Spotlight on Gold: Rail-ready sites positioned for growth

When companies evaluate prospective sites for their next facility, the strongest locations are those that can deliver clear development pathways and direct supply chain connectivity.

Norfolk Southern’s growing pipeline of REDI Sites is designed to deliver exactly that. Working alongside local, regional, and utility partners, Norfolk Southern helps prepare rail-served industrial sites for future investment by aligning infrastructure, transportation access, workforce readiness, and development planning before opportunities arise.

Now, eight additional Norfolk Southern-served sites have earned Gold REDI designation, recognizing a high level of industrial preparedness and positioning them to compete for future industrial development.

Through the Site Selectors Guild’s REDI (Ready for Economic Development Investment) program, sites are evaluated against a rigorous national standard designed to give companies confidence that a location is prepared to support growth. A total of twenty-five sites across the 22-state NS network now have REDI Site designations, with designations ranging from Bronze and Silver to Gold and Platinum.

What Gold designation signals

Gold REDI certification indicates that a site has demonstrated strong readiness across critical site selection criteria, including:

• Infrastructure and utility capacity
• Transportation access and connectivity
• Workforce availability
• Site control and development feasibility
• Environmental and due diligence preparedness

For companies, that means greater certainty and a faster path from site selection to operation. For communities, it means stronger positioning for future investment, job creation, and economic growth.

Meet the Gold sites

Norfolk Southern’s Gold-designated sites include:

• Bluegrass Innovation Gateway — Harrodsburg, Kentucky | 958 acres 
• Moberly Area Industrial Park — Moberly, Missouri | 206 acres 
• Railhub South — Corinth, Mississippi | 184 acres 
• Claremont International Rail Park — Claremont, North Carolina | 227 acres 
• I-85 Corporate Center — Lexington, North Carolina | 119 acres 
• Industria Centre Site #3 — Muncie, Indiana | 80 acres 
• Schuyler County Business Park — Watkins Glen, New York | 31 acres 
• Pathway Park — Chilhowie, Virginia | 70 acres 

While each location offers a different mix of assets and regional advantages, they share an important differentiator: access to Norfolk Southern’s rail network and the opportunity to build rail into a company’s supply chain from the beginning.

Matching sites with the industries positioned to grow

Site readiness is only part of the equation. Norfolk Southern’s Industrial Development team also works to understand where a location’s characteristics align with the needs of prospective industries.

Railhub South in Corinth, Mississippi, offers one example. The site is fully graded, with its elevation aligned with the adjacent rail line.

Northern Mississippi sits within the Southeast’s Southern Yellow Pine region, giving prospective operators access to an important raw-material base.

“Corinth has some of the fundamentals that matter most for fiber-based industries: access to raw materials, a site that’s already graded and strong rail connectivity,” said Tyler Preast, Norfolk Southern Industrial Development Manager. “When a company is evaluating where to make its next investment, having those pieces in place can make a meaningful difference in how quickly and efficiently a site can support its operation.”

That combination of available land, rail access and proximity to fiber resources illustrates the broader opportunity behind REDI: preparing sites while also identifying the industries for which their location and transportation advantages can be particularly valuable.

Building stronger communities through site readiness

Across the Midwest and Southeast, these Gold-designated sites represent more than available acreage. They reflect partnerships between Norfolk Southern, economic development organizations, utility providers, and local communities working to prepare sites before opportunities arrive.

As companies continue seeking locations that offer speed to market, supply chain flexibility, and long-term growth potential, rail-served sites with proven readiness will remain a critical advantage.

For more information about the REDI Sites Program, please visit siteselectorsguild.com or contact one of our Industrial Development Managers by territory.

By Katie Byrd, Assistant Director Executive Communications

Katie Byrd leads external communications for Norfolk Southern in the areas of Executive Comms, Commercial and Strategic Planning. She joined NS in 2022, bringing nearly 12 years of strategic communications expertise.