Greensboro-Randolph Mega Site Development Draws a $13.9 Billion Toyota Manufacturing Facility 

• One of the largest infrastructure projects in North Carolina’s history. 
• “Shovel-ready” site with electricity, water, sewer, roads and rail. 
• Now houses Toyota North Carolina — a $13.9 billion manufacturing plant. 

When North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region experienced a steep decline in its generations-old textile, tobacco and furniture industries, state and local leaders began looking for ways to create new jobs and spur economic development. To drive investment, the leaders sought to turn 1,800 acres of rural land into a “shovel-ready” site complete with utilities and robust connectivity to an existing railroad and U.S. Highway 421. By developing the Greensboro-Randolph Mega Site, the leaders hoped to attract a transformative automotive manufacturing, production and assembly facility. The leaders’ strategy was a success. With electricity, water, sewer, roads and rail accessible, Toyota selected the Greensboro-Randolph Mega Site for Toyota North Carolina to develop and produce lithium-ion batteries — a multibillion-dollar investment that will bring about 5,000 jobs to the area.

From the early planning stages to final design, our involvement in the project spans several years. We conducted sitewide engineering, environmental and permitting services with multiple public and private clients to get the mega site ready for development. Our strategic communications team led a comprehensive outreach initiative to keep community members informed and engaged throughout the site improvement process.

 To facilitate construction manager/general contractor project delivery, we helped prepare for contractor selection and the interview process. An accelerated schedule allowed for site access at the start of plant operations.  

Laying the Groundwork for a Manufacturing Plant 

North Carolina Railroad Company selected us for overall project management and due diligence activities like crafting site civil layouts and securing permits for speculative projects. To expedite construction, we conducted extensive site investigations and environmental studies for environmental permitting. Our teams facilitated coordination between multiple agencies and led public involvement initiatives. 

For the City of Greensboro, we developed the final design drawings and specifications for 17 miles of new waterlines, 9 miles of sewer line and a lift station, and acted as an advisor for the construction of a water tower. HDR also provided Phase 1 on-site water and sewer line design as part of Greensboro’s incentive package for Toyota. 

We assisted a major regional energy provider with environmental and erosion control planning for the relocation of an existing 525 kV transmission line located within the boundary of the mega site and a 7-mile 100 kV line providing power to the mega site from a nearby town. 

For the North Carolina Department of Transportation, we modernised and updated roads along U.S. 421, taking the effort from conceptual designs to final designs for two interchanges and an overpass, and navigating requirements when U.S. 421 was designated as a future interstate midway through the project.  

Our strategic communications team led a public meeting to reach targeted audiences to gather information to support the design of water and sewer system improvements that serve the site. A project website, email and hotline were developed to house project information to extend the reach of information sharing with the public. Media monitoring and social media platforms delivered the current project details to the public. We led public meetings at key milestones of the project and developed a multitude of outreach materials to educate the public and build awareness. Our team provided public engagement strategy, public meeting planning and facilitation, social media strategy and monitoring, public relations and media monitoring, and website design and development.

Mass Grading the Mega Site

For the North Carolina Department of Transportation, we served as the engineer of record for grading nearly 1,200 acres at the mega site. Nearly 25 million cubic yards of material was moved — much of it rock. We developed phased erosion control and grading plans and adapted those plans to meet aggressive schedules and accommodate the contractors’ operational needs. This required meticulous planning for efficient hauling within the site and in areas adjacent to environmentally protected features.

Throughout our tenure at the site, additional services included: 

• Project development: We collaborated with many stakeholders to orchestrate overall project development, including essential construction coordination, addressing requests for information and timely updates to erosion control measures to expedite the delivery of the development pad.
• Site master planning: We contributed to the site master plan by developing schematic layouts for the internal road network, parking areas, facility locations and connections. We also developed the main layouts for utilities. 
• Site functionality design: Our team designed and assisted with permitting components essential for the site’s functionality such as internal roads, generators, e-houses, parking lots, and yards for containers, tanks and chillers. 

Toyota North Carolina 

Toyota North Carolina began operations in 2025, marking Toyota’s first North American battery manufacturing plant. At full capacity, batteries for hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be manufactured using 14 production lines.