Winter 2011
The Ten Best Automotive Assembly Plant Sites in the Southern Auto Corridor
This isn't the first time we have ranked the ten best automotive assembly plant sites in the South. In fact, this is either the third of fourth time we have published this ranking over the last 20 years or so. But it has been a few years since we last ranked our favorite 10 automotive assembly plant sites. Since the automotive industry is in a significant growth mode and with European and Asian automakers going public saying they are currently weighing plans to build more U.S. plants, well, this list needed to be updated.
White Hawk Commerce Park
Florence County, S.C.
This site is new on the Southern Automotive Corridor scene. Regardless, to us it is the best automotive assembly site the South has to offer right now. A McCallum Sweeney Consulting certified site, White Hawk Commerce Park features 1,175 acres that are situated 4.5 miles from the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 near Florence, S.C. The site is on dual rail mainlines with double-stack clearance to the nearby deepwater port of Charleston, S.C. It actually adjoins the CSX rail terminal in Florence. This multi-modal transportation megasite features an incredible supply of all utilities a major manufacturing plant would ever need. The MSC certification means that automakers can save 12 to 18 months in zoning and permitting time. And the site is at the other end of the state, meaning no competition for labor but close enough to the huge supply chain that supports BMW in South Carolina and other automakers in the South.
* Certified site of 1,175 acres by McCallum Sweeney
* CSX dual mainlines, with spur approved, located adjacent to CSX rail terminal and the Florence, S.C. Regional Airport
* All utilities, including large capacity gas, electric, water, wastewater and AT&T high-speed fiber optic cables
* Single owner with no zoning required
* Within five miles of the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95
Franklin Farm
Holly Ridge, La.
Louisiana's Franklin Farm Mega Site near Monroe, La. is without a doubt one of the best automotive assembly sites in the Southern Automotive Corridor. The 1,440-acre site near Monroe, La. features another 4,500-acre site located adjacent to the main property. Located directly on Interstate 20, the state-owned site is as flat a piece of land that you will find in the South. The property is located in a Renewal Community, which translates into large tax credits and incentives to an automaker or any other user that builds on the site.
* Access to more than 100 existing automotive suppliers within a 125 mile radius
* Prime site with excellent soils, well above the 100-year flood plain
* 500 KV and 115 KV electrical transmission lines on site with gas, fiber optic and unlimited water supply
* KCS rail with the potential for dual service
*State owned
Zachary Taylor Industrial Mega Site
Fluker, La.
This 2,900-acre parcel is located in the center of the fastest growing area of Louisiana with population increases exceeding 20% in the current census. It is about 1 hour's drive to the business and government center of the state, Baton Rouge and about 1 hour's drive to the financial and cultural center of the state, New Orleans. It sits in a designated New Market Census Tract making investment in this area eligible for New Market Tax Credits and also in a federally designated HUB Zone.
* Certified Industrial Mega Site
* Phase I Environmental Engineering Study completed
* On I-55
* Adjacent to Canadian National Railroad's main line
* Major commercial airports within 1 hour drive
* Workforce in excess of 600,000 within 1 hour drive
Mid-Atlantic Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMaC mega site)
Emporia, Va.
The 1,545-acre MAMaC site is the only McCallum Sweeney certified mega site in VA, NC and MD. The Development Team includes CSX, Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Manufacturer's Association, Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, and Southside Virginia Community College. The MAMaC site is a regional economic development initiative of Greensville County, the City of Emporia and Brunswick County with funding support from the Virginia Tobacco Commission.
* Direct frontage on I-95 (over 7,000 feet) and convenient access to I-85
* CSX mainline rail access
* 90 minutes to VA Ports – only East Coast port that can handle "post-Panamax" ships
* Less than 25 miles from the NC Center for Automotive Research (NCCAR)
* Less than 40 miles from Rolls-Royce Crosspoint Center
* Southern Virginia Education Center Phase III Training Center launched Nov. 2010
Carolina I-77 Megasite
Chester County, S.C.
The Carolinas I-77 Megasite, located in Chester County, S.C. has been certified as a megasite suitable for automotive assembly operations and other major advanced manufacturing facilities. The Chester County site received certification from McCallum Sweeney Consulting. The site, located on Interstate 77 between exits 62 and 65, is the first industrial site in the Charlotte Regional Partnership Region to receive the megasite certification from McCallum Sweeney. It is one of 12 sites in the Southern Automotive Corridor that have met the program's high standards.
* 1,438 acres under one owner
* Adjacent to I-77 between Exits 62 and 65, with 8,000 linear feet of Interstate frontage
* 38 minutes from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, 168 miles from the Port of Charleston
* Dual rail opportunities provided by short line provider - L&C Railroad between CSX and NS
* Comprehensive environmental studies completed and located in EPA Attainment Zone
Marion Arkansas Super Site
Marion, Ark.
Strategically positioned less than five miles from two of the nation's essential interstates, Interstate 40 and Interstate 55, the Marion Arkansas Super Site is located within the Memphis Metro. The 1,250-plus-acre site boasts high capacity infrastructure including rail, water and electricity. Certified under Entergy Arkansas' Select Site certification program, the site is poised for the next automotive manufacturer to build a facility in the Southern Automotive Corridor.
* 1,250, plus additional acreage under option
* Adjacent to Interstate 40 and Interstate 55
* 10 minutes from downtown Memphis
* Adjacent to the Union Pacific Railport
Tunica Metro Megasite
Tunica, Miss.
Located just south of Memphis, this site may be the last certified site left that can accommodate an automaker in Mississippi. Other certified sites located in Columbus and Tupelo have been purchased by Severstal and Toyota respectively. The Tunica Metro Megasite encompasses 2,221 acres of flat land with no wetlands.
* 2,221 acres
* Water and sewer adjacent to site
* Electric service available at site with gas pipeline on site
* Rail can be provided
West Tennessee Megasite
Haywood County, Tenn.
The West Tennessee Megasite, in Haywood County, Tenn., is certified by Tennessee Valley Authority's Megasites Program and offers a large scale manufacturing site that is certified as ready for development by McCallum Sweeney Consulting. This megasite, owned by the State of Tennessee, has outstanding features that include a 1,720-acre core site.
* 1,720-acre core site, plus 2,100 acres in available adjoining properties
* Located along Interstate 40 and 15 minutes from Interstate 69 (now under construction)
* CSX Rail connects the site to four other Class I rail systems in the Memphis area
* Site is within 45 minutes of the Memphis International Airport, home to FedEx World Headquarters
* Preliminary environmental and geotechnical work have been completed.
Tradeport West
Liberty County, Ga.
Located just 30 minutes south of the Port of Savannah, Tradeport West Business Center encompasses over 3,500 total acres and offers large rail-served sites. Tradeport West has been designated as a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) site by the Georgia Allies, a public-private partnership focused on economic development marketing. The park is located just minutes away from the Fort Stewart Army installation, which provides a valuable supplemental workforce solution in the form of military retirees and spouses.
* Less than five miles from Interstate 95
* Strategically positioned between the ports of Savannah and Brunswick, GA; Jacksonville, FL; and Charleston, SC
* Foreign trade zone
* Rail service provided by Riceboro Southern (an affiliate of CSX)
Logan Site
Baldwin County, Ala.
Known previously as the Mossy Oak Site, the 1,400-acre site is located northeast of Bay Minette. Only 45 minutes from two commercial airports and 30 minutes to the Port of Mobile, the Logan site is located 3 miles from downtown Bay Minette and just 25 miles from the city of Mobile, AL.
* 1,400 acres
* Adjacent to US highway 31, 10 miles from I-65
* 5 minutes to downtown Bay Minette
* CSX mainline adjacent to site