Harnett County has been awarded a $500,000 Build Ready Sites grant from the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) to advance a rail-served industrial site. The investment will help prepare the property for future development and strengthen Harnett County’s ability to compete for rail-served projects.

This funding will support Byrd Industrial Site B, an 83-acre site with 58 developable acres within the Byrd Industrial Sites in Lillington. The grant will fund engineering, clearing and grading of a new access road that will provide critical access to the site and help make the property market-ready for rail-served manufacturers. Byrd Industrial Site B is one of three sites within the 224-acre property.

"Primed industrial sites are a critical component of North Carolina's infrastructure for supporting business recruitment and expansion," said Carl Warren, president and CEO of the North Carolina Railroad Company, in a press release. "The Build Ready Sites program gives communities such as Harnett County the resources to reduce development risk and to attract prospective rail-served manufacturers."

The Byrd Industrial Sites are located along U.S. 401 South, just outside downtown Lillington, 17 miles from I-95 and 20 miles from the I-95/I-40 interchange. Two of the three sites are rail-served by R.J. Corman Railroad, with established interchanges to both Norfolk Southern and CSX. Due diligence has been completed and utilities are available.

In September 2021, the Byrd Industrial Sites were evaluated through the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program, which helped identify opportunities to advance the property and strengthen its competitiveness for industrial development.

“North Carolina Railroad’s investment in the Byrd Industrial Sites will help us compete for manufacturers that require rail access,” said Harnett County’s Director of Economic Development Stephen Barrington in a press release. “Preparing this site to meet the needs of rail-served companies puts us in the game when they are evaluating locations of similar size. NCRR’s partnership will help move the site forward and strengthen Harnett County’s inventory of market-ready sites.”

The Harnett County Board of Commissioners approved a local government match of 25%, up to $125,000, for the project in May 2026. The Town of Lillington is a critical partner in the project, dedicating the right-of-way for the access road to Byrd Industrial Site B. The road will provide the access needed to bring prospects to the site for visits.

“We are grateful to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners for supporting this grant and committing local funds to help make this project possible,” said Harnett County Manager Brent Trout in a press release. “Investments like this help us attract and grow businesses, create jobs, and bring new investment to Harnett County.”

“This funding represents an important step forward for our community,” said Lillington Town Manager Joseph Jeffries in a press release. “We appreciate Harnett County’s partnership and look forward to working together to advance this important infrastructure project and support Lillington’s continued growth.”