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The museum is located just north of Salisbury and houses exhibits including trains, cars, planes and more.

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SPENCER, N.C. — Located on the former grounds of the Southern Railroad in Spencer, North Carolina, the North Carolina Transportation Museum is the museum that moves you.

"We're known for trains because we're on a former railroad site but we also have airplanes, automobiles, trucks, bicycles," Marcus Neubacher, the museum's director of administration, told WCNC Charlotte's Larry Sprinkle during a recent tour. "Every form of inland transportation."

The museum is located just north of Salisbury and sits on 60 acres of land. Many of the museum's buildings were used to service steam locations that traveled between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.

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Larry Sprinkle visits the NC Transportation Museum

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WCNC Charlotte's Larry Sprinkle at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC.

You can stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, just download the free app.

Today many of these buildings hold artifacts and vehicles to teach the history of transportation in North Carolina. Included in the museum, a replica of the plane that Wilbur and Orville Wright first flew during the birth of aviation.

"The Wright Flyer is what they put together to fly for the first time, "Neubacher said. North Carolina, Kitty Hawk is where that happened."

The museum is celebrating its 45th year.

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Hours and tickets can be found on their website along with a list of upcoming special events, including a Day Out with Thomas and the Polar Express.

Contact Larry Sprinkle at lsprinkle@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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SALISBURY — Jacqui Smith Watson knew it was only a matter of time before another major development came to Long Ferry Road in northeast Rowan County.

“Our exit is one of the last exits they haven’t built something this huge at,” Watson said. “I knew it was coming.”

She was still shocked several weeks ago when she learned of the magnitude of a project currently being planned by Red Rock Developments.

The company, which is based in Columbia, South Carolina, and has a regional office in Charlotte, plans to develop a 379-acre industrial park with 2.65 million square feet of commercial space spread across six buildings. The industrial park will be located about a mile off I-85 at exit 81, not far from Chewy’s e-commerce fulfillment center.

The largest building in the park will be almost 1.2 million square feet alone, considerably larger than Chewy’s 700,000 square foot facility. The other five buildings range in size from 168,480 square feet to 572,113 square feet, according to a site plan.

The second-largest building will be constructed north of Long Ferry Road while the rest will be south of the road. In addition to several water retention ponds and interior access roads, site plans call for 1,149 parking spaces and 723 trailer spaces. The buildings will be built speculatively, which typically means the developer will try to attract a tenant during or shortly after construction.

Red Rock Developments showcased plans to nearby residents at a community meeting held at Millers Ferry Fire Department Tuesday evening.

Watson, a longtime Long Ferry Road resident, attended the gathering after hearing about the potential development on a Facebook group several weeks prior. She said the meeting was well attended and that residents were engaged. Most people were concerned about traffic on Long Ferry Road. Rowan County Commissioners Chair Greg Edds, who also attended the meeting, shared a similar assessment.

“The biggest issue asked among everybody, whether they supported it or didn’t, was the issue of traffic,” Edds said. “We’ve dealt with that to some extent with the Chewy project. That’s a question that everyone had, even if you were very enthusiastic about the project.”

Edds added most residents seemed to be supportive of plans for the industrial park.

Watson said there is already a law enforcement officer stationed near the I-85 interchange to help direct traffic around 5 p.m. everyday. In addition to Chewy, two gas stations at the exit draw traffic.

Due to the amount of additional traffic the industrial park would bring to Long Ferry Road, Red Rock Developments initiated a traffic impact analysis and generated recommendations to improve the road accordingly. Those recommendations were reviewed and approved by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Recommendations include adding turn lanes at access points to the industrial park along Long Ferry Road, but they do not include any new travel lanes to the two-lane road. There will be about nine access points to different portions of the industrial park.

The majority of road improvements will happen near the I-85 interchange, according to NCDOT District Engineer Kelly Seitz.

Seitz said a traffic signal will be put at the southbound and northbound ramps at exit 81. Another signal will be added at the service road leading to Chewy.

Edds said Rowan County will conduct a corridor study on Long Ferry Road to examine the road extending past the proposed industrial park.

Besides traffic, Watson doesn’t have many concerns about the facility.

“I would hope it would increase property values and not inconvenience too many people with the traffic coming in and out of that project,” Watson said.

Rick Mahaley, who lives on Long Ferry Road across from what is being called “building E,” also said he didn’t have any major concerns besides traffic.

“I’m definitely not put out or upset, other than it’s going to ruin my view and change what I’ve been used to,” Mahaley said.

Mahaley said he might have concerns about light or noise pollution, depending on what type of companies end up inhabiting the buildings in the industrial park. Progress is inevitable, Mahaley said, and people generally have the right to do what they want with their land.

Now that Red Rock Developments has hosted a community meeting, the company is primed to move forward with its plans. One of the next steps will be to rezone the parcels that comprise the park. Edds said county government is working with the company to determine the best way to do that and the two entities have been in frequent communication.

“They’re one of the best groups we’ve ever dealt with,” Edds said.

The industrial park would be connected to the county’s northeast water system, but sewer lines would need to be extended from Chewy’s facility. A separate water line also would need to be added for fire safety.

Edds said bringing economic development to Long Ferry Road has been on his mind since he was elected as a commissioner almost a decade ago.

“I’ve always been excited about the possibility of something happening out there,” Edds said.

He’s bullish on what the industrial park would mean for Rowan County.

“Just the value of the shell of these buildings approaches about $200 million,” Edds said. “But what we see when companies come along, if you look at some of the other projects we’re looking at, the equipment that goes in there is oftentimes a much higher investment than what the building itself is even. We could safely say that you could probably double that amount in total investment.”

Edds said he’s also excited about the number of jobs the park would create, which he expects to be more than 1,000.

“That continues to raise the boats because they have to compete for workers and it raises everybody’s boat,” Edds said.

About Ben Stansell

Ben Stansell covers business, county government and more for the Salisbury Post. He joined the staff in August 2020 after graduating from the University of Alabama. Email him at ben.stansell@salisburypost.com.

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KANNAPOLIS – Complete with state-of-the-art equipment and a goal of serving as a catalyst for the development of plant-based food, the N.C. Food Innovation Lab was launched Thursday with a celebratory ribbon-cutting and open house.

The 16,000-square-foot food processing and product development facility is on the 350-acre N.C. Research Campus. It represents almost an $11 million investment, said Bill Aimutis of the food lab.

The lab includes a wet processing area for plant material and water removal; a room for extrusion, milling and blending; an extraction room for plant-based raw materials; a drying room; product development lab; test kitchen; and collaboration studio.

The open house started with remarks from multiple North Carolina officials and those affiliated with the project.

“What a special day this is, and what a special facility this is,” N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. “We’re going to be creating markets for farmers and will be creating jobs. I thank all of you for being here.”

The innovation lab operates under current good manufacturing practices, regulatory guidelines and strict food manufacturing safety practices.

Aimutis said the lab turns a vision into a reality — a world-class building where plant-based foods can be researched, developed and turned into commercial products.

“And also helping new companies establish new products in the marketplace, and then the second objective was to bring value to some of the fruits and vegetables we have here in North Carolina,” Aimutis said.

The space, Aimutis said, will be used by “just about anybody” interested in producing food products, with the one requirement that any company would be focused on plant-based products.

The lab will offer a range of customizable services that include product research and development, pilot plant production, training and workshops, and establishing food companies.

The facility was made possible through a partnership among a number of organizations that support North Carolina’s food manufacturing economy, including the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. State University, the N.C. Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and the N.C. Research Campus.

Haley Burtch, Hawi Debilo and Miceala Hayes, graduate students with N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said they were excited about the ribbon-cutting.

“It was kind of cool to see people from the industry, legislature and professors. It’s awesome for us as students to see all of this come together,” Burtch said.

Ben Lepczyk said that through a partnership with the Food Innovation Lab, he is working to create a plant-based supplemental meal-replacement beverage for all ages.

“Me and my wife, Erika, came in with an idea to (Aimutis). He took us through the design process to get the creative juices flowing and to determine what kind of creative product we wanted to create,” Lepczyk said. “We are working right now on the branding and marketing strategy and the N.C. Food Innovation Lab is focused on product development.”

According to a news release from the food lab, North Carolina’s agriculture and agri-businesses account for $91.8 billion of the state’s annual gross domestic product.

“We are excited to have this facility open. We want to make the state of N.C. proud in what we’re doing here and we want to see economic growth as a result of this facility,” Aimutis said.

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SALISBURY — The declining red wolf population, the impact of rising sea levels and the problem of feral hogs were of special interest to viewers of an online presentation held March 4 by officials from the National Wildlife Refuge Association.

The event centered on the 11 National Wildlife Refuges in North Carolina and hosted by the Center for the Environment at Catawba College. Geoff Haskett, NWRA president, talked about the national organization, and Mike Bryant, NWRA regional representative for North and South Carolina, offered a virtual tour of the N.C. refuges, lands Bryant calls “hidden treasures.”

The National Park Service oversees 85 million acres of designated land that encompasses 62 parks which are managed for their historical and cultural value and natural preservation as well as for recreation, Haskett said.

The National Wildlife Refuge System, on the other hand, encompasses 855 million acres and 586 refuges, which are managed for wildlife and habitat conservation and the possible reintroduction of native fauna and flora. Recreation on these lands is secondary to conservation.

Bryant offered a virtual tour of the state’s refuges, beginning with the Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge about 100 miles west of Salisbury. Established in 2015, it currently has more than 7,225 acres, but only 24 of those are owned. The rest are in conservation easements. This refuge is home to the bog turtle. At 4 ½ inches, it is the smallest turtle in the country. The mountain sweet pitcher plant can also be found there. The refuge is not open to the public.

The Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge is located 56 miles south-southeast of Salisbury. Established in 1963 as a migratory bird sanctuary, it is notable for its thousands of wintering waterfowl and nesting wood ducks, which inhabit the area. The refuge is an example of one of the South’s rarest pine ecosystems, the wet Piedmont Longleaf Pine forest. Hunting, fishing and wildlife observation are permitted on the refuge.

Nine of N.C.’s National Wildlife Refuges are located in the northeastern coastal plain. The Roanoke River Refuge contains the largest intact, least disturbed hardwood forest ecosystem in the mid-Atlantic region. Its purpose is to protect and conserve these habitats for migratory birds, like the prothonotary warbler. It also provides spawning habitat for blueback herring and striped bass.

It has the largest inland breeding heron rookery in the state. “It’s also a great place to kayak,” Bryant said. The 110,000-acre Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is one of the largest refuges in the state. Pocosins are swamps on a hill.

“’Hill’ is a relative term when the highest ground is only 30 feet above sea level,” Bryant said. “It’s a broad, gently sloping dome of peat that drops in elevation one inch per mile.”

Groundwater from rain saturates these organic soils, except during seasonal dry spells and prolonged droughts when the soil dries and can catch fire and burn. A portion of the refuge is a migratory bird refuge where snow geese can be found in the winter. Deer and black bear are among the animals that live there.

The largest N.C. refuge, the 158,000-acre Alligator River Refuge, is located on its own sub-peninsula bounded by the Alligator River and Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. The refuge surrounds a 46,000-acre Department of Defense bombing range.

“They don’t blow up things,” Bryant said. “They just practice dropping dummy bombs and shooting targets.”

Wildlife that benefit from the USFWS’s management of this refuge include American alligators, black bear, waterfowl like pintail ducks, and a wide variety of migratory birds, including the indigo bunting.

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, the second oldest N.C. refuge established in 1934, is home to the state’s largest natural lake, the 40,100-acre Lake Mattamuskeet. Wintering waterfowl from the Atlantic flyway (including 20-30 percent of green-winged teal, 40-80 percent of northern pintails and 25-35 percent of tundra swan, as well as others) winter on and around this refuge.

The oldest N.C. refuge, Swanquarter Refuge, was established in 1932 to conserve wetland habitat. Half the refuge is a national wilderness area. A variety of waterfowl, including American black ducks and canvasback ducks, can be found there.

The nearby Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge marsh harbors the threatened black rail, a small, sparrow-sized secretive marsh bird. This refuge is one of the last places the bird is found in North Carolina.

Mackay Island Refuge in the northeast corner of the state provides habitat for migratory birds. Waterfowl hunting is restricted in parts of this area. Currituck Refuge protects this coastal barrier island ecosystem for the birds, wildlife, fish and plants that depend on it.

Finally, Pea Island Refuge was established in 1938 to provide nesting, resting and wintering habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge is the first 13 miles of Hatteras Island, beginning at Oregon Inlet. The habitat is home to a number of species, including redhead and ringneck ducks, the black-necked stilt, least terns and loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings, whose nests are protected and monitored.

Fiber Industries’ decision in 1963 to build a manufacturing plant in Rowan County was huge news. The company produced polyester fiber, and the country needed a lot of it. Fiber Industries tripled the size of the plant before it even opened. At one time, the company employed 3,000 people at the Salisbury facility.

Now the gigantic plant that Fiber built may be headed for closure. Officials with DuraFiber Technologies announced Friday they were seeking a buyer, and they gave employees 60-day notice that their jobs would likely end in September. Workers at DuraFiber plants in Shelby and Winnsboro, S.C., got the same news.

By this time, WARN notices and closing plans are all too familiar to people in Rowan County. DuraFiber’s announcement was different in that it contained an “if.” DuraFiber will idle its Carolina factories “if a buyer is not identified” by Sept. 11, officials said. DuraFiber seemed to be leaving the door ajar.

Economic development officials for the city, county and state should vigorously explore that opening. Perhaps there’s a way to bring in new opportunities. At stake are 373 jobs and the continued use of a factory on moe than 450 acres off U.S. 70, about six miles west of Salisbury. The spot was a prime location when Fiber chose it in the 1960s, and it still is desirable today.

Leaders of the North Carolina legislature have framed their agenda as a sure-fire way to boost the state’s economy — primarily by cutting corporate and personal income taxes. The voters of Rowan County have been loyal supporters of this conservative approach. However, whatever transformational power these tax cuts were supposed to have on job growth has yet to reach Rowan. In fact, virtually all the state’s rural counties have been left on the sidelines of the recovery and of former Gov. Pat McCrory’s so-called “Carolina Comeback.”

Things have changed at this site on U.S. 70 before. The former Fiber plant has also carried the brand of Hoescht Celanese, KOSA, Invista and Performance Fibers. There may be more. Former longtime employees gathered a year ago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the plant’s 1966 opening. They had a lot to be proud of. In addition to their work producing tire yarn and staple fibers, they were leaders in United Way giving and other community causes. Thousands of Rowan residents worked at the plant some time in their lives — and thousands would like to again.

For many years, Fiber was the county’s largest taxpayer. A 1976 story in the Post said 10 companies accounted for 24 percent of county property tax revenues at the time. Sad to say, nearly every one of them is gone. Only Duke Energy still has a major presence.

So it goes. Expecting the roster of local companies to stay the same would be unrealistic. Besides, there have been many additions: Freightliner, Magna Composites, Agility Fuel Systems, Gildan Yarns, Integro and others.

Still, Rowan is due for a turnaround, and saving the DuraFiber jobs — or replacing them very quickly — is essential.