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9/26/2025
The International Economic Development Council last month honored the North Carolina Railroad Co. (NCRR) with the 2025 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award in the recovery, resiliency and mitigation category.
NCCR was recognized for its Back-on-Track grant program, which has delivered critical financial aid to communities and rail-served businesses after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina in late September 2024. So far, NCRR has provided $8.2 million for disaster relief efforts.
Two highlighted recipients include Premier Magnesia LLC, which was acquired by heavy building materials provider Martin Marietta in July. NCRR awarded the company $3 million. Flooding from the hurricane damaged the company's Waynesville, North Carolina, plant and washed out nearby rail lines, forcing the company to truck in raw materials at a higher cost.
Similarly, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Fletcher, North Carolina, received $900,000 in financial support from NCRR to cover temporary trucking costs while the company recovered from flooding damage.
Learn more about NCRR's disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Helene in this RailPrime feature.