WebinarFeb 4, 2025

BDO ZoneCONNECT Webinar: Barry County, Michigan & Tazewell, Virginia

On January 30, 2024, Ecostrat Inc. and the BDO Zone Initiative, in collaboration with TheDigest, hosted the BDO ZoneCONNECT webinar, highlighting two investment grade BDO Zone communities in North America: Barry County, Michigan, rated ‘A’ for Woody Biomass, and Tazewell, Virginia, also rated ‘A’ for Woody Biomass.

The webinar was moderated by Jim Lane, Editor of TheDigest, and featured key insights from Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative. Participants included Nichole Lyke, Economic Development Director of the Barry County Chamber & Economic Development Alliance; Wes Jurey, CEO of the Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership (ATIP) Foundation; and Scotty Wampler, Executive Director of the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission. The webinar underscored the regions’ abundant biomass resources, robust infrastructure, shovel-ready sites and attractive local incentives, positioning these BDO Zones as prime locations for biobased projects seeking a reliable supply of woody biomass feedstock.

BDO ZoneCONNECT, a joint initiative with The Daily Digest, aims to facilitate connections and stimulate development interest within BDO Zone communities. It serves as a catalyst for networking, sharing new BDO Zone ratings, and attracting a diverse global audience of stakeholders, including investors, bio-based project developers, financiers, and community leaders.

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To view the webinar, please click below:

Summary of Presenter Remarks

Bob Buckingham, Project Director, Ecostrat:

“We took a close look at the local lumber and forestry markets to see what kind of feedstock might be available if a new industry/entrant wanted to move into the area [Barry County].” Over 300,000 tons of forestry wood and saw mill residues are produced annually in the region.
“The forest products industry is very solid and has been around for generations.” Current demand exceeds 1 million tons of biomass annually, yet sufficient feedstock remains available for new industrial development.

Nichole Lyke, Economic Development Director, Barry County Chamber & Economic Development Alliance:

“We have build ready sites in Barry County, including the star school property.” Located in Hastings near state highways, this 1,400-acre site offers local incentives for prospective purchasers.
“The Hastings Business Park is an industrial park so the focus is on manufacturing and heavy industrial.” Both properties are situated within the city’s opportunity zone, providing additional incentives.

Peter Wolf, Project Director, Ecostrat:

“There’s a lot of material in the Tazewell, Virginia BDO Zone that is currently not being utilized.” Private landowners actively seek new market opportunities for their resources.
The region features 625,000 green tons annually of low-risk feedstock, primarily low-grade roundwood freed up by recent paper mill closures in Tennessee and North Carolina since 2020. Idle chipping yards formerly serving the pulp and paper industry now seek new markets.

Wes Jurey, CEO, Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership (ATIP) Foundation:

“We work nationally, in multiple areas to literally build the bioeconomy from the ground floor up.” ATIP is a non-profit LLC established in 2011 at USDA’s request.
The organization supports rural and urban agricultural development by helping businesses access research outcomes, market assessments, and patented technology discoveries.

Scotty Wampler, Executive Director, Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission:

“We worked on this project because it not only aligns with our regions legacy concentrations in the energy and manufacturing sectors but it also works to diversify our economic base.”
“Our region does market multiple robust industrial parks, the Bluestone Regional Business and Technology Park is approximately 600 acres and site ready for new projects and is located near the center of the BDO Zone in Tazewell County.”

For more information on the Barry County, MI, BDO Zone, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.

For more information on the Tazewell, VA, BDO Zone, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.

For more information on the Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership (ATIP) Foundation, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.

Contact Information:

Nichole Lyke, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and Economic Development Director, Barry County Chamber & Economic Development Alliance (nichole@mibarry.com).

Scotty Wampler, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and Executive Director, Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission (swampler@cppdc.org).

Wes Jurey, CEO, Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership (ATIP) Foundation (wesjurey@gmail.com).

Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative (aryn@ecostrat.com).

Originally published at bdozone.org.