First freight rail shipment at North Carolina Industrial Center

Representatives from Cambro Manufacturing, the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) the Alamance Chamber of Commerce, as well as Alamance County and the City of Mebane, gathered Dec. 17 for the completion of a lead track at the North Carolina Industrial Center (NCIC) and the first freight rail shipment received by the manufacturer of food service equipment.

In 2014, Cambro Manufacturing announced plans to open a new plant in Alamance County, creating 100 new jobs. The plant required a rail spur to deliver raw materials. The 317-mile North Carolina Railroad runs through Alamance County and Mebane and offers Class I rail service via Norfolk Southern. The North Carolina Railroad Company constructed a lead track, which will serve multiple businesses within the industrial park, with the North Carolina Department of Transportation contributing to spur track construction costs.

“The North Carolina Railroad Company is committed to making investments that drive North Carolina’s ability to meet the needs of rail-served industry in our state,” said NCRR President, Scott Saylor. “When Cambro expressed interest in the NCIC and its potential for rail service, we knew that building a lead track would not only serve Cambro, but would also increase opportunities to attract future rail-served industry and create jobs for our state.”

“Rail service will be a great addition to our manufacturing facility in Mebane,” said Cambro Manufacturing President, Argyle Campbell. “It will allow us to streamline the receipt and distribution of raw material throughout the factory. Thank you Scott Saylor and the North Carolina Railroad Company.”

“The lead track into NCIC has been a concept only on paper since the days of the Mercedes-Benz project in the early 90s,” said Alamance Chamber President, Mac Williams. “We started talking with NCRR about helping make those ‘lines on paper’ a reality and the timing of the Cambro project presented the opportunity. This lead track project involves a number of partners and represents the kind of collaborative effort that results in successful economic development.”