Western North Carolina Economic Development Group

Transportation

By Road
Interstate Highways 1-26 and I-40, with easy access to I-77, I-85 and I-81, put Western North Carolina within a day’s drive of 75% of the U.S. population and a three-hour drive of 12,000 high-tech firms. Over 40 motor freight carriers serve the region.

By Air
The Asheville Regional Airport is served by Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, and US Airways, with short flights to nearby international airports in Atlanta and Charlotte, and other direct flights to Newark, Houston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Orlando, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Detroit and Minneapolis. More than 200 destinations around the world can be reached with a single connection.

By Rail
Western North Carolina is served by the Norfolk Southern Railroad Corporation, which provides rail lines through Knoxville, TN, to the west and Greenville, SC, to the south. To the east, rail lines adjoin North Carolina’s 3,600 mile rail network. CSX also provides service to portions of the AdvantageWest region. Regional facilities offer loading and unloading, and a piggyback service is available. Passenger rail service is available approximately an hour away in Greer, SC.

By Port
North Carolina has two modern deep-water ports in Wilmington and Morehead City. Inland port services are available in adjoining regions like Charlotte and upstate South Carolina. Some western North Carolina companies also use ports in Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA.

In an effort to respond to the diverse economic development needs of North Carolina, then State Representative Martin Nesbitt introduced legislation creating the regional economic development partnerships. It was this extraordinary insight that allowed AdvantageWest to become one of the most innovative and nimble economic development programs in the state.

Amanda Baranski , Exec. Asst./ Asst. Corp Secretary
AdvantageWest
134 Wright Brothers Way
Fletcher, NC 28732