Sandersville Railroad Announces Fifth Additional User of the Hanson Spur

SPARTA, Ga., Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sandersville Railroad Company has announced Southern Chips LLC as an additional user of its planned rail spur in Hancock County. Southern Chips will use the spur to transport pulp and paper-quality wood chips to mills throughout the southeastern United States and beyond.

The Hanson Spur will allow Southern Chips to ship its product more cost-effectively through access to the CSX Transportation (CSXT) network, providing its locally sourced timber and wood products to more customers in the region. Through using the spur, Southern Chips will have the ability to expand its existing support of loggers and timber companies in middle and southeastern Georgia.

"Sandersville Railroad is thrilled to announce this partnership with Southern Chips," says Sandersville Railroad President Ben J. Tarbutton, III. "With access to the CSXT via the Hanson Spur, Southern Chips will be able to reach new markets, increasing their demand for pine and hardwood supplied by Georgia's robust logging supply chain network and locally owned timberland."

The 4.5-mile-long spur will connect the CSXT rail line that runs along Ga. Highway 16 in Hancock County to the Heidelberg Materials aggregate quarry in Sparta, Ga. The spur is projected to greatly benefit the Hancock County community, generating over $1.5 million in annual economic benefit and creating jobs for the county.

"Using the Hanson Spur is an obvious choice for Southern Chips to expand our market reach," said Jeffrey Custer, Wood Procurement and Fiber Sales Manager at Southern Chips LLC. "We are grateful for our partnership with the Sandersville Railroad Company and look forward to working together for many years to come."

The Sandersville Railroad Company has taken numerous steps to ensure the safety and well-being of both the environment and the community with the creation of the Hanson Spur. The route complies with the highest railroad design standards while minimizing any impact on sensitive environmental areas and taking measures to ease any disruption to the everyday lives of local residents. 

The Hanson Spur will be Sandersville Railroad's first expansion in Hancock County. In addition to the economic growth brought by the spur, Sandersville Railroad anticipates supporting Hancock County's local initiatives.

Southern Chips LLC joins Veal Farms Transload LLC, Revive Milling, LLC, Pittman Construction and Heidelberg Materials as confirmed users of the spur line. Sandersville Railroad plans to have the Hanson Spur fully operational by the end of 2024. 

About Southern Chips, LLC
Southern Chips, LLC has been in operation since 2018 and provides quality hardwood and pine wood chips to pulp and paper mills. Our chip mill specializes in rail-delivered chips to any location with rail service in the continental United States. Since the company's founding, we have aggressively upgraded the chip mill through capital expenditures to increase rail payloads, overall mill dependability, pulpwood storage capacity and chip quality. For more information, please visit: https://www.southern-chips.com/#top

About the Sandersville Railroad Company
The Sandersville Railroad Company is a privately held shortline railroad in Sandersville, Georgia. Established in 1893, the railroad has a long history of providing excellent freight service to Washington County. The 130-year-old company maintains ten miles of mainline track and five miles of branch lines as well as five locomotive engines and more than 400 railcars that service key industries in Middle Georgia. Sandersville Railroad is the single largest kaolin rail originator in the world. For more information, please visit: https://www.sandersvillerailroad.com/ 

SOURCE Sandersville Railroad