draws from metro Memphis work force, strong education, training and location incentives, close proximity to auto suppliers and manufacturers along I-65

9. Railport Industrial Park

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
Features: 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

10. MidAmerica Industrial Park

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
Features: 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