At Norfolk Southern's 7th annual Short Line meeting in Roanoke Virginia, the Heart of Georgia Railroad was awarded the NS "Business Deveopment Award".

Rob Robinson NS's AVP of Short Line and Commercial Development presented the award to Heart of Georgia President Brad Lafevers at the events closing banquet.  Mr. Robinson, said HOG had won the award based on its efforts to attract and serve large construction companies doing work related to major highway projects on Interstate 75 in central Georgia, creating new rail traffic moves for both HOG and NS.  "During the course of this project, HOG has created opportunities for two construction companies to locate on the HOG and reap the benefit of rail service for their facilities," said Robinson.

Currently Archer Western Company is in the process of widening I-75 through Cordele Georgia and converting the surface from asphalt to concrete.  Archer Western located its major concrete production facility on the HOG just west of the project location in Cordele Georgia, where it receives as many as 400 carloads of aggregates each month.