Moore County, North Carolina

The Moore County, North Carolina BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘A’.

Rating Issue Date: August 26, 2026.

‘A’ ratings denote high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. Capacity to support new biobased plant operations is considered strong.

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BDO Zone RatingA

Rating

Certified supply

925,000 bdt/yr

Feedstock

Woody Biomass

Rated

August 2026

Moore County, NC, BDO Zone Overview

Feedstock quantities are expressed in bone dry tons per year (bdt/yr), while feedstock costs are expressed in USD ($). Maximum transport distance is based on a 75-mi driving distance from the center point (Robbins, NC).

BDO Zone Assets

Large rated biomass quantities across pulpwood, forest residues, and sawmill residues.
Sustainable timber resource, with annual growth exceeding removals.
Strong pulpwood base supported by loblolly pine plantations, conventional harvesting, and improved thinning operations.
Private land ownership supporting stable and efficient procurement channels.

BDO Zone Liabilities

Scale-up capacity needed as the rated quantities require additional crews, trucks, grinders, and chip vans.
Limited forest residue recovery due to insufficient grinding capacity.
Haul-distance sensitivity requiring a practical 50-mile procurement drive distance.
Uncertain sawmill residue availability due to decreasing lumber capacity.

Talk to us about Moore County, NC See all rated regions →

BDO Zone, 25 mi

Supply Zone, 75 mi

Competition Zone, 150 mi

Infrastructure

Iron Horse Industrial Park (Moore County, NC)

Location: NC Hwy 211 East, Aberdeen, NC (0.3 miles from NC Hwy 211; 3.3 miles from US-1)
Site Size: 73 acres (55 developable); zoned Heavy Industrial
Availability: Heavy industrial site with gentle, rolling topography; 55 acres cleared and 15 acres graded. Can accommodate up to 600,000 sq ft of building space, either a single anchor tenant or multiple smaller buildings. Environmental due diligence completed (Phase I ESA, wetland delineation, geotechnical, archaeological/cultural, and endangered species reviews); additional Phase II environmental testing is currently underway.
Infrastructure:
- Electric: Duke Energy. 23 kV distribution line with 3 MW capacity, upgradable to 5 MW; 3-phase power adjacent at NW corner of the property. (Contact: Tammy Whaley, Senior Economic Development Manager, Duke Energy, (704) 995-4084, tammy.whaley@duke-energy.com)
- Natural Gas: Piedmont Natural Gas. 8-inch, 150 psig transmission line accessible on site, plus a 2-inch distribution line on Carolina Road. (Contact: Kevin Fisher, Gas Major Accounts Manager, (910) 624-3763, kevin.fisher@duke-energy.com)
- Water: Town of Aberdeen. 12-inch line along the eastern property line with 100K GPD excess capacity. Connection to the municipal system is required. (Contact: Joe Wood, Director of Aberdeen Public Works, Town of Aberdeen, (910) 944-7012, jwood@townofaberdeen.net)
- Wastewater: Town of Aberdeen. 8-inch sewer line on site with 150K GPD capacity; Moore County Water Pollution Control Plant is 5 miles S/E. (Contact: Joe Wood, Director of Aberdeen Public Works, Town of Aberdeen, (910) 944-7012, jwood@townofaberdeen.net)
- Fiber: Windstream. Fiber lines about 1,800 ft east of the property; fiber and cable services available. (Contact: Rosalie Brown, Inside Account Business Executive, Windstream, (606) 536-9242, rosalie.brown@windstream.com)
Transportation Access:
- NC Hwy 211 (0.3 miles); US-1 (3.3 miles); I-73/74 corridor (23 miles); I-95 (34 miles)
- Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad runs along the entire north property line, with interchanges to CSX (~4 miles); Norfolk Southern in Fayetteville (~43 miles).
- Moore County Airport (~10 miles); Fayetteville Regional (~45 miles); Raleigh-Durham Int’l (~70 miles)
Setting: Heavy industrial site in central North Carolina’s timber-rich Piedmont/Sandhills region, about 30 miles from Fort Bragg. 1 hour south of Raleigh-Durham and 2 hours from both Charlotte & Wilmington.
Site Contact:
- Natalie Hawkins, President, Moore County Economic Development Partnership | 910-252-9455 | nhawkins@moorecountyedp.org.

Video – Iron Horse Industrial Park

Local Grants and Incentives

Local Incentives

Moore County and Municipal Development Incentives

Moore County and several municipalities (Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Carthage, and Robbins) offer economic development incentives based on the project’s assessed property value.

Companies investing under $3 million: reimbursements over 5 years
Companies investing $3 million or more: reimbursements over 7 years

State Incentives

Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG)

Performance-based, discretionary cash grants for new and expanding companies, designed to offset location and expansion facility costs. A competitive program based on job creation and investment levels.

One North Carolina Fund

Discretionary grant program enabling the Governor to respond quickly to competitive job-creation projects. Awards are based on job creation, investment, and regional economic impact.

Building Reuse Program

Grants for renovating vacant buildings and expanding existing company facilities.

Opportunity Zone Tax Benefits

Moore County has one designated Opportunity Zone (Census Tract 37125950200), centered in the Robbins area—directly aligned with the BDO Zone location.

Additional State Support