Behind each business in North Carolina are the ideas, partnerships and people that fuel our state’s success. Behind each business is a story and a vision for the future. The NC Chamber and NC Chamber Foundation are committed to telling these stories and highlighting the organizations and people that keep our state moving forward. Behind the Business is a series of profiles featuring NC Chamber Cornerstone members and NC Chamber Foundation NC Leads investors doing great work in North Carolina. We are excited to highlight the incredible work of NC Chamber Cornerstone member and NC Leads investor the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) as it celebrates its 175^th anniversary this year. 

This year, the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) is celebrating its 175^th anniversary.   Chartered on Jan. 27, 1849, NCRR maintains a 317-mile rail corridor from Charlotte to Morehead City that serves as the state’s essential conduit.

To keep our state moving at the speed of business, NCRR makes strategic investments and is introducing several new programs and service areas. As it continues to grow and innovate, NCRR transforms its team’s trusted expertise and unique assets into economic advantages for North Carolina.

Investing in Connectivity Yields Jobs

Since its inception in 2016, the NCRR Invests program has been instrumental in securing new or expanded locations for multiple manufacturing facilities across North Carolina. Overall, NCRR committed more than $17 million of its private revenue, resulting in new or expanded locations for 20 manufacturing facilities and supporting the creation of more than 12,500 new jobs.

As capital investment from these companies exceeds $8.3 billion, addressing freight rail infrastructure needs and prioritizing collaborative partnerships through NCRR Invests are critical components in advancing North Carolina’s economic prosperity.

Supporting Site Development to Expedite Investment

Site availability is another key piece of keeping our state competitive. Frequently, companies do not have the time or budget to wait for municipalities to create infrastructure improvements. NCRR’s Build Ready Sites initiative provides essential funding and support to rail-served sites, transforming them into “build-ready” spaces primed for attracting new businesses.

The program eliminates common roadblocks to advancement by ensuring the availability of sites that are ready for immediate development, significantly reducing the time and resources required for new business setups. By addressing these foundational needs, NCRR empowers communities to proactively attract new businesses, create jobs, and bolster local economies. To date, NCRR committed more than $7.8 million to 16 sites in 14 counties across North Carolina.

In early May, NCRR saw the first of its Build Ready Sites successfully land a rail-served industry. The Eastfield Business Park in Selma received a $750,000 Build Ready Sites award in 2021 to grade the site. Johnston County recently announced that Crystal Pacific Window & Door Systems is moving to the site, with a direct investment of $83.6 million and 501 new jobs.

This year, NCRR is expanding its Build Ready Sites initiative. The Brownfields Program will invest in environmentally challenged industrial sites to create more build-ready, rail-served sites that can attract new businesses to the state, create jobs, and increase freight rail usage.

The Build Ready Sites 2024 program application is set to open in August, offering counties another opportunity to tap into this transformative initiative. For more information on the Build Ready Sites program and upcoming application deadlines, click here.

Granting Tools to Prepare Sites

Over the years, North Carolina successfully recruited new companies and began to deplete the “market-ready” available sites in the state. NCRR’s new Microgrants program will award grants to address real estate due diligence needs for communities looking to prepare real property for economic development purposes.

These due diligence needs include Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, wetland and stream delineations, boundary and/or ALTA surveys, geotechnical reports, title opinions, and more.  Through this investment, NCRR aims to remove barriers to site development, particularly for underserved areas, and create a fruitful pipeline of investment opportunities throughout the state. The grant initiative will complement current due diligence programs available by allowing greater flexibility on how a property can be held to be studied. Applications for the new Microgrant program opened on May 1. Learn more here.

Enhanced Services Keep N.C. Moving at the Speed of Business

Operating in a global economy, North Carolina’s businesses increasingly work to find the most efficient way to bring goods to market. NCRR offers a multitude of services aimed at helping current rail-served industries and those with truck-to-rail conversion potential do just that.

• NCRR’s Consulting Services offers a comprehensive suite of solutions to help improve operational efficiency, optimize resource utilization, and drive economic development.
• The company’s Engineering and Construction Services leverage NCRR’s expertise in engineering review, design of on-site rail construction, and rail track inspection to achieve the highest standards of safety and efficiency. NCRR works closely with rail-served industries, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and other rail construction organizations to support foundational needs and drive the development of essential rail infrastructure to keep North Carolina’s economy moving.
• For businesses along its corridors, NCRR’s new Industrial Property Services aim to provide seamless operations through transloading solutions, property suitability analysis for laydown space, and track construction management.

Finally, after identifying the insufficient number of qualified railroad flagging services as an obstacle to expediting rail and roadway projects throughout the state, NCRR began conducting Track Protection and Safety Services. The railroad now supplies flaggers for safety and coordination during construction, repair, and maintenance projects on the NCRR corridor and Norfolk Southern-owned corridors.  By providing these services, NCRR not only supports rail safety, but also ensures transportation projects adjacent to or intersecting with rail corridors can proceed more efficiently.

Committed to Economic Sustainability

NCRR is dedicated to advancing the state’s rail network and promoting long-term economic sustainability in our state. The NCRR team is proud to offer these new services and economic development programs to ensure the continued success and vitality of local economies.

The North Carolina Railroad Company is excited for its next 175 years as it continues to keep North Carolina forever in motion.