By Katie Byrd—
MUNCIE, IN—A Norfolk Southern-served industrial site in Muncie, Indiana has earned Gold REDI Site certification, positioning the site to attract future investment and jobs to the region.
Indiana has the highest concentration of manufacturing employment on a per capita basis, twice the U.S. average, underscoring the state’s industrial strength and importance of rail-served development. The certification reflects the site’s preparedness to support the region’s target industries, including advanced manufacturing, food processing, metals processing, logistics, and industrial operations, with direct rail access and connectivity to key transportation corridors.
“Gold REDI certification demonstrates that this Muncie site is ready to compete for significant industrial investment,” said MaryBeth Flournoy, Director of Industrial Development, Norfolk Southern. “With direct rail service and strong regional infrastructure, the site offers companies the connectivity and reliability they need to grow while strengthening economic opportunity in Indiana.”
Click on the photo above to open the Norfolk Southern REDI site mapping application.
What Gold certification signals
The Site Selectors Guild’s REDI (Ready for Economic Development Investment) program evaluates sites on key criteria including:
- Infrastructure capacity and utility readiness
- Environmental due diligence and site control
- Transportation access, including rail service
- Workforce availability and regional market access
- Development timeline and overall project feasibility
A Gold certification indicates the site meets rigorous standards and is prepared to support large-scale manufacturing, logistics, or industrial operations. A total of 18 Norfolk Southern-served sites have received a REDI designation since the program’s inception.
By the numbers
- Total acreage: 80
- Distance to nearest interstate (I-69): 9 miles
- Access to strong labor force (60-minute drive time): 1.4 million
The rail advantage
The Muncie site offers:
- Direct Norfolk Southern rail service
- Connectivity to Midwest and national freight corridors
- Access to major highways and regional workforce markets
- Adjacent county-owned acreage in industrial park
Located along NS’ high-capacity Chicago to Atlanta corridor, the site supports freight flows tied to advanced manufacturing, food processing, metals processing, logistics, and industrial operation.
What they’re saying
Traci Lutton, Vice President of Economic Development for the Economic Development Alliance of Muncie-Delaware County said her organization led the site certification on a local level. “In today’s competitive industrial market, speed and certainty drive location decisions,” said Lutton. “Through our partnership with Norfolk Southern and the REDI Sites program, achieving Gold certification mitigates risk, accelerates timelines, and positions Delaware County as a rail-served community ready for industrial investment.”
Katie Byrd leads external communications for Norfolk Southern in the areas of Executive Communications, including Commercial and Strategic Planning. She joined NS in 2022, bringing nearly 10 years of strategic communications expertise.
