1649
wp-singular,post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-1649,single-format-standard,wp-theme-onyx,wp-child-theme-onyx-child,mkd-core-2.0.1,mikado-core-2.0.1,ajax_leftright,page_not_loaded,,onyx child-child-ver-2.0.0,onyx-ver-3.2, vertical_menu_with_scroll,smooth_scroll,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.0.3,vc_responsive

Burke County Property Included in Select Sites Program

February 19, 2026

Site Chosen for Its Development Potential

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 19, 2026

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. – Burke Development Inc. (BDI) has received notification that a portion of the Great Meadows property has been included in the Western NC Select Site Readiness Report released today by EDPNC. This continues a program established in 2023 by the North Carolina General Assembly creating the Select Site Readiness Program (SRP). The program was established as a direct effort “to support the development of sites that would increase North Carolina’s competitiveness for the siting or expansion of major manufacturing projects in key industry sectors.”

The Western North Carolina Select Site Readiness effort followed as the General Assembly enacted S.L. 2025-4 to engage a national site selection firm to produce a report identifying and evaluating no fewer than three select sites and up to five sites within the 25 counties designated as major disaster areas as a result of Hurricane Helene.

Global Location Strategies (GLS), based in Greenville, S.C., was selected to gather information and evaluate the locations. Burke Development Inc. (BDI) was proactive when the opportunity was announced and submitted three sites: Drexel Industrial Park, Burke Business Park, and Great Meadows as part of the process.  In addition, BDI supported Caldwell County’s submission of Foothills Regional Airport.  The submission process was thorough and required detailed information for each site.

A total of 18 sites were submitted as part of the process, and five were identified and selected for inclusion in the report: Alexander County Rail Site – Alexander County; Great Meadows – Burke County; Project Shift – Jackson County; Mitchell Business Park – Mitchell County; and ECMD Site – Wilkes County. These sites were recommended as having the best opportunities for siting advanced manufacturing projects in this region of the state. They will be further evaluated regarding readiness for development and will additionally have access to SRP grant funds to assist with continued site development.

Alan Wood, President and CEO of Burke Development Inc., stated: “This is a critical step forward in our efforts to develop industrial property in Burke County. Having quality buildings and sites is an absolute necessity in economic development. We are very pleased to have our site evaluated and selected by GLS and the EDPNC team.”

Link: https://businessnc.com/edpncs-selectsite-economic-program-expands-west-to-help-helene-recovery/

About Burke Development, Inc.

Burke Development, Inc. (BDI) is a nonprofit organization supported by private and public funding that is charged with accelerating economic growth in Burke County. BDI works with industry leaders, site selection consultants, government agencies and other entities to facilitate expansion strategies for existing businesses and recruit target industries to Burke County. For more information about BDI visit www.BurkeDevInc.com.

###

Contact:

Alan Wood

828.764.1818



Stay in the know

Sign up today and we’ll keep you up-to-date on local news from Burke County.