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Macon County, Alabama

The Macon County, AL, BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘A’.

Rating Issue Date: January 31, 2025.

‘A’ ratings denote high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. Capacity to support new biobased plant operations is considered strong.

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Call 833-311-4BDO

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BDO Zone Rating

Macon County, AL, BDO Zone Overview

Feedstock quantities are expressed in bone dry tons per year (bdt/yr), while feedstock costs are expressed in USD ($). Maximum transport distance is based on a 75-mile driving distance from the center point (Tuskegee, AL).

BDO Zone Assets:

Growing forest industry due to large availability of sustainable and affordable sawtimber and pulpwood.
Well-established forest supply chains with a proven track record of scale-up.
Designated industrial site with prime access to rail services and highways, and the readily available essential physical and social infrastructure.

BDO Zone Liabilities:

Large number of competitors with established relationships with existing suppliers of woody biomass.
Aging logging industry and the need for large, skilled workforce to harvest the pulpwood rated quantity.
Lack of sufficient log truck drivers to support the required scale-up of the forest supply chains.

Infrastructure

I-85 Corridor CSX Select Site – Macon County, AL

277 available acres; $25,000 per acre
Access to key east-west high-load corridor; half-mile from I-85 (Exit 38)
Attractively positioned between Montgomery (AL) and Auburn/Opelika (AL)
CSX Mainline rail frontage
High-capacity natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, and fiber services either on-site or adjacent to site
Under 2 hours from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Under 1 hour from Montgomery Regional Airport
Five minutes from Moton Field Municipal Airfield
Access to agricultural lands & international markets
Drone Footage

Highway 199/Midway Road Site – Tuskegee, AL

350 available acres (240 buildable acres); $20,000 per acre
Highway 199 and Midway Road, Tuskegee, AL 36083
Access to key east-west high-load corridor; 3 miles from I-85 (Exit 38)
Attractively positioned between Montgomery (AL) and Auburn/Opelika (AL)
CSX Mainline adjacent to site with rail-highway traffic study and draft rail expansion plans already completed
High-capacity natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, and fiber services either adjacent to or nearby site
Under 2 hours from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Under 1 hour from Montgomery Regional Airport
Five minutes from Moton Field Municipal Airfield
Access to agricultural lands & international markets
Drone Footage
Drone footage of current rail and proposed extension

Contact Info

Ryan Magwood

Head of Business Development

BDO Zone Initiative

ryan@bdozone.org

647-962-3286

BDO Zone Local Development Leaders

Joe Turnham

Director

Macon County Economic Development Authority

joeturnham@aol.com

334-444-2672

Local grants and Incentives

Opportunity Zones (OZ):

Macon County has three certified Qualified Opportunity Zones
Offers capital gains tax incentives for private investment in designated areas
Supports business and real estate development
Learn more at cdfifund.gov/opportunity-zones

New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC):

Federal tax program to incentivize growth and investment in small businesses and commercial real estate in small communities
Provides tax credits to investors for equity investments in qualified projects
Learn more at cdfifund.gov/programs-training/programs/new-markets-tax-credit

Other Incentives:

Negotiable local and state assistance available for projects, workforce recruitment, and more

Grant Assistance:

Delta Regional Authority (DRA): Supports transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development in Macon County
Appalachian Regional Commission: Promotes growth and quality of life improvements in the region