Industrial Development Briefs: TETL, UP/Heartland Co-op, NCRR

TETL

TETL on Feb. 25 announced that it has completed a 2,000-foot track expansion at its Big Spring, Texas, transload terminal, “increasing terminal capacity and strengthening its rail-served logistics infrastructure to support continued growth in energy and industrial commodity volumes.”

The expansion, TETL says, brings the terminal’s total rail footprint to more than 37,000 feet of track. The facility is served by UP and operates 24/7 with in-house switching and material handling capabilities. The additional track capacity increases throughput for pipe and oversized materials while maintaining flexibility to handle a diverse mix of commodities, the company noted.

“With this expansion, we are increasing our ability to efficiently manage higher car volumes, improve velocity through the terminal, and provide our customers with more reliable, scalable transload capacity,” said TETL President Andy Branaugh. “Big Spring is a strategic location for our network, and this investment positions the terminal to support long-term customer growth.”

The expanded infrastructure, TETL adds, “provides customers with greater flexibility for transloading, reducing congestion, and improving coordination across first- and last-mile logistics.” The project is part of TETL’s broader strategy to “invest in rail infrastructure, expand terminal capacity, and enhance service reliability across its network.”

UP/Heartland Co-op

UP’s partnership with Heartland Co-op reached recently reached a major milestone as the new grain shuttle facility in Millerton, Iowa, is now fully operational and handling its first train loads. This state-of-the-art site, the Class I says, “strengthens service for farmers in south central Iowa and expands access to key domestic and export markets across UP’s network.”

This achievement reflects close collaboration between Heartland Co‑op and UP teams across Operating, Marketing and Sales, Service Design, Network Economic and Industrial Development, Real Estate and Public Projects, the Class I noted. “The Millerton facility represents a shared, long‑term investment in Iowa agriculture and continued growth across the region’s grain market,” UP said.

“Heartland Co‑op’s investment alongside Union Pacific underscores our shared commitment to long‑term growth,” said UP Director, Marketing and Sales Emily Peters. “This new site strengthens our presence in the region and deepens our grain origination foundation.”

NCRR

The NCRR announced Feb. 26 that it will invest up to $600,000 to build critical rail infrastructure for US Forged Rings Inc.’s new manufacturing facility in Hertford County. The company plans to invest $875 million for the three-phase project and create 625 full-time jobs with an average annual wage of $80,500.

The project, NCRR says, will connect the site to freight rail through a newly constructed spur designed for the company’s daily operations and long-term growth. US Forged Rings will focus on large-scale metal fabrication for the energy industry, producing steel piping and specialized components for industrial customers across the country.

“This investment is about more than track. We’re building opportunity in Hertford County, we’re strengthening North Carolina’s manufacturing footprint and we’re making sure this state is ready for long-term growth driven by freight rail,” said NCRR President and CEO Carl Warren.

The rail project will include ballast, ties and rail turnouts along with engineering, drainage, signal work and other improvements necessary to serve the site. Once operational, US Forged Rings will use the rail line to receive and distribute at least 1,825 rail cars each year.

Through NCRR Invests, the NCRR uses private revenue, not taxpayer dollars, to fund rail projects that attract new employers and expand existing industry to keep North Carolina competitive.

In addition to the Office of Governor Josh Stein, the NCRR supports this project along with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Departments of Transportation and Environmental Quality, CSX Transportation, Dominion Energy, Hertford County and its Board of Commissioners and the Hertford County Economic Development Department.