Norfolk Southern representatives join state and local economic development allies at Country View Family Farms for ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A partnership between Norfolk Southern, the North Shore Railroad Company, and state and local economic development partners provided the vital rail connectivity needed to enable Pennsylvania’s Country View Family Farms to open a new feed mill. The project expands market reach for the family-owned business and creates 50 new jobs in the area.

Throughout the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 27, stakeholders recognized how rail infrastructure is helping stimulate regional economic growth and connect businesses to global markets.

“This project was 20 years in the making,” said Aaron Ott, president of County View Family Farms, “and the efforts of the North Shore Railroad with site selection and [Norfolk Southern] were instrumental in making this possible, as rail access was critical to the success of the project.”

Norfolk Southern representatives join Country View Family Farms employees, family, and others for ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Country View Family Farms, based in Middletown, Pennsylvania, manages over 100 family farms as a hog procurement and production company. The new $47 million feed mill spans 173 acres, featuring an 8,250-foot loop track to accommodate 105-car unit train deliveries by Norfolk Southern. The facility will handle approximately 450,000 bushels of corn weekly, supplying feed for around 975,000 hogs in a 50-mile radius. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Clemens Family Corporation, Country View is well-positioned to enhance operations and expand its market reach with its rail connectivity. Currently, we expect to move approximately 4,000 carloads annually for this operation.

Our partnerships with short lines, like North Shore Railroad Company, are vital for efficiently linking businesses to broader markets. To represent the strength of our collaboration, a heritage locomotive honoring the Reading Railroad, a Norfolk Southern predecessor that once served this rail line, was onsite for the ceremony where it hauled the North Shore Railroad Company passenger trains around the loop. This gave attendees the opportunity to ride the train and get a sense for the scope of the new mill.

As Rob Jones, Norfolk Southern Director of Industrial Development, remarked, "This locomotive acknowledges our shared history with the North Shore Railroad Company while symbolizing our joint commitment to serving Country View Family Farms for decades to come."

Pictured from left to right: Norfolk Southern Industrial Development Manager Amanda Barber; Drive Executive Director Jennifer Wakeman; Focus PA Executive Director Lauren Bryson; Norfolk Southern Director Industrial Development Rob Jones.

Norfolk Southern and local economic development partner, Focus Central PA, have partnered for many years to promote economic growth and business development in the state, including priming this opportunity. In recognition of Focus Central PA's efforts to rehabilitate and revitalize the region and in anticipation of projects that generate jobs and investment like Country View Family Farms, we awarded Focus Central PA a 2024 Thriving Communities Grant of $25,000, building on a previous donation from 2023 of more than $32,000. We look forward to the region’s continued success with rail-served projects.