CASE STUDY
Key Takeaways » Site selected over other sites in 6 states » Economic development partnerships » Storage tracks built to support facility » State funded construction lead track » Regional job growth » Site connects industry to customers, suppliers, and employees through all modes of transportation.
Walker County Industrial Park LaFayette, Georgia
Meaningful infrastructure investments by railroad and state agencies helped to secure business development at the Walker County Industrial Park in LaFayette, Georgia. This collaboration among public and private industries, agencies, infrastructure providers, and freight companies included, Audia International, Walker County, State of Georgia Department of Economic Development, Walker County Development Authority, Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority, Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway (CCKY), and Genesee & Wyoming (G&W)Railroad. The Pennsylvania-based plastics manufacturer, Audia International, planned a southern U.S. business expansion with a new $50 million manufacturing plant. After securing 28 acres within the 460-acre complex, Audia International leveraged their strong relationship with G&W’s Pittsburgh & Ohio Central Railroad for service at the new facility. With support from Walker County, the State of Georgia, and G&W’s industrial development team, Audia became the first facility in the Walker County Industrial Park in LaFayette, Georgia, served by G&W’s Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway (CCKY). To meet Audia’s storage needs for plastic pellets, CCKY built two storage tracks and offered a reduced switching contract to haul pellets into the plant upon request.
Walker County prepared the industrial park by clearing 500,000 cubic yards of soil and providing roads, while the State of Georgia constructed the lead track and committed to adding future siding for CCKY. Site selection began in 2014, construction started in spring of 2015, and the first car moved in early 2016. Due to the collaboration among these public and private organizations, the park has become a significant player in commercial development for both Walker County and the state of Georgia. Source: Audia International Expands along Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway. 2024. Railroad and State Agencies Make Infrastructure Investments to Secure Business
Visit the link below to learn more: www.gwrr.com/customer-success-stories/ chattooga-chickamauga-railway-audia- international/
88 | Rail
South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development
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