Preferred status for industrial park in Brewton gets support for developement
Howard, right, presents Creamer with gold spike plaque as State Sen. Alan Baker and Brewton Mayor Yank Lovelace look on
Creamer Industrial Park on Highway 31 South in Brewton is now a preferred selected site by CSX Railroad to market the site to industry that needs rail access.
A second piece of property, known as the Jones Family Timber Management in Atmore, off of Highway 31 is also on target to become a selected site.
CSX officials were Brewton Tuesday to meet with Steve Creamer, city and council officials and economic development leaders. Creamer was presented with a gold railroad spike plaque signifying the inclusion into the program.
Rashard Howard and Sarah Brown with CSX went through the scoring process and announced Creamer’s site was a bronze award winner. The pecking order goes from bronze to silver and then gold.
The 77-acre site is zoned commercial and has access to CSX rail service.
As Brown went through the selection site scorecard she noted, with responses from Creamer, Brewton Mayor Yank Lovelace and Jess Nicholas, director of the Escambia County Industrial Development Authority, that she felt the Creamer site would be elevated to a silver award winner.
Nicholas said the designation by CSX for the Creamer site is huge for Brewton and the entire county.
“CSX will now market that site for us,” Nicholas said. “When an industry is looking for a site with rail access, it will be on the list.
Howard said the goal is to attract industry that will use CSX, thus creating jobs for the entire region.
He added that the designation is critical because when industries start searching for sites there was a quick turnaround and the CSX select site program will have already done all vetting and will have information people need.
Nicholas also said the program involves a global search for industries seeking locations with rail access.
“I thank CSX and this will be a positive improvement on our community and the county,” Creamer said.
CSX’s select site program has been in existence for 12 years and 24 sites have been sold creating $18 billion in CSX investments and more than 13,000 jobs. CSX currently has 33 featured sites.
The property in Atmore is in the process, but has not reached a bronze status currently. However, Nicholas told Howard and Brown that work is being done to bring that site’s scores up and he feels comfortable it will be accomplished.
