Martin and Pitt Counties Unveil "First-of-Its-Kind" Industrial Park

LandsEast Industrial Park Officially Approved by NC Certified Site Program

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has officially approved LandsEast Industrial Park as a North Carolina Certified Site. The 788-acre park is the first multi-county and multi-regional certified site in North Carolina, and the largest certified site in Pitt and Martin Counties.

A collaborative effort between the two counties, LandsEast cuts across two regions, with Martin County in NC's Northeast Region and Pitt County in NC's Eastern Region.

The idea for the park has been around for at least eight years, but the collaboration officially began in 2005.

"Both of our counties recognized the need for a large acreage industrial site in order to increase our competitiveness for industrial projects as well as promote job creation and investment," says Stan Crowe, board chairman of the Martin County Economic Development Corporation.

"The Park is good for the economic health of both Pitt and Martin Counties, and for our two regions," says Ed Dennis, Jr., board chairman of the Pitt County Development Commission. "We learned early on that mutual support and cooperation are crucial to our success," he concludes.

LandsEast is located off of Highway 64 Alternate, near Bethel in Pitt County and Parmele in Martin County. The park is close to NC Highway 11 and US Highways 13 and 64, with US 64 offering interstate-quality access to I-95 and I-40.

The park features CSX rail access and is located within two hours of three major ports: Morehead City, Wilmington and Norfolk. LandsEast is 90 minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport and less than 30 minutes from Pitt-Greenville Airport.

The North Carolina Certified Site designation means that LandsEast is a premium business location that has undergone a rigorous pre-qualification process to ensure that it is ready for development, has secured commitments of support and has performed an analysis of site development costs, environmental issues and utility services.

According to Peggy Anderson, economic development representative for NC Commerce, "Martin and Pitt Counties have made substantial investments in their economic future that will enhance their opportunity to achieve significant success in the creation of investment and job opportunities."

The LandsEast Advisory Committee consists of equal representation from Martin and Pitt Counties. There are four members from each of the Counties' respective Economic Development Boards. "I would like to commend the LandsEast Advisory Committee and other supporters for their guidance and for the spirit of cooperation they have demonstrated as the park has progressed," comments Kelly Andrews, Associate Director of the Pitt County Development Commission.

All acreage in the park qualifies for Tier 1 tax credits which allow $12,500 per job created for qualifying businesses. Water and wastewater will be provided by Greenville Utilities Commission, which boasts very large water capacity as well as backup provided by their new Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project.

The master plan for the 788-acre business park was developed by The East Group, a local engineering firm in Greenville. MACTEC, located in Raleigh, conducted additional engineering services needed to complete the submission for NC Site Certification. Grants from NC Commerce and the Golden LEAF Foundation were awarded to help with site certification costs.

For more information about the LandsEast Industrial Park, contact the Pitt County Development Commission at (252) 758-1989 or the Martin County Economic Development Corporation at (252) 792-2044. You may also visit their websites at www.locateincarolina.com or www.martincountyedc.com.