Highways
I-95, I-40 and a web of four-lane highways offer convenient surface transit. Highway 74, which bisects Columbus County, is in the process of being upgraded to an interstate.
Driving times:
Atlanta, Georgia: 6 hours
Charleston, South Carolina: 3 hours
Charlotte, North Carolina: 3.5 hours
New York City, New York: 10 hours
Washington, DC: 6 hours
Airports
Wilmington International (ILM)
Raleigh-Durham International (RDU)
Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
Columbus County Airport
5,500 foot, lighted runway
NDB (Non-Directional Beacon) approach with a GPS overlay
AWOS-Automated Weather Observation System
Refueling available
Rail
North Carolina is the hub of an east coast rail network, linking the state’s industries to suppliers and markets throughout the United States. Four thousand miles of track and 20 railroads crisscross North Carolina.
Carolina Southern Railroad and CSX Transportation serve Columbus County
Port of Wilmington
(Foreign Trade Zone #66) is located on 390 acres on which 1.5 million square feet of warehouse space is situated. Wilmington is one of the few U.S. South Atlantic ports with a rail line running directly into its container yard. This makes it unnecessary to dray containers between the docks and a distant rail ramp. The entire Port of Wilmington is a designated foreign trade zone providing duty-free storage, manipulation, exhibition, and limited manufacturing operations.
Distance to Port
Wilmington, NC: 49 miles east, 1 hr.
Foreign Trade Zones and bonded warehouse storage are available.
Foreign Trade Zone
• Entire Wilmington terminal designated as Foreign Trade Zone 66
• Can lower, defer, or avoid import duties
• Can accommodate special purpose subzones
Water, Sewer & Natural Gas
Industrial sites at Southeast Regional Park and Tabor Industrial Park are fully served by infrastructure.
Southeast Regional Park
Water service is provided by Columbus County, the City of Whiteville and the Town of Chadbourn. A 500,000 gallon water tank located in the park serves the park tenants. Extension to the site is provided by Columbus County.
Sewer Service is provided by the City of Whiteville to all park tenants. Extension to the site is provided by Columbus County.
Natural Gas is provided by Piedmont Natural Gas.
Electrical service is provided via a substation dedicated to park tenants by Progress Energy.
Tabor City Industrial Park
Water service is provided by the Town of Tabor City. A 500,000 gallon tank is being added to the park property.
Sewer Service is provided by the Town of Tabor City.
Natural Gas is provided by Piedmont Natural Gas.
Electrical service is provided by Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation. BEMC has also constructed an incubator in the park offering low-cost work space to entrepreneurial ventures and other start-up companies.
Air Emissions
Columbus County is not currently nor on schedule to be included in a non-attainment
area.